Objective: To determine the impact of a video intervention administered at the time of the universal newborn hearing screen on caregiver knowledge of infant cognitive and language development in low socioeconomic status English-speaking parents. Methods: A parallel-group, single-blind randomized clinical trial was conducted from April to August 2016. Eligible participants were at least 18 years, delivered a singleton neonate, English speaking, and designated as low socioeconomic status based on household income and level of education. A total of 112 patients, 54 treatment and 58 control, completed the study and were included in the analysis. The Baby Survey of Parent/Provider Expectations and Knowledge, a validated 24-item questionnaire assessing child development knowledge, was the primary study outcome. The survey was conducted at baseline, 1 day after intervention, and 4-6 weeks later. A one-way, repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) was employed to evaluate for differences in the three time points. Results: The average age of participants was 25.6 years and 85% identified as African-American. There was no significant difference in scores prior to and following the intervention for the control group (N = 58, F = 1.67, p = 0.19); however, a significant difference in scores was found in the treatment group (N = 54, F = 7.95, p < 0.001). Post-hoc analysis showed a significant improvement in scores 1 day after intervention, but no difference 4-6 weeks later. Conclusion: Educational video intervention for low socioeconomic mothers at the time of the universal newborn hearing screen can positively increase knowledge related to hearing and language development in the short term. Trial registration: Pilot Study of Novel Postpartum Educational Video Intervention NCT02267265 https://clinic altrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02267265.

Purpose: Enriching the early language environments of low-SES children is critically important for reducing early cognitive and language disparities. Promoting low-SES caregiver knowledge and positive behaviors through pediatric well-child visits in the first year of life is key to narrowing the achievement gap. The Well-Baby educational curriculum, a series of four web-based, interactive 10-minute video modules available in English and Spanish, was designed to promote caregiver knowledge about brain and language development and provide caregivers with strategies to enrich home language environments during early well-child visits. This randomized controlled trial …

Purpose: Using the pediatric primary care setting to address early cognitive and socioemotional disparities has received increased attention. Towards that end, there have been a number of recent efforts to integrate parent-directed behavioral interventions in pediatric clinics. Developing effective behavioral interventions requires better understanding parent characteristics and needs. FQHCs are important healthcare networks reaching underserved communities. This study focused on parents of infants receiving well-child care at FQHCs, understanding their sources of childcare support/help, knowledge about early childhood cognitive and language development, and language behaviors towards their infants. Methods: English- …

Purpose: Early social and language experiences are critical for infant foundational brain development, language acquisition, and health outcomes. While existing postpartum education predominantly focuses on infant physical development and care safety, it overlooks infant cognitive and language development. To address the limitations of the existing postpartum education, the Newborn Initiative (NI) Curriculum was designed as a cost-effective, scalable intervention that could be implemented in conjunction with a standard assessment, the Universal Newborn Hearing Screening (UNHS). It was a 10-minute, video-based intervention tailored for parents of newborns emphasizing that: high-quality language environments promote infant brain development, cognitive functioning, and language skills; and …

This study reported the development and initial validation of the Survey of Parent/Provider Expectations and Knowledge (SPEAK), a self-administered questionnaire assessing expectations and knowledge about early childhood cognitive and language development. Development of the SPEAK was guided by the theory emphasizing the role of language input quality in young children’s language development. Items were refined through cognitive interviews ( N = 29), expert consultations, and the first field test ( N = 131). Rasch analysis following the second field test ( N = 346) resulted in a 17-item SPEAK (α = .84); expert review confirmed its content validity. A third field test with low-income caregivers ( N = 103) showed that higher SPEAK scores were correlated with higher education, receptive language ability, stronger endorsement of incremental mindset, and more language stimulation available to the child at home, supporting its concurrent validity. Findings provided preliminary evidence supporting the reliability and validity of the SPEAK to assess expectations and knowledge of early childhood cognitive and language development.

Purpose: According to the National Survey of Early Childhood Health, parents of young children report unmet needs for anticipatory guidance on reading, vocabulary development, and social development during their pediatric primary care visits. Barriers to integration of these topics into the primary care setting include time and staff constraints, as well as lack of knowledge or resources among providers. Guidance on language and cognitive development is particularly important among low-SES parents as disparities in early language input lead to academic achievement gaps. The Well-Baby educational curriculum, a series of four interactive 10-minute video …

A total of 427 women (aged 18-45 years) who delivered a singleton neonate without serious medical complications were randomized to watch either an educational intervention (n = 225) or the sudden infant death syndrome (n = 202) video. Linear mixed models showed that the intervention women significantly gained knowledge over time. Knowledge gain was largest among high-socioeconomic status (high-SES) and middle-SES English-speaking, smaller among low-SES Spanish-speaking, and nonsignificant among low-SES English-speaking women. Analysis of deviance revealed that the intervention women of all SES learned strategies fostering secure attachment and language acquisition. Participants considered watching an educational video alongside the universal newborn hearing screening (UNHS) conveniently timed. The intervention women were more likely than the control women to recognize the importance of timely UNHS follow-up.