Even if parents don’t do the sensory activities perfectly every day, just doing them during feeding a few times a day still helps them feel less stressed and depressed.
Scientific Claim
A home-based integrated sensory stimulation program delivered during routine feeding is feasible and associated with significant improvements in parental mental health, even with reported compliance rates of 52–71%, suggesting the intervention can be integrated into daily parenting routines without requiring specialized equipment.
Original Statement
“Compliance rates were 52%, 71%, and 66% at first, third, and sixth month follow-ups. The program was designed to be integrated into feeding time, requiring no additional tools.”
Evidence Quality Assessment
Claim Status
appropriately stated
Study Design Support
Design supports claim
Appropriate Language Strength
definitive
Can make definitive causal claims
Assessment Explanation
The RCT design supports causal claims, and the finding that benefits occurred despite low compliance is directly supported by the data. The claim accurately reflects feasibility without overstating adherence.
Evidence from Studies
Supporting (1)
Effects of home-based integrated sensory stimulation program to preterm infants on parents’ depression and anxiety: a randomized controlled trial
This study found that when parents gently touched, talked to, and sang to their premature babies during feeding, both moms and dads felt less stressed and less depressed — and they didn’t need any special tools to do it.