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Completed

NCT Number: NCT02203617

Using Baby Books to Promote Maternal and Child Health

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.

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Key information

Conditions

Condition 1 - Educational Condition (Educational Book Group) Condition 2 - Non-educational Condition (Non-educational Book Group) Condition 3 - Control Condition (No-book Group)

Age range

18 year–50 year

Sex eligibility

Female

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California, United States

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About this study

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.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

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

Treatment and study plan

Educational Content/Pediatric Anticipatory Guidance

Behavioral

educational information from Bright Futures Guidelines for Health Supervision for birth to 18 months

Book provision

Behavioral

Given free books prenatally and at 2, 4, 6, 9, 12, and 18 months postpartum

Primary outcomes

  1. Change in knowledge of child development and parenting

    Time frame: Change from Baseline (pregnancy) to 18 months postpartum

    Measured with Opinions about Babies questionnaire

  2. Change in Reading Practices

    Time frame: Change from 2 to 18 months postpartum

    Self-reported joint reading practices

  3. Parenting Stress

    Time frame: Change from 2 to 18 months post-partum

    Measured with the Parenting Stress Index

  4. Costs

    Time frame: 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.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Safety Practices

    Time frame: 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

  2. Attitudes about Corporal punishment

    Time frame: 2, 6, 12 and 18 months postpartum

    Adolescent-Adult Parenting Inventory

  3. Maternal Depressive Symptoms

    Time frame: Change from baseline (pregnancy) to 18 months postpartum

    Depressive symptoms were measured with the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale.

  4. Beliefs about the Importance of Reading to Children

    Time frame: Change from baseline (prenatal) to 18 months postpartum

    Maternal beliefs about the importance of reading was measured with the Modified Parent Reading Belief Inventory

  5. Injuries and illnesses

    Time frame: 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.

  6. Quality of Parent-Child Interaction

    Time frame: Change from 2 to 18 months postpartum

    Video recording and in-vivo coding of mother-child dyads during play and reading.

  7. Home environment and parenting

    Time frame: Change from 2 to 18 months postpartum

    measured with the Home Observation for Measurement of Environment (HOME).

  8. Receptive and Expressive language

    Time frame: Change from 6 to 18 months postpartum

    Measured with the Preschool Language Scale - Fourth Edition (PLS4).

  9. Cognitive and neurological development screening

    Time frame: 4, 6, 9 months postpartum

    Measured with the Bayley Infant Neurodevelopmental Screener (BINS)

  10. Infant nutrition

    Time frame: 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.

  11. Breastfeeding intentions and practices

    Time frame: prenatal and postnatal every visit until no longer breastfeeding

    measured with the Breastfeeding Intentions and Practices Scale

  12. Pregnancy uplifts and Hassles

    Time frame: Baselines (pregnancy)

    measured with the Pregnancy Experience Scale

  13. Parenting Satisfaction

    Time frame: Change from 2 to 18 months postpartum

    measured with the Parenting Satisfaction Scale

  14. Parenting Self-Efficacy

    Time frame: Change from 2 to 18 months postpartum

    Measured with the Maternal Self-Efficacy Scale

  15. Reading self-efficacy

    Time frame: Change from 2 to 18 months postpartum

    measured with the Reading Self-Efficacy Scale

  16. Cognitive Development

    Time frame: 12 and 18 months postpartum

    measured with Exploratory Play Task

  17. Immunizations, medical visits, and growth status

    Time frame: 18 months postpartum

    measured through a retrospective medical chart audit.

Other outcomes

  1. Community Conditions

    Time frame: 4 months postpartum and following a move to a new residence

    measured with the observational Community Conditions Checklist and self-report Community Conditions Interview

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Vanderbilt University

Other

Collaborators

  • University of California, Irvine

Registry information

Important dates

Study start
2005
Primary completion
2009
Study completion
2010
First posted
Jul 30, 2014
Registry last updated
Apr 14, 2017

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.