Precursors of Early Childhood Neglect and Developmental Delays:

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Precursors of Early Childhood Neglect and
Developmental Delays

• The Parenting for the First Time Project

Chairs Robin Gaines Lanzi, Georgetown
University Jennifer Burke Lefever, University
of Notre Dame Discussant Sharon Landesman
Ramey, Georgetown University
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National Centers for the Prevention of Neglect

• Established in 1999
• Purpose To design and conduct research to
  advance understanding of the etiology and
  effective strategies to prevent child neglect
  across diverse populations and settings
• Website http//cpcn.nd.edu/

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Centers for the Prevention of Child Neglect
University of Alabama at Birmingham Georgetown
University University of Kansas University of
Notre Dame University of Texas - Houston

• Jane Atwater
• Kathleen Baggett
• Kristi Carter Guest
• Cathy Guttentag
• Kere Hughes
• Robin Gaines Lanzi
• Jennifer Burke Lefever
• Karen Johnson White

• John Borkowski
• Judith Carta
• Bette Keltner
• Lorraine Klerman
• Susan Landry
• Craig Ramey
• Sharon Ramey
• Steve Warren

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Major funded projects include

• The Parenting For The First Time Study of
  Adolescent and Adult Mothers and Infants (NICHD,
  DOE, CDC, Centennial Wireless, Cingular)
• Prevention of Child Neglect 4-site RCT of My
  Baby and Me Program (NICHD)
• Adolescent Development and Responsibilities
  (NICHD K Award)
• Advancing methods to study parenting and neglect
  (Robert Wood Johnson)
• The Baby Library (Reading is Fundamental)

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Conceptual Model
Maternal Adjustment
Care Giving
Maternal Styles and Readiness to Parent
Maternal Health
Child Development
Social Supports Stress
Parenting (Neglect)
Infant Health Behavior
Maternal Intelligence, Literacy and Education
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Parenting for the First Time Project

• Study Sites
• Birmingham, Alabama (University of Alabama at
  Birmingham
• Kansas City, Kansas/Missouri (University of
  Kansas)
• South Bend, Indiana (University of Notre Dame)
• Washington, D.C. (Georgetown University)

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Study Aims

• To develop sensitive measures of early maternal
  neglect
• To establish a strong empirical basis for
  identifying conditions that increase or decrease
  neglect
• To relate predisposing conditions and early
  maternal neglect to later occurring neglect,
  abuse, and child developmental delay
• To refine a conceptual framework that will inform
  strategic interventions to prevent neglect and
  its negative consequences on children, families,
  and society

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Study Design

• Prospective and longitudinal
• Starts during pregnancy and continues until the
  childs third birthday
• Face-to-face interviews in clinic or community
  settings
• Last trimester of pregnancy and 6 months
• Home visits
• 4, 8, 18, and 30 months
• By cell phone
• 4, 8, 18, and 30 months
• Child Assessments
• 12, 24, and 36 months

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Sample Size

• 682 women no previous live births
• Across the 4 sites
• 396 teens (ages 15-18 at time of enrollment)
• Have not graduated high school or obtained a GED
• 286 adults (22-35 years)
• 169 low resource adults
• no formal education beyond high school/GED okay
• 117 high resource adults
• completed at least 2 years post-secondary
  education

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Race/Ethnicity
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Sample Description

• Average Estimated Annual Household Income
• Teen 15,818
• Low-ed adult 16,842
• Hi-ed adult 40,796
• Percentage of Low Birth Weight Infants (lt 2500
  grams)
• Teen 10.3
• Low-ed adult 10.2
• Hi-ed adult 6.7

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Measured Constructs - Mother

• Parenting/Neglect
• Maternal Socio-Emotional Functioning
• Maternal Cognitive Readiness to Parent
• Maternal Intelligence and Literacy 
• Maternal History of Maltreatment and Violent
  Experiences
• Stress
• Social and Community Supports
• Maternal Health

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Measured Constructs - Child

• Child Intelligence/Language
• Child Socioemotional Adjustment
• Child Behavior
• Child Health 

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Funding Provided By

• National Institute of Child Health and Human
  Development
• National Institute on Drug Abuse
• Department of Education
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
• Cingular Wireless
• Centennial Wireless

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Todays Presentations

• Prenatal Cumulative Risks and Maternal Parenting
  During Infancy
• Kimberly Howard, K. Hughes, J. Schatz, J. Carta,
  J. Borkowski
• The E-RISK Index A Reliable and
  Easy-to-Administer Screening Tool of Early
  Precursors of Likely Neglectful Behaviors
• Robin Lanzi, S. Ramey, S. Bert, B. Keltner
• Changes in Early Parenting and Childrens
  Language Development
• Leann Smith, G. Lubke, S. Warren
• Subthreshold Neglect as a Predictor of Infant
  Attachment Status
• Jaelyn Farris, J. Borkowski, J. Fefever
• Early Childhood Risk for Obesity The Influence
  of Early Maternal Risk and Association with
  Concurrent Social Competence
• Jennifer Lefever, K. Guest, F. Franklin, J.
  Borkowski
• Centers for the Prevention of Neglect