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Effect of early educational intervention on younger siblings: the Infant Health and Development Program

Marie C McCormick1, Stephen Buka, Jeanne Brooks-Gunn

  • 1Department of Society, Human Development, and Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA. mmccormi@hsph.harvard.edu

Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine
|June 6, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Early education programs do not appear to benefit younger siblings. A study found no developmental or educational advantages for siblings of children who participated in the Infant Health and Development Program.

Area of Science:

  • Child Development
  • Educational Psychology
  • Public Health

Background:

  • The Infant Health and Development Program (IHDP) provided early education to premature, low-birth-weight infants.
  • Long-term follow-up of IHDP participants provided an opportunity to study sibling outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine if younger siblings of IHDP participants experienced developmental or educational benefits.
  • To assess the long-term impact of early educational interventions on non-participant siblings.

Main Methods:

  • A cohort of younger siblings (born within 5 years) of IHDP participants was assessed at a mean age of 13.5 years.
  • Outcomes included IQ, behavioral problems, future expectations, parent-child relationships, school progress, and educational attainment.
  • Statistical analyses adjusted for relevant demographic and study-related factors.

Main Results:

  • No significant differences were observed in any developmental or educational outcomes between siblings of IHDP intervention participants and siblings of control participants.
  • These findings remained consistent after adjusting for maternal characteristics, study site, and sibling sex.

Conclusions:

  • Participation in the IHDP early educational program did not confer apparent benefits on younger siblings during early adolescence.
  • The study suggests that the positive effects of early educational interventions may not extend to siblings without direct participation.
Abstract

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