Family Nurture Intervention in the NICU at The Valley Hospital

Measured in microvolts (µV)^2 for infants.

Coherence is a number between 0-1, generated by looking at the similarity/differences in activity between brain regions through analysis of EEG.

To examine maternal depression, the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) is a 20 item self-report inventory designed to assess current but nonspecific distress rather than clinically diagnosed depression. It is the most frequently used measure in the field of infant research and maternal depression. Items probe for depressive symptoms and attitudes within the past week.

To examine Maternal Anxiety, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) comprises 2 separate self-report scales of 20 items each that measure state and trait anxiety. The S-Anxiety Scale (measuring state), has been found to be a sensitive indicator of changes in transitory anxiety experienced by patients in counseling, psychotherapy, and behavior-modification programs, and has been used to assess the level of anxiety induced by unavoidable real-life stressors. The T-Anxiety scale has proven useful for identifying persons who differ in motivation or drive level. The STAI has been used in studies examining parents of hospitalized children, the transition to a maternal role, perception of illness severity in infants, and maternal anxiety during pregnancy and fetal attachment.

At the 18 month corrected age follow-up, infants are administered the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, Bayley III consisting of three developmental domains: Cognitive, Language (receptive/expressive) and Motor (fine/gross). For each domain, a composite score is provided and is scaled to a mean score of 100 and a standard deviation of 15. A child will receive 1 point for every item successfully completed. The administration of each section will end if the child received 0 points on 5 consecutive items. Scores <70 indicate significant developmental delays and scores <80 indicate mild to moderate developmental delays.

Cognitive Scale - comprised of 91 items Language Scale - comprised of 97 items Motor Scale - comprised of 138 items

To examine Mother-Infant Emotional Connection, this is a brief 4-item assessment requiring 5 minutes or less, which assesses the character of the relationship between study mothers and infants. It is filled out by study staff who rate mothers and infants in a dyadic interaction on their attraction, their vocal communication, facial expressiveness, and sensitivity and responsivity towards each other.

The Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) is a device by which parents rate their child's problem behaviors and competencies. The CBCL can also be used to measure a child's change in behavior over time or following a treatment. The CBCL consists of 100 items. This will be administered at the 18 Months CA Follow-Up.

The M-CHAT is a questionnaire validated for screening toddlers to assess risk for autism spectrum disorders (ASD). It is a 23 yes/no item questionnaire administered to the mother which can be scored in less than 2 minutes. This will be administered at the 18 Month CA Follow-Up.