Researchers at Anglia Ruskin University and a team of researchers from Addenbrooke’s Hospital and the Universities of Nottingham and Leicester have shown that play experiences using Velcro covered mittens and toys can improve the exploratory behaviours of infants born very prematurely. The research was funded by children’s charity Action Medical Research.
In the UK, around 8,000 babies are born very early each year – before 32 weeks of pregnancy.1,2,3 While advancements in neonatal care have improved survival rates for these vulnerable babies, they are at increased risk of developing learning difficulties and special educational needs as they grow up.
The project builds on previous research which showed that three-month-old full-term babies benefit from play activities involving sticky mittens. Sticky mittens are Velcro-covered mittens that can be used with Velcro-covered soft toys to enable babies to grab and manipulate toys by swiping and touching them. Doing these simple and fun activities can give them a head start in developing exploratory behaviours that are fundamental to their learning. There is growing evidence that interventions to improve babies’ exploratory behaviours have beneficial effects on their brain and cognitive development.
Debi, mum to two-year-old Elsie who was born at 23 weeks says: “We were told that Elsie’s chance of survival was 1,000 to 1 when she was born as her weight was half that of a bag of sugar and spent eight months in hospital. Thankfully, she is doing well and walking and talking. However, in using an intervention such as sticky mittens, we would have been reassured we were doing something to support her development. As a NICU parent, you can feel quite powerless so it would have been great to have a tool that we knew was supporting her.”
In the study, researchers recruited very premature babies and divided them randomly into two groups. Over three weeks, one group received regular interventions with sticky mittens while the other group simply watched their caregiver moving toys around. Parents/carers completed questionnaires to monitor babies’ development over the next 12 months. The exploratory behaviours of the two groups of babies were compared before and after the interventions.
Dr Ruth Ford says: “Our research found that the sticky mitten intervention group showed larger improvements than the control group in aspects of their exploratory behaviours, particularly those related to oral exploration of rattles and teethers."
We are pleased with the results as our aim is to help parents support their preterm baby’s learning at a very early age, using simple activities that can be carried out quickly and easily at home.”
The researchers are planning further research to see whether the benefits of the intervention are longer lasting. The result of this project is timely as the UK’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has developed guidelines for the developmental follow-up of children born preterm. If further studies show that the use of sticky mittens is helpful in the longer term, the researchers hope to influence national policy regarding the care of very premature babies after they go home from hospital, by promoting use of sticky mittens by parents or carers to support their child’s development.
Dr Caroline Johnston, Senior Research Manager at Action Medical Research comments: “We are delighted with the results which show how simple interventions can improve the developmental outcomes of babies born very prematurely. Action Medical Research is committed to funding research into the causes of premature birth and also into treatments and interventions that enhance preterm babies’ learning and cognitive development.”
References
- Office for National Statistics Birth Characteristics: Worksheet 8: Live births by gestational age at birth and area of usual residence, England and Wales, 2022 Birth characteristics - Office for National Statistics (ons.gov.uk) [Accessed 101225]
- Public Health Scotland – Births in Scotland
Year ending 31 March 2025 Births in Scotland - Year ending 31 March 2025 - Births in Scotland - Publications - Public Health Scotland (Table 7.3) [Accessed 10Dec25]. - Registrar General Annual Report 2024 Births | Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency [Accessed 10Dec25]