health
Pediatric offices have positive effect on at-risk family interaction
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted Jan. 24, 2011
Parent education programs offered through pediatric primary care offices aided in more parent-child interactions for babies in at-risk families, according to a study in the January Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.
Researchers examined 675 mother-infant pairs seeking pediatric care between 2005 and 2008. Two-thirds were assigned to participate in interaction-based projects. One program included sessions with a child development specialist on the same days as primary care appointments, and the other covered similar topics through learning materials mailed to the family's home. The remaining families were placed in a control group. Assessments found that those participating in interaction projects had increased parent-child interactions compared with families in the control group (archpedi.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/165/1/42/).
Study authors say the findings show that pediatric care may offer an important opportunity to promote these interactions. Possible reasons include frequency of primary care visits, close relationships between parents and medical professionals, and lack of additional travel for parents.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2011/01/24/hlbf0124.htm.
