Low Birth Weight (LBW) premature babies have been shown to present with learning, developmental, behavioural, and emotional maladjustment later in life. Literature shows that parents experience shock, denial, sadness, anger and stress when their baby is born prematurely. The focus in most neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) is still the acute care needs of the infants, but because parents will ultimately assume care of the infant and will influence the child's developmental outcome more strongly than any biological factors, NICU procedures and early interventions need to include psychological interventions for parents. This study aims to develop a cost-effective early intervention programme for parents of LBW premature babies as a means of providing parental support and counselling. Relevant theoretical aspects and the results of the situation analysis determined the programme's content. Relevant disciplines, such as speech therapy, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, paediatrics, nursing and welfare, were also liaised with. The programme targeted not only literate parents, but also semi-literate and illiterate parents. The programme was developed within the South African context, but in such a way that it can be adapted to be implemented in other developing countries in Africa as well, for example Egypt. The programme was thus implemented at Mataria Teaching Hospital in Egypt as part of the formative evaluation of the programme. The qualitative analyses of the pilot implementation, done at the Pretoria Academic Hospital, resulted in significant changes being made to The Guldenpfennig early intervention programme for parents of LBW premature babies. The role of the educational psychologist in relation to the content and feedback of the sessions, the participation of the interpreter, and also cultural sensitivities were outlined as part of the qualitative analysis of the results of the second implementation. This programme intended and succeeded to change subjective areas such as parental knowledge, opinions, attitudes, feelings, and behaviour. Short-term effects were shown immediately and it is to be hoped that it would be sustained over a long period of time. Establishing the long-term outcomes that this programme may have for LBW premature babies and their families would be the next logical area for research.