Condition 1 - Educational Condition (Educational Book Group), Condition 2 - Non-educational Condition (Non-educational Book Group), Condition 3 - Control Condition (No-book Group)
Conditions
Keywords
anticipatory guidance, baby books, safety
Brief summary
The Baby Books Project tests whether embedding educational information into baby books can improve the health and wellbeing of first-time mothers and their young children.
Detailed description
This study tests the efficacy of embedding educational information (i.e., pediatric anticipatory guidance) into baby books that first-time mothers read to their infants. This 3-group longitudinal study recruited first-time mothers in their third trimester of pregnancy, randomly assigned them to conditions, and followed them until the child was 18 months of age. One group received educational baby books, another group was given the same illustrated books with non-educational text, and the third group was not given any books. Thus, the effects of educational reading could be parsed from the effects of reading alone. The study aimed to test whether embedding pediatric anticipatory guidance in picture books is an effective method for increasing maternal knowledge of child development, parenting strategies, and safety practices, improving parenting beliefs and attitudes (e.g., parenting efficacy, importance of reading, use of corporal punishment), supporting optimal parenting practices (e.g., breastfeeding and nutrition, responsiveness, safety practices), improving maternal health (stress, depression), and supporting children's healthier development (injuries, illness, immunizations, and linguistic, social, and cognitive development). Survey and observational data collection occurred in participants' homes during their third trimester of pregnancy and when their child was 2, 4, 6, 9, 12, and 18 months of age. Twelve phone call interviews were conducted between these home visits. When children were 18 months, a retrospective medical chart audit was conducted.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALEducational Content/Pediatric Anticipatory Guidance
educational information from Bright Futures Guidelines for Health Supervision for birth to 18 months
BEHAVIORALBook provision
Given free books prenatally and at 2, 4, 6, 9, 12, and 18 months postpartum
Sponsors
University of California, Irvine
Vanderbilt University
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
DOUBLE (Caregiver, Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
FEMALE
Age
18 Years to 50 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Women who are pregnant with first child and able to read in English at a first grade reading level
Exclusion criteria
* Women with other children, men, those not able to read in English at a first grade level
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Costs | Cumulative costs over study duration | Maternal costs due to their own and their child's illness/injury, use of substances, and purchase of food was measured with the Incurred Cost Questionnaire. |
| Change in knowledge of child development and parenting | Change from Baseline (pregnancy) to 18 months postpartum | Measured with Opinions about Babies questionnaire |
| Change in Reading Practices | Change from 2 to 18 months postpartum | Self-reported joint reading practices |
| Parenting Stress | Change from 2 to 18 months post-partum | Measured with the Parenting Stress Index |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Beliefs about the Importance of Reading to Children | Change from baseline (prenatal) to 18 months postpartum | Maternal beliefs about the importance of reading was measured with the Modified Parent Reading Belief Inventory |
| Injuries and illnesses | 16 months (from 2 to 18 months postpartum) | Child illnesses injuries were measured with the Incurred Cost Questionnaire and through a retrospective medical chart audit. |
| Quality of Parent-Child Interaction | Change from 2 to 18 months postpartum | Video recording and in-vivo coding of mother-child dyads during play and reading. |
| Home environment and parenting | Change from 2 to 18 months postpartum | measured with the Home Observation for Measurement of Environment (HOME). |
| Receptive and Expressive language | Change from 6 to 18 months postpartum | Measured with the Preschool Language Scale - Fourth Edition (PLS4). |
| Cognitive and neurological development screening | 4, 6, 9 months postpartum | Measured with the Bayley Infant Neurodevelopmental Screener (BINS) |
| Infant nutrition | 2, 4, 6, 9, 12, and 18 months postpartum | Infant Nutrition Interview measured the introduction of news foods, types of foods, and serving portions at each time point. |
| Pregnancy uplifts and Hassles | Baselines (pregnancy) | measured with the Pregnancy Experience Scale |
| Parenting Satisfaction | Change from 2 to 18 months postpartum | measured with the Parenting Satisfaction Scale |
| Parenting Self-Efficacy | Change from 2 to 18 months postpartum | Measured with the Maternal Self-Efficacy Scale |
| Reading self-efficacy | Change from 2 to 18 months postpartum | measured with the Reading Self-Efficacy Scale |
| Cognitive Development | 12 and 18 months postpartum | measured with Exploratory Play Task |
| Immunizations, medical visits, and growth status | 18 months postpartum | measured through a retrospective medical chart audit. |
| Breastfeeding intentions and practices | prenatal and postnatal every visit until no longer breastfeeding | measured with the Breastfeeding Intentions and Practices Scale |
| Safety Practices | 2, 4, 6, 9, 12, and 18 months postpartum | Measured with the Home Safety Assessment, an observational and self-report measure of safety practices in the home, car, and outside |
| Attitudes about Corporal punishment | 2, 6, 12 and 18 months postpartum | Adolescent-Adult Parenting Inventory |
| Maternal Depressive Symptoms | Change from baseline (pregnancy) to 18 months postpartum | Depressive symptoms were measured with the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. |
Other
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Community Conditions | 4 months postpartum and following a move to a new residence | measured with the observational Community Conditions Checklist and self-report Community Conditions Interview |
Countries
United States
Outcome results
None listed