However, the opinion that preterm infants
may be positively or negatively affected by
environmental factors is a point of controversy
in the current literature. Cornell and
Gottfried (1976) note that there is no firm
support for the assumption that preterm infants
in the intensive care setting experience
sensory deprivation. Parmelee (1981) disagrees
with the hypothesis that preterm sensory experiences
alter developmental progress. He
believes that the preterm maturation of the
human nervous system is for the most part
genetically rather than environmentally controlled.