Parents

Many of these injuries are preventable by taking simple steps to make your home safer and knowing what to do when a fire occurs. Most accidental home fires start from cooking, heating equipment, electrical items, or smoking materials. Never leave food unattended on the stove while cooking. Use the back burners, when possible, to keep the hot stove surface and the hot pots and pans out of young children’s reach. Keep a fire extinguisher readily available in the kitchen, and make sure all caregivers know how to use it. Place space heaters away from anything that can catch fire, and always turn them off before going to bed or leaving the room. Ensure fireplaces and wood stoves are screened so that young children are not accidentally burned. This ensures embers stay inside, too. To prevent electrical fires, cover all unused electrical outlets, avoid overloading outlets, and replace any old cords. If you smoke, avoid doing so in the home, especially in bed. Carefully dispose of smoking waste, such as cigarette butts, used matches, and ashes.

If there is a fire, a smoke alarm can warn you to leave the home early and safely. Ensure that a smoke alarm is present on each floor and near every bedroom, avoiding areas like the kitchen to prevent false alarms. Check your smoke alarms monthly and change the batteries once a year unless your alarm has long-life batteries. If you need help, the local fire department can check your fire alarms and can often provide free new ones or replacements. Families with caregivers or children with hearing impairments should use alarms that include flashing lights.

Carbon monoxide is a poisonous gas created from fuel-burning heaters, cars, generators, and appliances. Many smoke alarms are combined with carbon monoxide detectors. If your smoke alarms are not, install a separate carbon monoxide detector on each floor of your home.

A fire escape plan prepares families to understand how to safely exit each room in the home during a fire. To create a fire escape plan, draw a simple map of your home showing 2 escape routes from each room. If you live in an apartment, talk to your children about the importance of using the stairs and avoiding elevators during fires. Establish a common meeting place outside the house. Review the plan with your whole family and with caregivers, such as babysitters, so everyone knows what to do. Practice your escape plan every 6 months so everyone becomes familiar. Children younger than 5 years will need a caregiver to help them during a fire.

Author/s:

Mickey A Emmanuel, Mikhail Goldenberg, Lindsay A Thompson

What Parents Should Understand About Lipid Screening in Children

Hope Smashey — Wed, 08 Oct 2025 01:35:37 +0000

Date Added:

October 7, 2025

Journal/Publication:

JAMA Pediatrics

Publication Date:

October 1, 2025

Issue:

Volume:

179

URL:

What Parents Should Understand About Lipid Screening in Children

Type:

Patient Education Materials

DOI (1):

10.1001/jamapediatrics.2025.2713

Keywords

Lipids

child

parents

PMID (1):

40853685

MeSH

Information for parents regarding lipid screening in children. James W. Mold, MD, MPH

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This JAMA Pediatrics Patient Page describes what parents should consider in deciding whether to have their child screened for high lipid levels.

Author/s:

Michael Silverstein, Michael J Barry, Lindsay A Thompson

What Parents Should Understand About Growth in Children

Alex Haga — Thu, 03 Apr 2025 17:43:17 +0000

Date Added:

April 3, 2025

Journal/Publication:

JAMA

Publication Date:

March 31, 2025

URL:

What Parents Should Understand About Growth in Children

Type:

Patient Education Materials

Format:

Article

DOI (1):

10.1001/jamapediatrics.2024.7091

Keywords

PMID (1):

40163079

MeSH

Information for parents about normal and abnormal growth patterns in children. James W. Mold, MD, MPH

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This JAMA Pediatrics Patient Page describes what parents should understand about their children’s growth.

Author/s:

Elizabeth T Walsh, Lindsay A Thompson

ADHD Diagnosis and Treatment in Children and Adolescents

Alex Haga — Fri, 05 Apr 2024 00:54:05 +0000

Date Added:

April 4, 2024

Journal/Publication:

Comparative Effectiveness Review

Publisher:

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality

Publication Date:

March 1, 2024

URL:

ADHD Diagnosis and Treatment in Children and Adolescents

Type:

Meta-analyses, Reviews, and Guidelines

Format:

Article

DOI (1):

https://doi.org/10.23970/AHRQEPCCER267

An evidence-based summary of what we currently know about the diagnosis and treatment of children with ADHD. James W. Mold, MD, MPH

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Objective. The systematic review assessed evidence on the diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children and adolescents to inform a planned update of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) guidelines.

