• Parent-child interaction
  
• Parenting behaviors - reading aloud, play, verbal responsivity, engagement
  
• Cognitive Development
  
• Language Development
  
• Social-emotional Development
  
• Literacy Development
  
• School Readiness
  

• Need for developmental services (early intervention, special education)
  
• Media exposure
  
• Feeding behaviors
  
• Nutritional status / obesity
  

This project will measure the degree to which parenting programs based in pediatric primary care can be effective in promoting language development and school readiness in at-risk young children. The study will represent a collaboration between the Department of Pediatrics at New York University School of Medicine – Bellevue Hospital Center, the Medical and Health Research Association of New York City, Inc., and the Center for Research on Culture, Development and Education at New York University Steinhardt School of Education. Funding has been provided for 4 years, with total costs $1.98 million.

The study is a randomized controlled trial in which two different primary care-based parenting programs will be compared to a control group in a population that is at risk on the basis of poverty. The two programs represent varying levels of low intensity, but each has the same goals: enhancing parent-child interaction in order to improve language, cognitive and social-emotional development and ultimately promote school readiness and school performance.

One program is called the "Video Interaction Project". While waiting to see the primary care provider for well child care, the family meets with a child development specialist, who videotapes the parent and infant interacting together. The videotape is then rewound and watched together by the parent (and infant!) and child development specialist. This leads to a discussion about child development, infant cues and parenting, with the child development specialist building on observed strengths in the interaction. In addition, families are provided with parenting pamphlets developed for the project, and with inexpensive developmentally stimulating toys.

The other program is called the "ASQ-Building Blocks Project". This project employs a public health approach to facilitate parental engagement in child development. Families are sent monthly newsletters that focus on child development, infant cues and parenting; included with each newsletter is an inexpensive, developmentally stimulating toy. In addition, families periodically receive Ages and Stages Questionnaires, which they complete and mail back to the program. Based on the questionnaires, the program determines whether the infant has screened positive for possible developmental delay and provides this information to both the family and the primary care provider.

The study will take place at Bellevue Hospital Center, a public hospital serving low socioeconomic status families from throughout New York City.

Infant-mother dyads will be enrolled during the postpartum period and followed through age 2 years. Periodic assessments will be performed of parent-child interaction and child developmental outcome. Dr. Mendelsohn will be seeking additional funding to continue the interventions and assessments for 3 to 5 additional years, with a goal of assessing the impact of these programs on school readiness.