Manuscript Details

Sadler, L. S., Slade, A., Close, N., Webb, D. L., Simpson, T., Fennie, K., & Mayes, L. C. (2013). Minding the Baby: Enhancing reflectiveness to improve early health and relationship outcomes in an interdisciplinary home-visiting program. Infant Mental Health Journal, 34(5), 391-405.

Additional Sources:
  • Sadler, L. S., Slade, A., Close, N., & Mayes, L. (2011). Minding the Baby: A mentalization-based parenting program for young families. (Presentation slides).

Moderate rating
Study reviewed under: Handbook of Procedures and Standards, Version 1
Study design characteristics contributing to rating
Design Attrition Baseline equivalence Confounding factors? Valid, reliable measures?
Randomized controlled trial High

Established on race/ethnicity and SES

None

Not assessed in manuscripts reviewed under Handbook of Procedures and Standards, Version 1
Notes from the review of this manuscript

In 2020, HomVEE updated this review to remove the Child abuse/maltreatment: Open cases with CPS-24 months finding from the Reductions in Child Maltreatment domain because some cases measured may be unsubstantiated. In this domain, HomVEE reviews only outcomes focused on substantiated cases of abuse and neglect.

In 2018, HomVEE updated this review to move measures of attachment from the Positive Parenting Practices domain to the Child Development and School Readiness domain because they assess child behavior.

Child Development and School Readiness
Outcome Measure Timing of Follow-Up Rating Direction of Effect Effect Size (Absolute Value) Stastical Significance Sample Size Sample Description
Strange Situation Procedure - Disorganized attachment 12 months Moderate
0.30 p = 0.49 71 mothers Minding the Baby pilot - 12 months
Strange Situation Procedure - Secure attachment 12 months Moderate
0.39 p = 0.28 71 mothers Minding the Baby pilot - 12 months
Effect rating key
Favorable finding / Statistically significant
Unfavorable finding / Statistically significant
Ambiguous finding / Statistically significant
No effect / Not statistically significant
Child Health
Outcome Measure Timing of Follow-Up Rating Direction of Effect Effect Size (Absolute Value) Stastical Significance Sample Size Sample Description
Immunizations - up-to-date - 12 months 12 months Moderate
p < 0.05 78 mothers Minding the Baby pilot - 12 months
Immunizations - up-to-date - 24 months 24 months Moderate
p > 0.05 75 mothers Minding the Baby pilot - 24 months
Effect rating key
Favorable finding / Statistically significant
Unfavorable finding / Statistically significant
Ambiguous finding / Statistically significant
No effect / Not statistically significant
Maternal Health
Outcome Measure Timing of Follow-Up Rating Direction of Effect Effect Size (Absolute Value) Stastical Significance Sample Size Sample Description
Atypical Maternal Behavior Instrument for Assessment and Classification (AMBIANCE) Scale - response of Disrupted Communication 4 months Moderate
0.35 p = 0.2 76 mothers Minding the Baby pilot - 4 months
Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) - Anxiety subscale - 12 months 12 months Moderate
0.23 p > 0.05 78 mothers Minding the Baby pilot - 12 months
Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) - Anxiety subscale - 24 months 24 months Moderate
0.20 p > 0.05 75 mothers Minding the Baby pilot - 24 months
Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) - Depression subscale - 12 months 12 months Moderate
0.20 p > 0.05 78 mothers Minding the Baby pilot - 12 months
Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) - Depression subscale - 24 months 24 months Moderate
0.23 p > 0.05 75 mothers Minding the Baby pilot - 24 months
Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) - Global Severity Index (GSI) - 12 months 12 months Moderate
0.10 p > 0.05 78 mothers Minding the Baby pilot - 12 months
Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) - Global Severity Index (GSI) - 24 months 24 months Moderate
0.12 p > 0.05 75 mothers Minding the Baby pilot - 24 months
Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) - Somatization subscale - 12 months 12 months Moderate
0.20 p > 0.05 78 mothers Minding the Baby pilot - 12 months
Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) - Somatization subscale - 24 months 24 months Moderate
0.01 p > 0.05 75 mothers Minding the Baby pilot - 24 months
Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) - 12 months 12 months Moderate
0.21 p > 0.05 78 mothers Minding the Baby pilot - 12 months
Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) - 24 months 24 months Moderate
0.20 p > 0.05 75 mothers Minding the Baby pilot - 24 months
Rapid subsequent childbearing - birth of second child within 24 months of the index birth 24 months Moderate
1.42 p = 0.019 75 mothers Minding the Baby pilot - 24 months
Effect rating key
Favorable finding / Statistically significant
Unfavorable finding / Statistically significant
Ambiguous finding / Statistically significant
No effect / Not statistically significant
Positive Parenting Practices
Outcome Measure Timing of Follow-Up Rating Direction of Effect Effect Size (Absolute Value) Stastical Significance Sample Size Sample Description
Parent Development Interview - maternal reflexive functioning 24 months Moderate
0.09 p = 0.38 75 mothers Minding the Baby pilot - 24 months
Effect rating key
Favorable finding / Statistically significant
Unfavorable finding / Statistically significant
Ambiguous finding / Statistically significant
No effect / Not statistically significant

This study included participants with the following characteristics at enrollment:

Race/Ethnicity

The race and ethnicity categories may sum to more than 100 percent if Hispanic ethnicity was reported separately or respondents could select two or more race or ethnicity categories.

Black or African American
33%
Hispanic or Latino
55%
Some other race
12%

Maternal Education

Data not available

Other Characteristics

Enrollment in means-tested programs
100%

This study included participants from the following locations:

  • Connecticut
Study Participants

The authors used a cluster-randomized trial to test the effects of Minding the Baby®. First-time mothers who attended group prenatal care sessions at the Fair Haven Community Health Center were recruited to participate; all participants who met inclusion criteria were invited into the study and assigned to the condition to which their prenatal group had been randomly assigned. Inclusion criteria for the mother were (a) English oral and comprehension fluency; (b) 14 to 25 years of age; (c) having a first child; (d) no active heroin or cocaine use (already a criteria for participating in group prenatal care); (e) no diagnoses of a psychotic disorder, according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition; and (f) no major or terminal chronic condition (AIDS, cancer, and so on; already an eligibility criteria for group prenatal care participation).

One-hundred and thirty-nine families met criteria and were assigned to the program or control group based on the random assignment status of their prenatal care group (72 treatment and 67 control). Among eligible mothers, 30 declined the invitation to participate (9 treatment and 21 control). After some additional attrition, 60 (treatment) and 45 (control) mothers participated in data collection at baseline. However, the authors also note further attrition at later data collection points; 44 treatment group mothers completed 12- and 24-month data collection, and approximately 34 and 31 control group mothers, respectively, completed data collection at these time points. Mothers were followed for approximately 27 months in total, including the time before the child's birth. Overall, the study sample of mothers was 28 percent black, 62 percent Latina, and 10 percent of another race/ethnicity.

Setting

New Haven, Connecticut

Comparison Conditions

Mothers in the control group received routine health care (prenatal visits, well-woman care, and well-baby care) as dictated by clinical guidelines. Families also received monthly information sheets about child rearing and health, and birthday and holiday cards.

Subgroups examined

• Maternal age (less than 20 years) • Maternal education (less than high school education) • Mother has low reflective functioning (yes or no)

Author Affiliation

Dr. Lois Sadler is a developer of this model.

Funding Sources

National Institutes of Health, the Irving B. Harris Foundation, the FAR Fund, the Annie E. Casey Foundation, the Pritzker Early Childhood Foundation, the Seedlings Foundation, the Edlow Family, and the Schneider Family