Data sources. We searched PubMed®, Embase®, PsycINFO®, ERIC, clinicaltrials.gov, and prior reviews for primary studies published since 1980. The report includes studies published to June 15, 2023.

Review methods. The review followed a detailed protocol and was supported by a Technical Expert Panel. Citation screening was facilitated by machine learning; two independent reviewers screened full text citations for eligibility. We abstracted data using software designed for systematic reviews. Risk of bias assessments focused on key sources of bias for diagnostic and intervention studies. We conducted strength of evidence (SoE) and applicability assessments for key outcomes. The protocol for the review has been registered in PROSPERO (CRD42022312656).

Results. Searches identified 23,139 citations, and 7,534 were obtained as full text. We included 550 studies reported in 1,097 publications (231 studies addressed diagnosis, 312 studies addressed treatment, and 10 studies addressed monitoring). Diagnostic studies reported on the diagnostic performance of numerous parental ratings, teacher rating scales, teen/child self-reports, clinician tools, neuropsychological tests, EEG approaches, imaging, and biomarkers. Multiple approaches showed promising diagnostic performance (e.g., using parental rating scales), although estimates of performance varied considerably across studies and the SoE was generally low. Few studies reported estimates for children under the age of 7. Treatment studies evaluated combined pharmacological and behavior approaches, medication approved by the Food and Drug Administration, other pharmacologic treatment, psychological/behavioral approaches, cognitive training, neurofeedback, neurostimulation, physical exercise, nutrition and supplements, integrative medicine, parent support, school interventions, and provider or model-of-care interventions. Medication treatment was associated with improved broadband scale scores and ADHD symptoms (high SoE) as well as function (moderate SoE), but also appetite suppression and adverse events (high SoE). Psychosocial interventions also showed improvement in ADHD symptoms based on moderate SoE. Few studies have evaluated combinations of pharmacological and youth-directed psychosocial interventions, and we did not find combinations that were systematically superior to monotherapy (low SoE). Published monitoring approaches for ADHD were limited and the SoE is insufficient.

Conclusion. Many diagnostic tools are available to aid the diagnosis of ADHD, but few monitoring strategies have been studied. Medication therapies remain important treatment options, although with a risk of side effects, as the evidence base for psychosocial therapies strengthens and other nondrug treatment approaches emerge.

Author/s:

Peterson, BS, Trampush, J, Maglione, M, Bolshakova, M, Brown, M., Rozelle, M

Project nature: promoting outdoor physical activity in children via primary care

Erin Blanchette — Tue, 12 Mar 2024 16:22:18 +0000

Date Added:

March 12, 2024

Journal/Publication:

BMC Primary Care

Publisher:

Springer Nature

Publication Date:

February 23, 2024

Issue:

Volume:

Pages:

URL:

Project nature: promoting outdoor physical activity in children via primary care

Type:

Clinical Research Results

Format:

Article

DOI (1):

10.1186/s12875-024-02297-5

Keywords

behavior therapy

children

children's health

preschool-age children

PMID (1):

38395776

MeSH

A simple primary care-based intervention to increase the outdoor physical activities of children. James W. Mold, MD, MPH

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Background

Families face a range of barriers in supporting their children’s active play in nature including family circumstances, environmental constraints, and behavioral factors. Evidence-based strategies to address these barriers are needed. We aimed to develop and pilot test a primary care-based family-centered behavioral intervention to promote active outdoor play in 4–10 year-old children.

Methods

Project Nature, a provider-delivered intervention that provides informational resources and an age-appropriate toy for nature play, was initially developed for children ages 0–3. With stakeholder input, we adapted existing materials for 4–10 year-olds and conducted usability testing at an urban clinic serving families from diverse backgrounds. Subsequently, we conducted a mix-methods pilot study to evaluate intervention feasibility and acceptability. Parents of 4–10 year-olds completed pre- and post-surveys (n = 22), and a purposive subset (n = 10) completed qualitative interviews. Post-intervention, pediatric providers (n = 4) were interviewed about their implementation experiences.

Results

The majority (82%) of parents liked the information provided and the remaining (18%) were neutral. Qualitatively, parents reported that: the toy provided a tangible element to help children and parents be active, they did not use the website, and they wished the intervention emphasized strategies for physical activity during cold and wet seasons. Providers felt the materials facilitated discussion about behavior change with families. There were no statistically significant changes in PA and outdoor time pre- and post-intervention.

