Skip to main content
Key Specialties
Cardiology Diabetology Endocrinology Gastroenterology Geriatrics and Gerontology Gynecology and Obstetrics Hematology Infectious Disease Internal Medicine Nephrology Neurology Oncology Pediatrics Respiratory Medicine Rheumatology Surgery
Congress Coverage
2024 ACC Congress 2023 ESMO Congress 2023 EASD Congress 2023 ERS Congress 2023 ESC Congress 2023 EHA Congress 2023 ASCO Annual Meeting
Clinical Collections
Advances in Alzheimer’s

At a glance: The ONWARDS insulin icodec trials

A round-up of the ONWARDS phase 3 clinical trials evaluating the novel weekly insulin icodec in people with diabetes.
ADVANCED SEARCH
Log in
Top
BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth
Published in: BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth 1/2018

Open Access 01-12-2018 | Study protocol

Preparing parents for parenthood: protocol for a randomized controlled trial of a preventative parenting intervention for expectant parents

Authors: Mandy Mihelic, Alina Morawska, Ania Filus

Published in: BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth | Issue 1/2018

Login to get access

Abstract

Background

Becoming the parent of a new baby comes with a range of challenges including difficulties with emotional adjustment, couple relationship issues and difficulty managing common infant behaviors, such as crying and sleep problems. This time can be especially challenging for couples who experience a range of risk factors. Previous parenting interventions for parents of babies have shown mixed results. This protocol paper describes a randomized controlled trial of a group-based parenting intervention for high-risk parents expecting their first baby.

Methods/design

Participants will be randomized to either Group Baby Triple P or Care as Usual (CAU). Group Baby Triple P involves 4 × 2 h group sessions delivered during pregnancy and 4 individual telephone sessions of 30 min each in the early postnatal period. Outcomes will be assessed via parent self-report questionnaire, home observations and a baby diary 10 weeks and 6 months post-birth. Primary outcomes will be parental confidence and perceived competence. Secondary outcomes will include parental responsiveness and bonding with the baby, relationship happiness, life satisfaction, depression, anxiety and stress, and infant crying and sleep. Analyses will involve a series of rANOVA and rMANOVAs, t-tests and a multilevel modeling approach.

Discussion

A brief summary, strengths and potential implications are discussed.

