Characteristics of studies reporting other measures of parenting
| Reference | Group allocation | Score | Intervenors | Participants | Intervention | |||||
| McNeil and Holland (1972), USA34 | Non-random | 0.21 | Public health nurses | Mothers with newborns | Home visits + group child health teaching (n=93). Mean no. of visits = 3.1 | |||||
| Control: home visits for teaching child health (n=96) Mean no. of visits = 4.3 | ||||||||||
| Grantham-McGregor and Desai (1975), Jamaica35 | Non-random | 0.39 | Nurses | Mothers with 3 year old children | Int: home visits (n=22). Weekly for 8 months. Maximum 29 visits | |||||
| Con: no home visits (n=22) | ||||||||||
| Intervention: use of toys to encourage child development | ||||||||||
| Gutelius et al (1977), USA36 | Random | 0.59 | Paediatrician/nurse | 1st born black infants, low income families | Home visits (n=49) visits from 7 months gestation to age 3 years. Control: no home visits (n=48) | |||||
| Intervention = counselling and anticipatory guidance, cognitive stimulation | ||||||||||
| Hall (1980)38/Law-Harrison and Twardosz (1986), USA39 | Random | 0.41 | Nurse | Primiparas, normal pregnancy and delivery | Home visit (n=15). 1 visit only. Control: no home visit (n=15). Intervention = teaching re infant behaviour | |||||
| Siegel et al (1980), USA37 | Random | 0.36 | Paraprofessional | Low income families | Normal labour and delivery: A: early and extended contact + home visits (n=47). 9 visits age 0–3 months | |||||
| B: early and extended contact, no home visits (n=50). C: home visits (n=53). 9 visits age 0–3 months | ||||||||||
| Control: no early or extended contact, no home visit (n=52) | ||||||||||
| