Using Baby Books to Promote Maternal and Child Health
- Conditions
- Condition 3 - Control Condition (No-book Group)Condition 1 - Educational Condition (Educational Book Group)Condition 2 - Non-educational Condition (Non-educational Book Group)
- Interventions
- Behavioral: Educational Content/Pediatric Anticipatory GuidanceBehavioral: Book provision
- Registration Number
- NCT02203617
- Lead Sponsor
- Vanderbilt University
- 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.
Recruitment & Eligibility
- Status
- COMPLETED
- Sex
- Female
- Target Recruitment
- 198
- Women who are pregnant with first child and able to read in English at a first grade reading level
- Women with other children, men, those not able to read in English at a first grade level
Study & Design
- Study Type
- INTERVENTIONAL
- Study Design
- SINGLE_GROUP
- Arm && Interventions
Group Intervention Description educational baby books Book provision books embedded with educational information (pediatric anticipatory guidance) educational baby books Educational Content/Pediatric Anticipatory Guidance books embedded with educational information (pediatric anticipatory guidance) non-educational baby books Book provision baby books given with same illustrations but no educational information
- Primary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method 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
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.
Parenting Stress Change from 2 to 18 months post-partum Measured with the Parenting Stress Index
- Secondary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method 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.
Home environment and parenting Change from 2 to 18 months postpartum measured with the Home Observation for Measurement of Environment (HOME).
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.
Breastfeeding intentions and practices prenatal and postnatal every visit until no longer breastfeeding measured with the Breastfeeding Intentions and Practices Scale
Reading self-efficacy Change from 2 to 18 months postpartum measured with the Reading Self-Efficacy Scale
Immunizations, medical visits, and growth status 18 months postpartum measured through a retrospective medical chart audit.
Cognitive Development 12 and 18 months postpartum measured with Exploratory Play Task
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
Maternal Depressive Symptoms Change from baseline (pregnancy) to 18 months postpartum Depressive symptoms were measured with the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale.
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.
Attitudes about Corporal punishment 2, 6, 12 and 18 months postpartum Adolescent-Adult Parenting Inventory
Parenting Satisfaction Change from 2 to 18 months postpartum measured with the Parenting Satisfaction Scale
Cognitive and neurological development screening 4, 6, 9 months postpartum Measured with the Bayley Infant Neurodevelopmental Screener (BINS)
Parenting Self-Efficacy Change from 2 to 18 months postpartum Measured with the Maternal Self-Efficacy Scale
Receptive and Expressive language Change from 6 to 18 months postpartum Measured with the Preschool Language Scale - Fourth Edition (PLS4).
Pregnancy uplifts and Hassles Baselines (pregnancy) measured with the Pregnancy Experience Scale
Trial Locations
- Locations (2)
Vanderbilt University
🇺🇸Nashville, Tennessee, United States
University of California, Irvine
🇺🇸Irvine, California, United States