Trial registration

Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry: ANZCTR 12613000948796. Registered 27 August, 2013.
Literature
1.
Feeney JA, et al. Becoming parents: exploring the bonds between mothers, fathers, and their infants. New York: Cambridge University Press; 2001.CrossRef
2.
Glade AC, Bean RA, Vira R. A prime time for marital/relational intervention: a review of the transition to parenthood literature with treatment recommendations. The American Journal of Family Therapy. 2005;33(4):319–36.CrossRef
3.
Murray L, Cooper PJ. Effects of postnatal depression on infant development. Archives in Diseases in Childhood. 1997;77:99–101.CrossRef
4.
Cornish AM, et al. Postnatal depression and infant cognitive and motor development in the second postnatal year: the impact of depression chronicity and infant gender. Infant Behavior and Development. 2005;28(4):407–17.CrossRef
5.
Doss BD, et al. The effect of the transition to parenthood on relationship quality: an 8-year prospective study. J Pers Soc Psychol. 2009;96(3):601–19.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
6.
Sanders MR. Development, evaluation, and multinational dissemination of the triple P-positive parenting program. Annu Rev Clin Psychol. 2012;8:345–79.CrossRefPubMed
7.
Cowan CP, Cowan PA. When Partners become Parents. The big life change for couples. Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc; 2000.
8.
Schulz MS, Cowan CP, Cowan PA. Promoting healthy beginnings: a randomized controlled trial of a preventive intervention to preserve marital quality during the transition to parenthood. J Consult Clin Psychol. 2006;74(1):20–31.CrossRefPubMed
9.
Hemmi MH, Wolke D, Schneider S. Associations between problems with crying, sleeping and/or feeding in infancy and long-term behavioural outcomes in childhood: a meta-analysis. Arch Dis Child. 2011;96(7):622–9.CrossRefPubMed
10.
Wolke D, Rizzo P, Woods S. Persistent infant crying and hyperactivity problems in middle childhood. Pediatrics. 2002;109(6):1054–60.CrossRefPubMed
11.
Russell C. The state of knowledge about prevention/early intervention. Canada: Invest in Kids; 2002.
12.
13.
Gavin NI, et al. Perinatal depression: a systematic review of prevalence and incidence. Obstet Gynecol. 2005;106(5):1071–83.CrossRefPubMed
14.
Heron J, et al. The course of anxiety and depression through pregnancy and the postpartum in a community sample. J Affect Disord. 2004;80(1):65–73.CrossRefPubMed
15.
Belsky J, Rovine M. Patterns of marital change across the transition to parenthood: pregnancy to three years postpartum. J Marriage Fam. 1990;52:5–19.CrossRef
16.
Bronte-Tinkew J, et al. Symptoms of major depression in a sample of fathers of infants: sociodemographic correlates and links to father involvement. J Fam Issues. 2007;28(1):61–99.CrossRef
17.
Dunning MJ, Giallo R. Fatigue, parenting stress, self-efficacy and satisfaction in mothers of infants and young children. J Reproductive Infant Psychology. 2012;30(2):145–59.CrossRef
18.
Giallo R, et al. Father mental health during the early parenting period: results of an Australian population based longitudinal study. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol. 2012;47(12):1907–16.CrossRefPubMed
19.
Giallo R, et al. Factors associated with the course of maternal fatigue across the early postpartum period. J Reproductive Infant Psychol. 2015;33(5):528–44.CrossRef
20.
Matthey S, et al. Diagnosing postpartum depression in mothers and fathers: whatever happened to anxiety? J Affect Disord. 2003;74(2):139–47.CrossRefPubMed
21.
Hackel LS, Ruble DN. Changes in the marital relationship after the first baby is born: predicting the impact of expectancy disconfirmation. J Pers Soc Psychol. 1992;62(6):944–57.CrossRefPubMed
22.
Grych JH, Fincham FD. Marital conflict and Children’s adjustment: a cognitive-contextual framework. Psychol Bull. 1990;108(2):267–90.CrossRefPubMed
23.
Davies PT, Cummings EM. Marital conflict and child adjustment: an emotional security hypothesis. Psychol Bull. 1994;116(3):387–411.CrossRefPubMed
24.
