Education programs can increase parent-child interactions

WASHINGTON - Two concurrent studies have shown that parent education programs delivered through pediatric primary care offices increase parent-child play and reading activities critical for child development and school readiness during infancy in at-risk families.

“Research has shown that children growing up in poverty fall behind their middle-class peers in development - even before their first birthday,” said Alan L. Mendelsohn, associate professor of Pediatrics at NYU School of Medicine and Bellevue Hospital Center.

Mendelsohn and colleagues enrolled 675 mother-infant pairs receiving pediatric care at Bellevue in a randomized controlled trial of two primary care interventions - the Video Interaction Project (VIP) and Building Blocks (BB).

First, 225 participants were randomly assigned to the VIP program, in which mothers and infants had fifteen 30-45 minute sessions with a child development specialist, usually occurring on the same days as check-ups.

VIP focuses on supporting verbal interactions in play, book-reading and daily routines.

Another 225 pairs were randomly assigned to participate in the BB intervention, in which similar topics are covered through written pamphlets and learning materials such as toys and books mailed to the family’s home on a monthly basis.

The final 225 were assigned to a control group, which received standard pediatric care, including routine developmental surveillance and guidance.

In the first report, researchers found that families participating in both VIP and BB had increased play and reading activities compared to the control group.

In the second report, the investigators found that VIP resulted in reduced infant television exposure.

The study appeared in the January issue of Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. (ANI)