The effect of an intervention program over the maternal reflective ability, emotional availability and stress level

• Grant number: 19/07422-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: June 01, 2019
• End date: March 31, 2020
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine - Maternal and Child Health
• Principal Investigator: Alicia Matijasevich Manitto
• Grantee: Catarine Lima Conti
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina (FM). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 16/22455-8 - Early childhood interventions and trajectories of cognitive, social and emotional development, AP.TEM

Abstract

This project aims to understand the effect of a program designed for the characteristics of our population, based on consolidated North American programs, on maternal care mechanisms based on the Apego Tory, related to the different trajectories of child development. Objective: to evaluate the effect of the home visiting program for young mothers on the construction of maternal care competences during the first 2 years of life that result in the safe attachment. We will try to demonstrate the effect of intervention on these aspects of maternal care and to show its moderating effect in promoting the initial development of the child. Methods: Eighteen primigravidae aged 14 to 19 years, participants in an ongoing intervention study, were randomly allocated to the visitation group or for prenatal and usual childcare. Mothers in the intervention group received biweekly visits during gestation and weekly during the puerperium, from a trained nurse. Home visitation was started between the 8th and 16th weeks of gestation and the intention is to continue visits until the child is 24 months old. The visits were focused on the development of the mother and baby bond, maternal and child health, child neurodevelopment, parental care, family functioning and social support. At 12 months of the child, assessments of maternal care competences will be performed through the investigation of reflexive capacity and emotional availability (predictive aspects of a safe attachment relationship), the interaction with the baby, the environment where care and development are provided cognitive, motor and language skills of children. (AU)