Bradley RH, Corwyn RF, McAdoo HP, Coll CG. The home environments of children in the United States part I: variations by age, ethnicity, and poverty status. Child Dev. 2001;72(6):1844–67.CrossRefPubMed
25.
Conger RD, Ge X, Elder GH, Lorenz FO, Simons RL. Economic stress, coercive family process, and developmental problems of adolescents. Child Dev. 1994;65(2):541–61.CrossRefPubMed
26.
Dodge KA, Pettit GS, Bates JE. Socialization mediators of the relation between socioeconomic status and child conduct problems. Child Dev. 1994;65:649–65.CrossRefPubMed
27.
28.
Barker ED, et al. The contribution of prenatal and postnatal maternal anxiety and depression to child maladjustment. Depression Anxiety. 2011;28(8):696–702.CrossRefPubMed
29.
Cutrona CE. Social support and stress in the transition to parenthood. J Abnorm Psychol. 1984;93(4):378–90.CrossRefPubMed
30.
O’Connor M, et al. The relationship between social capital and depression during the transition to adulthood. Aust J Psychol. 2011;63(1):26–35.CrossRef
31.
Denis A, Ponsin M, Callahan S. The relationship between maternal self-esteem, maternal competence, infant temperament and post-partum blues. Journal of Reproductive and Infant Psychology. 2012;30(4):388–97.CrossRef
32.
Davis EP, et al. Prenatal maternal anxiety predict negative behavioural reactivity in infancy. Infancy. 2004;6(3):319–31.CrossRef
33.
Parfitt Y, Pike A, Ayers S. Infant developmental outcomes: a family systems perspective. Infant Child Dev. 2014;23:353–73.CrossRef
34.
35.
Davies PT, et al. Child emotional security and interparental conflict. Monogr Soc Res Child Dev. 2002;67(3):X–113.
36.
Mihelic M, Filus A, Morawska A. Correlates of prenatal parenting expectations in new mothers: is better self- efficacy a potential target for preventing postnatal adjustment difficulties? Prev Sci. 2016;17(8):949–59.CrossRefPubMed
37.
Olioff M, Aboud FE. Predicting postpartum dysphoria in primiparous mothers: roles of perceived parenting self-efficacy and self-esteem. J Cogn Psychother. 1991;5(1):3–14.
38.
Cutrona CE, Troutman BR. Social support, infant temperament, and parenting self-efficacy: a mediational model of postpartum depression. Child Dev. 1986;57(6):1507–18.CrossRefPubMed
39.
Coleman PK, Karraker KH. Self-efficacy and parenting quality: findings and future applications. Dev Rev. 1997;18:47–85.CrossRef
40.
Teti DM, Gelfand DM. Behavioral competence among mothers of infants in the first year: the mediational role of maternal self-efficacy. Child Dev. 1991;62:918–29.CrossRefPubMed
41.
Bohlin G, Hagekull B. “good mothering”: maternal attitudes and mother-infant interaction. Infant Mental Health Journal. 1987;8(4):352–63.CrossRef
42.
de Wolff MS, van Ijzendoorn MH. Sensitivity and attachment: a meta-analysis on parental antecedents of infant attachment. Child Dev. 1997;68(4):571–91.CrossRefPubMed
43.
Wolfson A, Futterman A, Lacks P. Effects of parent training on infant sleeping patterns, parents’ stress, and perceived parental competence. J Consult Clin Psychol. 1992;60(1):41–8.CrossRefPubMed
44.
Bell SM, Ainsworth SMD. Infant crying and maternal responsiveness. Child Dev. 1972;43(4):1171–90.CrossRefPubMed
45.
Pinquart M, Teubert D. Effects of parenting education with expectant and new parents: a meta-analysis. J Fam Psychol. 2010;24(3):316–27.CrossRefPubMed
46.
Bakermans-Kranenburg MJ, van Ijzendoorn MH, Juffer F. Less is more: meta-analyses of sensitivity and attachment interventions in early childhood. Psychol Bull. 2003;129(2):195–215.CrossRefPubMed
47.
Bryanton J, Beck CT. Postnatal parental education for optimizing infant general health and parent-infant relationships (review). Cochrane Libr. 2010;12:1–90.
48.
Mihelic M, Morawska A, Filus A. Effects of early parenting interventions on parents and infants: a meta-analytic review. J Child Fam Stud. 2017;26(6):1507–26.CrossRef
49.
Feinberg ME, et al. Effects of family foundations on parents and children: 3.5 years after baseline. J Fam Psychol. 2010;24(5):532–42.CrossRefPubMed
50.
Feinberg ME, Kan ML. Establishing family foundations: intervention effects on coparenting, parent/infant well-being, and parent-child relations. J Fam Psychol. 2008;22(2):253–63.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
