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A cognitive approach to child mistreatment prevention among medically at-risk infants

Daphne Blunt Bugental1, Alex Schwartz

  • 1Department of Psychology, University of California, USA. bugental@psych.ucsb.edu

Developmental Psychology
|February 13, 2009
PubMed

Insights

A home visitation program improved early parenting for at-risk infants. The enhanced program (HV+) reduced corporal punishment, increased home safety, and lowered child injuries, regardless of ethnicity or background.

Area of Science:

  • Child Development
  • Public Health
  • Parenting Interventions

Background:

  • Infants born at medical risk are susceptible to mistreatment.
  • Effective parenting support is crucial for this vulnerable population.
  • Home visitation programs offer a promising avenue for early intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the effectiveness of a cognitively-based home visitation program (HV+) compared to a standard program (HV).
  • To assess the impact of the enhanced program on parenting practices and child safety.
  • To identify if intervention effects vary by demographic factors.

Main Methods:

  • Randomized clinical trial involving 102 mother-infant dyads.
  • Comparison between the enhanced Healthy Start home visitation program (HV+) and the standard Healthy Start program (HV).
  • Assessment of corporal punishment, home safety, and child injuries.

Main Results:

  • The HV+ group demonstrated significantly lower use of corporal punishment.
  • Greater home safety maintenance was observed in the HV+ group.
  • Fewer reported child injuries occurred in infants receiving the HV+ intervention.

Conclusions:

  • The cognitively-based extension of the Healthy Start home visitation program (HV+) is effective in improving parenting outcomes.
  • HV+ positively impacts child safety and reduces physical punishment for at-risk infants.
  • Intervention benefits were consistent across diverse ethnic, educational, and immigration backgrounds.

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