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Using Finger Puppets in the Primary Care Setting to Support Caregivers Talking With Their Infants: A Feasibility
Gretchen J Domek1,2, Lauren Heller Szafran2, Levi N Bonnell1
1University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA.
Clinical Pediatrics
|February 11, 2020
Summary
Introducing finger puppets in primary care supports caregiver-infant interaction and may improve early language development in disadvantaged children. High usage showed lasting benefits on child development.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Developmental Psychology
- Public Health
Background:
- Disadvantaged children exhibit disparities in early language development.
- Early language skills are crucial for long-term academic success.
- Interventions in primary care can reach vulnerable populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of a finger puppet intervention.
- To support caregivers in engaging in language-rich interactions with their infants.
- To determine the impact of the intervention on early language development.
Main Methods:
- A pilot study involving 34 caregiver-child pairs.
- Finger puppets introduced at the 2-month well visit.
- Caregiver satisfaction assessed via surveys and phone calls.
- Ages & Stages Questionnaires (ASQ-3) used to measure development.
- Family cumulative risk score calculated.
Main Results:
- Caregivers reported high satisfaction with the finger puppet intervention.
- High puppet users demonstrated significantly higher ASQ-3 Communication and Total scores at 6, 12, and 18 months.
- No significant interactions were found with age or cumulative risk.
- Finger puppets are a low-cost method to promote language-rich interactions.
Conclusions:
- The finger puppet intervention is feasible and acceptable in primary care.
- High usage of finger puppets may lead to sustained improvements in child language development.
- Further research is warranted to confirm these preliminary findings and explore long-term impacts.