Conclusions

Project Nature was welcomed by providers and families and may be a practical intervention to promote outdoor active play during well-child visits. Providing an age-appropriate nature toy seemed to be a critical component of the intervention, and may be worth the additional cost, time and storage space required by clinics. Building from these results, Project Nature should be revised to better support active outdoor play during suboptimal weather and evaluated to test its efficacy in a fully-powered trial.

Author/s:

Georgia M Griffin, Carolina Nieto, Kirsten Senturia, Marshall Brown, Kimberly Garrett, Elizabeth Nguyen, Danette Glassy, Emily Kroshus, Pooja Tandon

Marijuana and Youth: The Impact of Marijuana Use on Teen Health and Wellbeing

Erin Blanchette — Thu, 07 Mar 2024 02:26:51 +0000

Date Added:

March 6, 2024

Publisher:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

URL:

Marijuana and Youth: The Impact of Marijuana Use on Teen Health and Wellbeing

Type:

Meta-analyses, Reviews, and Guidelines

Format:

Web Page

Keywords

marijuana

recreational marijuana

MeSH

A concise summary of what is known about use and abuse of marijuana by teenagers. James W. Mold, MD, MPH

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National Cannabis Awareness Month is observed in April to increase awareness and education about marijuana. While scientists are still learning about the risks and benefits of using marijuana, we know that marijuana use can harm a teen’s health and wellbeing.

NIAAA for Middle School

Erin Blanchette — Mon, 19 Feb 2024 16:29:17 +0000

Date Added:

February 19, 2024

Publisher:

National Institute of Health

URL:

NIAAA for Middle School

Type:

Patient Education Materials

Format:

Web Page

Keywords

MeSH

national institute on alcohol abuse and alcoholism (U.S.)

alcoholism

Parents

caregivers

Guidance for families with middle school children regarding prevention of alcohol use and abuse. James W. Mold, MD, MPH

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Underage drinking is a significant public health problem in the United States.

This webpage contains interactive activities to help parents, caregivers, and teachers introduce and reinforce key messages about peer pressure, resistance skills, and other important topics related to underage drinking.

These engaging activities are designed for middle schoolers ages 11 to 13. They can be used at home, in classrooms, or in after-school programs.

The content is based on a curriculum for grades 6–8 developed by the University of Michigan. The curriculum was created for the Alcohol Misuse Prevention Study (AMPS), a large-scale project supported by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA).

One goal of AMPS was to give students a clearer picture about alcohol use among their peers. Many middle schoolers tend to overestimate how much other students their age really drink. When they learn more accurate information, some of the pressure to drink can subside. Other goals of AMPS were to help students learn skills to resist pressure to drink and to give them reasons not to drink. This site incorporates AMPS goals in these and other features.

This website contains three sections focused on different aspects of alcohol, peer pressure, and resistance skills, followed by a resource list in section 4. The first three sections contain an overview, handouts, and role-playing exercises. The overviews provide background information to help you prepare to discuss alcohol and peer pressure with middle schoolers. The handouts are designed to be given to middle schoolers. The role-playing exercises are designed to be led by an adult and consist of two parts—a guide for the adult leader and a script for the middle schooler to read aloud.

My Constipation Action Plan

Rowan Hutchins — Sun, 19 Mar 2023 05:00:00 +0000

Date Added:

March 19, 2023

Publisher:

Uniformed Services University

Publication Date:

January 17, 2023

URL:

My Constipation Action Plan

Type:

Patient Education Materials

Keywords

MeSH

An action plan for parents of children with chronic functional constipation developed by the Uniformed Services University. James W. Mold, MD, MPH

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An action plan for parents of children with chronic functional constipation developed by the Uniformed Services University.

Effect of Amoxicillin Dose and Treatment Duration on the Need for Antibiotic Re-treatment in Children With Community-Acquired Pneumonia: The CAP-IT Randomized Clinical Trial

Bethie Seay — Sun, 07 Nov 2021 05:00:00 +0000

Date Added:

November 7, 2021

Journal/Publication:

JAMA

Publication Date:

November 2, 2021

Issue:

Volume:

326

Pages:

1713-1724

Type:

Clinical Research Results

DOI (1):

10.1001/jama.2021.17843

3 days of standard dose amoxicillin was as effective as 7 days of high-dose amoxicillin for treatment of CAP in children discharged from an ED. In both cases, additional antibiotic treatment was required subsequently in around 12.5% of kids.

