Effectiveness of mother-led multisensory intervention on feeding behaviour, weight gain and developmental milestones in preterm infants: A systematic review

Objective The objective of this review is to assess the effectiveness of mother led multisensory interventions on weight gain, feeding behaviour and developmental outcomes in preterm infants up to 24 months of corrected age. Methods Electronic databases including PubMed, Sage, Springer, Medline, Scopus, Web of Science, and EBSCO were searched. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses reporting guidelines were used to report the review. Only randomized controlled trials evaluating the impact of mother-led multisensory interventions on feeding behaviour, weight gain and developmental milestones were considered. Studies published between July 2015 and July 2025 was included. Non-randomized studies and editorials or reviews, case reports, expert opinions and non-peer-reviewed publications were excluded. A comprehensive search across databases yielded a total of 882 records. Prior to screening, 290 duplicate records were removed, alongside 340 records excluded by automation tools and 42 records were eliminated for other reasons. This left 210 records for screening, from which 115 were excluded based on relevance. Of the 95 reports sought for retrieval, 56 could not be obtained. The remaining 39 reports were assessed for eligibility, with 27 subsequently excluded—9 for being unrelated to the study question, 12 for not meeting the required study design, and 6 for falling outside the specified timeframe. The initial search was conducted independently by the first two authors. After eliminating duplicate records, titles and abstracts were screened. Full-text articles were then thoroughly assessed by both authors to confirm they met the inclusion criteria. Any disagreements during this process were resolved with input from the third author. Results Ultimately, 12 studies were included in the final review. The primary outcomes are classified into feeding behaviour, weight gain and developmental milestones. Secondary outcomes included infant behaviour and sleep, and maternal psychological well-being. This systematic review demonstrates that mother led multisensory interventions including skin-to-skin contact, guided relaxation and structured sensory stimulation enhances feeding behaviours, promote weight gain and support progress of neurodevelopment in preterm infants. These interventions also contribute positively to maternal psychological well-being and the quality of mother infant bonding. Conclusion Mother-led multisensory interventions can be safely integrated into routine neonatal care to enhance feeding behaviours and support healthy weight gain in preterm infants. Structured sensory stimulation and skin-to-skin contact can be adopted as low-cost, non-invasive strategies to promote early neurodevelopmental progress in neonatal intensive care units. Empowering mothers as active partners in care may improve continuity of developmental support from hospital to home. Neonatal care guidelines and policies can emphasize family-centred, mother-led developmental interventions as essential components of preterm infant care.