The time a premature baby spends in a neonatal intensive care unit falls within a particularly important time window for brain development. The lack of natural, positive sensory impressions and the flood of unfamiliar, negative stimuli in this environment can later lead to problems in motor and cognitive development as well as behavioural problems. To support and promote positive sensory experiences in premature babies, the "SENSE" programme was introduced at the Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine at MedUni Vienna/University Hospital Vienna as the first institution in the German-speaking world. 17 November is World Premature Infants’ Day.
"SENSE" was developed by Roberta Pineda and a team from the University of Southern California (USA) on the basis of scientific findings. The aim of the programme is to enable parents to provide their premature baby with positive sensory experiences every day in the neonatal intensive care unit. "This not only enables them to have a positive influence on their child’s development, but also means that they themselves are better integrated into the intensive care unit setting from the outset, " says Angelika Berger, Head of the Clinical Division of Neonatology, Intensive Care Medicine and Neuropediatrics at MedUni Vienna/University Hospital Vienna, explaining the key benefits of the programme.
"SENSE" includes types of sensory impressions that can be experienced through touch, sounds, smells, images, body perceptions and the sense of balance. Initial studies have already demonstrated a positive influence on the development of children who have been cared for in this way, and scientific studies have also shown that the programme has strengthened parenting skills and the bond between parents and children.
The best possible care for the child
After a pilot phase lasting several months, "SENSE" was introduced in October 2024 on the neonatal intensive care units of MedUni Vienna/University Hospital Vienna for all premature babies born before the 28th week of pregnancy. "The initial feedback from parents has been consistently positive," reports Angelika Berger from the practice. "They particularly appreciate the fact that they can actively participate in providing the best possible care for their child from day one in the unfamiliar environment of an intensive care unit." The effects of the programme on parents and children are scientifically monitored. Worldwide, one in nine babies is born prematurely. In Austria, around 8,000 children are born before the 37th week of pregnancy; premature babies make up the largest group of paediatric patients.
