Using Baby Books to Promote Maternal and Child Health

Vanderbilt University

Status: Completed

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

Treatments: Behavioral: Educational Content/Pediatric Anticipatory Guidance; Behavioral: Book provision

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT02203617

R01HD447749

Details and patient eligibility

About

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.

Full 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.

Enrollment: 198 patients

Sex: Female

Ages: 18 to 50 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

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

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Single Group Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

---

198 participants in 3 patient groups

educational baby books

Experimental group

Description:

books embedded with educational information (pediatric anticipatory guidance)

Treatment:

Behavioral: Educational Content/Pediatric Anticipatory Guidance

Behavioral: Book provision

non-educational baby books

Active Comparator group

Description:

baby books given with same illustrations but no educational information

Treatment:

Behavioral: Book provision

no books

No Intervention group

Description:

not given any baby books