51.
Feinberg ME, Kan ML, Goslin MC. Enhancing coparenting, parenting, and child self-regulation: effects of family foundations 1 year after birth. Prev Sci. 2009;10(3):276–85.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
52.
Petch J, et al. A randomized controlled trial of a couple relationship and coparenting program (couple CARE for Parents) for high- and low-risk new parents. J Consult Clin Psychol. 2012;80(4):662–73.CrossRefPubMed
53.
Murray L, et al. The impact of postnatal depression and associated adversity on early mother-infant interactions and later infant outcome. Child Dev. 1996;67:2512–26.CrossRefPubMed
54.
Spry C, Morawska A, Sanders M. Baby Triple P Group Workwook. Brisbane: Triple P International Pty. Ltd.; 2011.
55.
Spry C. The Baby Triple P Project: Effects of a parenting intervention to promote a successful transition to parenthood., in School of Psychology: The University of Queensland; 2013.
56.
Ferrari AJ, et al. Prem baby triple P a new parenting intervention for parents of infants born very preterm: acceptability and barriers. Infant Behav Dev. 2011;34(4):602–9.CrossRefPubMed
57.
Butler H, et al. The acceptability and feasibility of the baby triple P positive parenting Programme on a mother and baby unit: Q-methodology with mothers with severe mental illness. Arch Womens Ment Health. 2014;17:455–63.CrossRefPubMed
58.
Tsivos ZL, et al. A pilot randomised controlled trial to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of the baby triple P positive parenting Programme in mothers with postnatal depression. Clinical Child Psychology Psychiatry. 2015;20(4):532–54.CrossRefPubMed
59.
Seah, C.K.F. and A. Morawska, Does Baby Triple P enhance sensitivity and reduce parenting stress? A randomized controlled trial of an early parenting intervention. Manuscript submitted for publication.
60.
Gagnon AJ, Sandall J. Individual or group antenatal education for childbirth or parenthood, or both (review). Cochrane Libr. 2011;10:1–64.
61.
Sanders MR, Morawska A. Family Background Questionnaire. Brisbane: Parenting and family support Centre, The University of Queensland; 2010.
62.
Shea E, Tronick EZ. The maternal self-report inventory. A research and clinical instrument for assessing maternal self-esteem. In: Fitzgerald HE, Lester BM, Yogman MW, editors. Theory and research in behavioral pediatrics. New York: Plenum Press; 1988. p. 101–39.
63.
Matthey S, et al. Validation of the Edinburgh postnatal depression scale for men, and comparison of item endorsement with their partners. J Affect Disord. 2001;64:175–84.CrossRefPubMed
64.
Cox JL, Holden JM, Sagovsky R. Detection of postnatal depression. Development of the 10-item Edinburgh postnatal depression scale. Br J Psychiatry. 1987;150(6):782–6.CrossRefPubMed
65.
Boyce P, Stubbs J, Todd A. The Edinburgh postnatal depression scale: validation for an Australian sample. Aust N Z J Psychiatry. 1993;27:472–6.CrossRefPubMed
66.
Lovibond PF, Lovibond SH. The structure of negative emotional states: comparison of the depression anxiety stress scales (dass) with the beck depression and anxiety inventories. Behav Res Ther. 1995;33(3):335–43.CrossRefPubMed
67.
Osman A, et al. The depression anxiety stress Scales-21 (DASS-21): further examination of dimensions, scale reliability, and correlates. J Clin Psychol. 2012;68(12):1322–38.CrossRefPubMed
68.
Green JM, et al. Factor structure, validity and reliability of the Cambridge worry scale in a pregnant population. J Health Psychol. 2003;8(6):753–64.CrossRefPubMed
69.
Argyle M, Martin M, Crossland J. Happiness as a function of personality and social encounters. In: Forgas JP, Innes JM, editors. Recent advances in social psychology: An international perspective. Amsterdam, North Holland: Elsevier Science; 1989. p. 189–203.
70.
Hills P, Argyle M. The Oxford happiness questionnaire: a compact scale for the measurment of psychological well-being. Personal Individ Differ. 2002;33:1073–82.CrossRef
71.
Coleman P, Nelson ES, Sundre DL. The relationship between prenatal expectations and postnatal attitudes among first-time mothers. J Reproductive Infant Psychol. 1999;17(1):27–39.CrossRef