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Importance
The optimal dose and duration of oral amoxicillin for children with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) are unclear.

Objective
To determine whether lower-dose amoxicillin is noninferior to higher dose and whether 3-day treatment is noninferior to 7 days.

Design, Setting, and Participants
Multicenter, randomized, 2 × 2 factorial noninferiority trial enrolling 824 children, aged 6 months and older, with clinically diagnosed CAP, treated with amoxicillin on discharge from emergency departments and inpatient wards of 28 hospitals in the UK and 1 in Ireland between February 2017 and April 2019, with last trial visit on May 21, 2019.

Interventions
Children were randomized 1:1 to receive oral amoxicillin at a lower dose (35-50 mg/kg/d; n = 410) or higher dose (70-90 mg/kg/d; n = 404), for a shorter duration (3 days; n = 413) or a longer duration (7 days; n = 401).

Main Outcomes and Measures
The primary outcome was clinically indicated antibiotic re-treatment for respiratory infection within 28 days after randomization. The noninferiority margin was 8%. Secondary outcomes included severity/duration of 9 parent-reported CAP symptoms, 3 antibiotic-related adverse events, and phenotypic resistance in colonizing Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates.

Results
Of 824 participants randomized into 1 of the 4 groups, 814 received at least 1 dose of trial medication (median [IQR] age, 2.5 years [1.6-2.7]; 421 [52%] males and 393 [48%] females), and the primary outcome was available for 789 (97%). For lower vs higher dose, the primary outcome occurred in 12.6% with lower dose vs 12.4% with higher dose (difference, 0.2% [1-sided 95% CI –∞ to 4.0%]), and in 12.5% with 3-day treatment vs 12.5% with 7-day treatment (difference, 0.1% [1-sided 95% CI –∞ to 3.9]). Both groups demonstrated noninferiority with no significant interaction between dose and duration (P = .63). Of the 14 prespecified secondary end points, the only significant differences were 3-day vs 7-day treatment for cough duration (median 12 days vs 10 days; hazard ratio [HR], 1.2 [95% CI, 1.0 to 1.4]; P = .04) and sleep disturbed by cough (median, 4 days vs 4 days; HR, 1.2 [95% CI, 1.0 to 1.4]; P = .03). Among the subgroup of children with severe CAP, the primary end point occurred in 17.3% of lower-dose recipients vs 13.5% of higher-dose recipients (difference, 3.8% [1-sided 95% CI, –∞ to10%]; P value for interaction = .18) and in 16.0% with 3-day treatment vs 14.8% with 7-day treatment (difference, 1.2% [1-sided 95% CI, –∞ to 7.4%]; P value for interaction = .73).

Conclusions and Relevance
Among children with CAP discharged from an emergency department or hospital ward (within 48 hours), lower-dose outpatient oral amoxicillin was noninferior to higher dose, and 3-day duration was noninferior to 7 days, with regard to need for antibiotic re-treatment. However, disease severity, treatment setting, prior antibiotics received, and acceptability of the noninferiority margin require consideration when interpreting the findings.

Trial Registration
ISRCTN Identifier: ISRCTN76888927

Author/s:

Bielicki, J. A., Stöhr, W., Barratt, S., Dunn, D., Naufal, N., Roland, D., Sturgeon, K., Finn, A., Rodriguez-Ruiz, J. P., Malhotra-Kumar, S., Powell, C., Faust, S. N., Alcock, A. E., Hall, D., Robinson, G., Hawcutt, D. B., Lyttle, M. D., Gibb, D. M., Sharland, M.

How can healthcare professionals provide guidance and support to parents of adolescents? Results from a primary care-based study

Bethie Seay — Thu, 08 Jul 2021 05:00:00 +0000

Date Added:

July 8, 2021

Type:

Clinical Research Results

DOI (1):

10.1186/s12913-021-06200-1

PMID (1):

33743664

MeSH

delivery of health care

health personnel

Humans

Parenting

A list of topics parents of adolescents hope their primary care clinicians will discuss with their child.

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Background: This study explored the rewards and difficulties of raising an adolescent and investigated parents' level of interest in receiving guidance from healthcare providers on parenting and adolescent health topics. Additionally, this study investigated whether parents were interested in parenting programs in primary care and explored methods in which parents want to receive guidance.

