The Small Step Program - Early Intervention for Children With High Risk of Developing Cerebral Palsy

The efficacy of the Small Step program is presently being investigated through a randomized controlled trial (NCT02166801) at Karolinska Institutet (KI) in Stockholm, Sweden. In the original project proposal for the current study, the plan was to contribute with inclusion of children from St. Olavs Hospital to the randomized controlled study initiated at KI. This project proposal has previously been approved by the Regional Ethical Committee (REK) for Medical Research in Mid-Norway (2016/1366). However, the researchers at KI have now completed the inclusion of participants for the randomized controlled study, and their preliminary results indicate that there is a large individual variation among the included participants regarding effect of the Small Step program. In agreement with the researchers at KI, it was therefore decided to change the design of the current study using Single Subject Research Design, a study design that is more appropriate to investigate individual response to treatment. The change in study design has been approved by REK (2016/1366-10).

Participation in this study is based on informed consent from the parents, and the child and the family participating in the project will be offered a potentially effective early intervention program that they would otherwise not be able to access.

The Small Step intervention program has three alternating treatment foci (B, C, and D) divided into five different steps, each lasting for 6 weeks (in total 30 weeks). The three treatment foci are Communication, Hand function and Mobility/gross motor function. The Hand function and Mobility steps will be conducted during two time-periods and the order will be randomised. Communication will have one intervention period during step III. The training will be conducted in the children's home by the parents on a daily basis under weekly supervision by the therapist responsible for each specific step of the intervention. General principles for the small step program are: a) collaborative goal-setting; b) promote infant's self-initiated actions; c) use of enriched home environment, d) intensity and repetition.

Before and after the intervention, there is a baseline phase with no treatment (A) and a withdrawal phase with no treatment (A), resulting in the following design: A-B-C-D-B-C-A. In addition, there is a follow-up phase when the children are 2 years of age.

Inclusion criteria

• increased perinatal risk factors, such as preterm birth, hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (asphyxia), and morphological brain abnormalities. These "at-risk" children are included in the regular clinical follow-up program at St. Olavs University Hospital comprising a standard examination at 3 months of age (for preterm born children: 3 months post term, so-called corrected age). At this examination, infants who exhibit two or more of the following additional risk factors will be eligible for study participation:

• Neurological signs assessed with Hammersmith Infant Neurological Examination (HINE) with a cut-off score of < 57 (20).
• Delayed psycho-motor development measured with Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS) using 2SD as the cut-off.
• Absent or sporadic fidgety movements assessed with the General Movements Assessment (GMA)
• Pathological findings on cerebral imaging (magnetic resonance imaging-MRI/cerebral ultrasound) done in regular clinical practice.

Exclusion criteria

• unstable medical condition
• progressive disorders
• diagnosis with a specific syndrome.
• neither parent is fluent in Norwegian or English. Satisfactory skills in either language are required for participation in data collection and the coaching and education program.