72.
Spry C, Morawska A, Sanders MR. Social Support Scale. Brisbane: Parenting and family support Centre, University of Queensland; 2007.
73.
Sanders MR, Morawska A. Parenting and Family Adjustment Scale. Brisbane: Parenting and family support Centre, The University of Queensland; 2010.
74.
Spry C, Morawska A, Sanders MR. Household and Baby Care Task Checklist. Brisbane: Parenting and family support Centre, University of Queensland; 2007.
75.
Norton R. Measuring marital quality: a critical look at the dependent variable. J Marriage Fam. 1983;45(1):141–51.CrossRef
76.
Amankwaa L, Pickler R. Measuring maternal responsiveness. ABNF J. 2007;18(1):4–15.PubMed
77.
Brockington IF, et al. A screening questionnaire for mother-infant bonding disorders. Archives Women’s Mental Health. 2001;3:133–40.CrossRef
78.
Wittkowski A, Wieck A, Mann S. An evaluation of two bonding questionnaires: a comparison of the mother-to-infant bonding scale with the postpartum bonding questionnaire in a sample of primiparous mothers. Archives Women’s Mental Health. 2007;10(4):171–5.CrossRef
79.
Crittenden PM. CARE-Index: Coding Manual, 1979-2004. Miami.
80.
Svanberg PO, Barlow A, Tigbe W. The parent–infant interaction observation scale: reliability and validity of a screening tool. J Reproductive Infant Psychol. 2013;31(1):5–14.CrossRef
81.
Spry C, Morawska A, Sanders MR. Baby Behaviour Inventory. Brisbane: Parenting and family support Centre, University of Queensland; 2007.
82.
Spry C, Morawska A, Sanders MR. Baby Diary. Brisbane: Parenting and family support Centre, University of Queensland; 2007.
83.
Sanders MR, Markie-Dadds C, Turner KMT. Practitioner’s manual for Standard Triple P. Milton: QLD: Families International; 2001.
84.
Maas CJM, Hox JJ. Sufficient sample sizes for multilevel modeling. Methodol Europ J Res Methods Behavioral Soc Sci. 2005;1(3):86–92.
85.
Barlow A, et al. Effect of a paraprofessional home-visiting intervention on american indian teen mothers’ and infants’ behavioral risks: a randomized controlled trial. Am J Psychiatr. 2013;170:83–93.CrossRefPubMed
86.
Faul F, et al. Statistical power analyses using G*power 3.1: tests for correlation and regression analyses. Behav Res Methods. 2009;41:1149–60.CrossRefPubMed
87.
Enders CK. Applied missing data analysis. New York: Guildford Press; 2010.
88.
Lundahl BW, et al. A meta-analysis of father involvement in parent training. Res Soc Work Pract. 2007;18(2):97–106.CrossRef
89.
Bagner DM, Eyberg SM. Father involvement in parent training: when does it matter? J Clin Child Adolesc Psychol. 2003;32(4):599–605.CrossRefPubMed
90.
Popp L, Schneider S. Attention placebo control in randomized controlled trials of psychosocial interventions: theory and practice. Trials. 2015;16:150.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
Metadata
Title
Preparing parents for parenthood: protocol for a randomized controlled trial of a preventative parenting intervention for expectant parents
Authors
Mandy Mihelic
Alina Morawska
Ania Filus
Publication date
01-12-2018
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth / Issue 1/2018
Electronic ISSN: 1471-2393
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-018-1939-2

Other articles of this Issue 1/2018

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth 1/2018 Go to the issue

Research article

Effect of prenatal EPA and DHA on maternal and umbilical cord blood cytokines

Research article

Towards more accurate measurement of edge to os distance in low-lying placenta using three dimensional transvaginal ultrasound: an innovative technique

Research article

Predictors of women’s utilization of primary health care for skilled pregnancy care in rural Nigeria

Research article

Effect of antenatal care and social well-being on early neonatal mortality in Bangladesh

Research article

A cohort of women with ectopic pregnancy: challenges in diagnosis and management in a rural hospital in a low-income country

Research article

Maternal mortality in the Gaza strip: a look at causes and solutions