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The Effects of Family Clinic and Municipality

Not Applicable
Completed
Conditions
At-risk Pregnant Women
Interventions
Behavioral: FACAM
Behavioral: Care as Usual
Behavioral: COS-P
Registration Number
NCT03659721
Lead Sponsor
VIVE - The Danish Center for Social Science Research
Brief Summary

This trial is a randomized controlled trial with the aim is to assess the effectiveness of Family Clinic and Municipality (FACAM) to improve mother-child relationship, maternal health, maternal mental health, and the development and well-being of the child.

Detailed Description

Pregnant women who struggle with psychosocial challenges during pregnancy have a higher risk of preterm birth, giving birth to a child with low birth weight and a higher risk of complications during pregnancy both for mother and child. An early and coordinated intervention to reduce inequality in health may be important for this group of vulnerable women.

The FACAM intervention is developed in Odense with the aim of reducing inequality in health by giving vulnerable pregnant women and their children the best possible start in life by offering an interdisciplinary coordinated support. The support will be offered by Odense municipality, the family clinic (Familieambulatoriet), and local voluntary organizations.

The aim of the trial is to assess the effectiveness of FACAM to improve mother-child relationship, maternal health, maternal mental health, and the development and well-being of the child.

The study is a Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT). A total of 320 pregnant women will be randomized to FACAM or Care as Usual.

Participants are pregnant women categorized as antenatal care group 3 or 4, living in Odense and with a referral to Familieambulatoriet, OUH. Participants must be able to fill out questionnaires in Danish or English.

Data will be collected at baseline (pregnancy), and when the child is 3 and 12 months old.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
Female
Target Recruitment
332
Inclusion Criteria
  • Pregnant women admitted to the Familieambulatorium, and living in Odense municipality
  • Antenatal care group 3 or 4 according to the Danish health authorities' recommendations
Exclusion Criteria
  • Life-threatening illness in parent or child
  • Not able to fill out questionnaires in Danish or English
  • Child in out of home care after birth
  • Pregnancy with twins
  • Previous participation in the FACAM project

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
FACAMFACAMIntervention participants are assigned a support person (health nurse or a family therapist) who will offer support to the family until the child starts school at age 6. Intensity is up to 37 hours the first year followed by up to 10 hours of support each of the following years. The support person will offer individualized support to the family depending on the needs of the family. The support person will attend midwife consultations and help the pregnant woman to attend consultations with e.g. GP, midwife, or social worker. All intervention participants will also receive either an individual or group-based (COS-P)attachment based intervention during pregnancy and the first months of the child's life.
FACAMCOS-PIntervention participants are assigned a support person (health nurse or a family therapist) who will offer support to the family until the child starts school at age 6. Intensity is up to 37 hours the first year followed by up to 10 hours of support each of the following years. The support person will offer individualized support to the family depending on the needs of the family. The support person will attend midwife consultations and help the pregnant woman to attend consultations with e.g. GP, midwife, or social worker. All intervention participants will also receive either an individual or group-based (COS-P)attachment based intervention during pregnancy and the first months of the child's life.
Care as UsualCare as UsualFamilies in the control group receive the usual care that is offered to families in the target group. This includes consultations with e.g. a midwife, social worker, medical doctor, and health visitor. If needed, CAU families can receive e.g. extra home visits or family therapy.
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Maternal sensitivityat child age 12 months

Maternal sensitivity measured by the CIB (Coding Interactive Behavior)

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scalechild age 3 and 12 months

Maternal mental Health 7 items. A total score i calculated by summing the 7 items and converting the raw score according to a published conversion table. Raw score range 7- 35. Converted score range 7-35. High is better outcome.

Experiences in Close Relationship Scale-Short Form (ECR-S)Baseline

Two subscales Anxiety (range 1-42 low score is better) and Avoidance (range 1-42 low score is better)

Maternal Sensitivityat child age 3 months

Maternal sensitivity measured by the CIB (Coding Interactive Behavior)

Edinburgh Postnatal depression Scale (EPDS)child age 3 and 12 months

Depression Total score range 0-30. Low score is better

Prenatal Parental reflective functioning questionnaire (P-PRFQ)Baseline

Parental reflective functioning for pregnant women. Total score range 14-98. Higher score is better. Three subscales:

Opacity of mental states (4 items), reflecting on the fetus-baby (3 items) and Dynamic of mental states (5 items)

Parental Stress Scale (PSS)Cild age 3 and 12 months

Parental stress Total score range 18-90 low score is better

Being a Mother (BAM-13)child age 3 and 12 months

Maternal confidence. Total score range 0-39. Low score is better

Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS)Baseline, 3 and 12 months

Two subscales Anxiety (range 0-21 low score is better) and depression (range 0-21 low score is better)

Ages and Stages Questionnaire-Social Emotional 2 (ASQ:SE-2)child age 3 and 12 months

Child social-emotional Development Total score range 0-150 ( 3 months 15 items), 0-260 (12 months 26 items). Low score is better.

Parental reflective functioning questionnaire (PRFQ-1)child age 12 months

Parental reflective functioning Three subscales score range 6-42: Pre-Mentalizing Modes (PRFQ-PM) 6 items. low score is better. Certainty about Mental States (PRFQ-CMS) 6 items high score is better. Interest and curiosity in mental states PRFQ-IC 6 items high score is better.

Ages and Stages Questionnaire 3 (ASQ:3)child age 3 months

Child development

Coding interactive bahavior (CIB)child age 3 and 12 months

Parent child relationship Subscales: Intrusiveness, Limit setting, Involvement, Withdrawal, Reciprocity, Negative states

Activities with childchild age 12 months

Singing and reading Total score range 0-70. High score is better.

Trial Locations

Locations (2)

VIVE - The Danish Centre of Social Science Research

🇩🇰

Copenhagen, Denmark

Odense University Hospital

🇩🇰

Odense, Denmark

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