Improvements in of medical care in Taiwan have led to rapid increases in the survival rates of preterm infants. However, some studies indicate that among preterm infants, neurodevelopmental impairments increase as gestational ages decrease. The results suggest that the focus of neonatal intensive caregiving has to shift from
clinical-based care to cue-based care, and support the infants' neuromaturation and social and emotional development.
That is to implement developmentally supportive care. The major purposes of this paper are to emphasize the importance of developmentally supportive care in improving the health and development of preterm infants, describe the elements of supportive interventions, and apply the concepts of developmentally supportive care to bathing preterm infants. Through the example of bathing preterm infants, supportive interventions can also be incorporated into other medical care procedures in clinical practice. Through the implementation of developmentally supportive care, these fragile infants are expected to have healthier outcomes and a healthier future.