Methods: Parents of adolescents (ages 12-18) who attended an outpatient pediatric clinic with their adolescent were contacted by telephone and completed a short telephone survey. Parents were asked open-ended questions regarding the rewards and difficulties of parenting and rated how important it was to receive guidance from a healthcare provider on certain parenting and health topics. Additionally, parents reported their level of interest in a parenting program in primary care and rated how they would like to receive guidance.

Results: Our final sample included 104 parents, 87% of whom were interested in a parenting program within primary care. A variety of parenting rewards and difficulties were associated with raising an adolescent. From the list of parenting topics, communication was rated very important to receive guidance on (65%), followed by conflict management (50%). Of health topics, parents were primarily interested in receiving guidance on sex (77%), mental health (75%), and alcohol and drugs (74%). Parents in the study wanted to receive guidance from a pediatrician or through written literature.

Conclusions: The current study finds that parents identify several rewarding and difficult aspects associated with raising an adolescent and are open to receiving guidance on a range of parenting topics in a variety of formats through primary care settings. Incorporating such education into healthcare visits could improve parents' knowledge. Healthcare providers are encouraged to consider how best to provide parenting support during this important developmental time period.

Keywords: Adolescents; Parenting support; Parents; Primary care.

Author/s:

Jones, L. D., Grout, R. W., Gilbert, A. L., Wilkinson, T. A., Garbuz, T., Downs, S. M., Aalsma, M. C.

Development and Assessment of a Pictographic Pediatric Constipation Action Plan

Devin Evans — Thu, 21 Jan 2021 06:00:00 +0000

Date Added:

January 21, 2021

Journal/Publication:

The Journal of Pediatrics

Publication Date:

October 15, 2020

Volume:

229

Pages:

118-126

URL:

Development and Assessment of a Pictographic Pediatric Constipation Action Plan

Type:

Clinical Research Results, Clinical Decision Aids, Patient Education Materials

Format:

Article

DOI (1):

10.1016/j.jpeds.2020.10.001

Keywords

PMID (1):

33068567

MeSH

Patient Education as Topic

Perception

A pictographic action plan for children with functional constipation. James W. Mold, MD, MPH

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Objective: To assess the Uniformed Services Constipation Action Plan (USCAP) as an evidence-based, personalized, clinical action tool with pictograms to aid clinicians and families in the management of functional constipation.

Study design: The USCAP facilitates the management functional constipation by using a health literacy-informed approach to provide instructions for pharmacotherapies and lifestyle modifications. This study included part 1 (pictogram validation) and part 2 (assessment). For part 1, pictogram transparency, translucency, and recall were assessed by parent survey (transparency ≥85%, mean translucency score ≥5, recall ≥85% required for validation). For part 2, the USCAP was assessed by parents, clinical librarians, and clinicians. Parental perceptions (n = 65) were assessed using the Consumer Information Rating Form (17 questions) to gauge comprehensibility, design quality and usefulness. Readability was assessed by 5 formulas and a Readability Composite Score was calculated. Clinical librarians (n = 3) used the Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool to measure understandability (19 questions) and actionability (7 questions) (>80% rating was acceptable). Suitability was assessed by clinicians (n = 34) using Doak's Suitability Assessment of Materials (superior ≥70% rating).

Results: All 12 pictograms demonstrated appropriate transparency, translucency, and recall. Parental perceptions reflected appropriate comprehensibility, design quality, and usefulness. The Readability Composite Score was consistent with a fifth-grade level. Clinical librarians reported acceptable understandability and actionability. Clinicians reported superior suitability.

Conclusions: The USCAP met all criteria for clinical implementation and future study of USCAP implementation for treating children with chronic functional constipation.

Author/s:

Reeves, Patrick T., Kolasinski, Nathan T., Shonna YIn, H., Alqurashi, Waleed, Echelmeyer, Sofia, Chumpitazi, Bruno P., Rogers, Philip L., Burklow, Carolyn S., Nylund, Cade M.

