Effects of early mother-infant intervention on outcomes in mothers and moderately and late preterm infants at age 1 year: a randomized controlled trial.
OBJECTIVE
There is a dearth of knowledge about the effects of early interaction-based interventions on parenting and infant communication skills in moderately and late preterm infants.


OBJECTIVE
Assess in a RCT the effects of the Mother-Infant Transaction program (MITP) on maternal depression and stress, breastfeeding and mothers' perception of infant temperament; and MITP's impact on preterm infant communication skills at 12 months.


METHODS
Mothers/preterm infants (30-36 weeks) were randomly assigned to MITP (intervention group) or standard care (control group). Mean gestational age in the intervention group was 33.3±1.5 (n=56) and in the control group (n=50) 33.0±1.6. Outcomes were assessed by CES-D, Parenting Stress Index; WHO breast-feeding categories, Infant Behavior Questionnaire and The Pictorial Infant Communication Scales.


RESULTS
Intervention mothers reported significantly less postpartum depression one month after discharge (p=.04) and more breastfeeding at 9 months (p=.02). No significant group differences in favour of the intervention group were found on total parenting stress at 6 (p=.08) and 12 months (p=.46) or on perceived infant communication skills at 12 months (p=.86). The intervention mothers reported significantly less infant smile and laughter at 6 (p=.02) and 12 (p=.006) months and less motor activity at 12 months (p=.04).


CONCLUSIONS
The results suggest that MITP reduced postpartum depression and extended the period of breastfeeding, but did not support any positive effects of the intervention on self-reported maternal stress and perceived infant communication.
Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Woman & Children's Division, Oslo University Hospital, Ullevaal, Norway. inra@uus.no, ihravn@getmail.no
Ingrid Helen
IH
Ravn
Lars
L
Smith
Nina Aarhus
NA
Smeby
Nina Margrethe
NM
Kynoe
Leiv
L
Sandvik
Eli Haugen
EH
Bunch
Rolf
R
Lindemann
D000328:Adult; D001942:Breast Feeding / Q000523:psychology*; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D004493:Education / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D012307:Risk Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome