There is an increasing need for parenting programs aimed at promoting parent-child interaction. A variety of interventions have been proposed. The use of audiovisual materials for parents has been shown to be effective but limited information is available on the optimal timing for its use, particularly for new parents during the first year of life of their children. Based on the hypothesis that the effectiveness of information provided to first-time parents in modifying their knowledge, attitudes and intentions regarding rearing practices may depend on when the information is delivered, we designed an open randomized controlled trial to compare the effectiveness of administering a video at two different times, i.e. at one and seven months of age of the child. The video addressed four specific activities related to early child development: reading aloud to the baby, early exposure to music, promotion of early socialization for parents and for children.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
105
The video was developed by a multidisciplinary team (psychologists, paediatricians, filmmaker). It was conceived as an aid to parenting in the first year of life, providing opportunities for parents to look at their own experiences. The video lasts 24 minutes and describes "the birth of a new relationship" between primary caregivers and their babies, in chronological order, starting from late pregnancy to the end of the first year. Caregiver-child interactions are shown from early contact after delivery to common care practices, with an emphasis on four specific activities, which are believed to improve child development and caregiver-child interaction: reading aloud to the baby, exposure to songs, rhymes and music, promotion of early socialization for parents and for children.
IRCCS Burlo Garofolo
Trieste, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Italy
Parental knowledge, attitudes and intentions
Closed-ended questions about the four specific activities examined (reading aloud, exposure to music, caregiver and child early socialization) collected through a researcher-administered structured questionnaire
Time frame: 15 days after being exposed to the intervention
Feelings elicited
Closed-ended questions collected through a researcher-administered structured questionnaire. Eight categories of emotions were evaluated: happiness, sadness, fear, rage, guilt, sense of competence, lack of self-confidence, and sense of inadequacy
Time frame: 15 days after being exposed to the intervention
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