Human Papillomavirus Immunization in Rural Primary Care

Brian Desmarais — Thu, 20 Aug 2020 14:11:00 +0000

Date Added:

August 20, 2020

Journal/Publication:

American Journal of Preventive Medicine

Publication Date:

June 27, 2020

Issue:

Volume:

Pages:

377-385

URL:

Human Papillomavirus Immunization in Rural Primary Care

Type:

Clinical Research Results

Format:

Article

DOI (1):

10.1016/j.amepre.2020.03.018

MeSH

Papillomavirus Vaccines

Papillomaviridae

Papillomavirus Infections

Immunization Programs

Parents

vaccination

Surveys and Questionnaires

primary health care

An OKPRN-like study of high performing practices on HPV immunization. James W. Mold, MD, MPH

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Abstract

Introduction: Despite the safety and efficacy of the human papillomavirus vaccine, thousands are impacted by human papillomavirus and its related cancers. Rural regions have disproportionately low rates of human papillomavirus vaccination. Primary care clinics play an important role in delivering the human papillomavirus vaccine. A positive deviance approach is used to identify workflows, organizational factors, and communication strategies in rural clinics with higher human papillomavirus vaccine up-to-date rates. Positive deviance is a process by which exceptional behaviors and strategies are identified to understand factors that enable success.

Methods: Rural primary care clinics were rank ordered by human papillomavirus vaccine up-to-date rates using 2018 Oregon Immunization Program data, then recruited via purposive sampling of clinics in the top and bottom quartiles. Two study team members conducted previsit interviews, intake surveys, and 2-day observation visits with 12 clinics and prepared detailed field notes. Data were collected October-December 2018 and analyzed using a thematic approach January-April 2019.

Results: Four themes distinguished rural clinics with higher human papillomavirus vaccine up-to-date rates from those with lower rates. First, they implemented standardized workflows to identify patients due for the vaccine and had vaccine administration protocols. Second, they designated and supported a vaccine champion. Third, clinical staff in higher performing sites were comfortable providing immunizations regardless of visit type. Finally, they used clear, persuasive language to recommend or educate parents and patients about the vaccine's importance.

Conclusions: Positive deviance identified characteristics associated with higher human papillomavirus vaccine up-to-date rates in rural primary care clinics. These findings provide guidance for rural clinics to inform human papillomavirus vaccination quality improvement interventions.

Author/s:

Ferrara, Laura, K., Gunn, Rose, Dickinson, Caitlin, Stock, Isabel, Griffith-Weprin, Jennifer, Wiser, Amy, Hatch, Brigit, Fagnan, L.J., Carney, P.A., Davis, M.M.

What Parents Know Matters: Parental Knowledge at Birth Predicts Caregiving Behaviors at 9 Months

Brian Desmarais — Sat, 25 Jan 2020 22:22:10 +0000

Date Added:

January 25, 2020

Journal/Publication:

The Journal of Pediatrics

Publication Date:

January 1, 2020

URL:

What Parents Know Matters: Parental Knowledge at Birth Predicts Caregiving Behaviors at 9 Months

Type:

Clinical Research Results

Format:

Article

DOI (1):

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpeds.2019.12.021 showArticle

Keywords

cognitive development

MeSH

A reminder to assess parental knowledge of infant growth and development at the first well child check and to provide education as needed. The first year of life is arguably the most critical period of human psychological and cognitive development. James W. Mold, MD, MPH

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Objective

To examine the mediating role of socioeconomically disadvantaged parents' knowledge of early cognitive and language development at the first postpartum visit in the relation between education and caregiving behaviors at 9 months.

Study design

Parental knowledge was assessed at the 1-week newborn visit (n = 468); anticipatory guidance received and desired at 1-month (n = 212) and 6-month (n = 191) visits were reported; and caregiving behaviors toward infants during a teaching task were observed at 9-month visit (n = 173).

Results

We found substantial variation in knowledge and caregiving behaviors. Parents who had more knowledge of infant development at 1 week were more likely to respond to cues (r = 0.18; P < .05) and foster social-emotional (r = 0.17; P < .05) and cognitive growth (r = 0.20; P < .05) at 9 months. Importantly, the indirect effect of education on cognitive growth fostering at 9 months through knowledge at 1 week was significant, controlling for primary language and number of other children in the home (infancy: β = 0.06; B = 0.07; SE = 0.04; 95% CI, 0.007-0.165; early childhood: β = 0.04; B = 0.06; SE = 0.03; 95% CI, 0.008-0.152). Open-ended responses indicated that anticipatory guidance in the first 6 months focused on infant physical growth; however, parents did not request additional anticipatory guidance from their pediatricians.

Conclusions

This study sheds light on the importance of promoting parental knowledge about cognitive and language development to foster parental cognitive stimulations and language inputs during the first year of life. This study highlights the important role of anticipatory guidance on cognitive and language development during the earliest well-child visits and the need to better understand parental baseline knowledge to tailor anticipatory guidance to the family strengths and needs.

Author/s:

Leung, C.Y., Suskind, D.L.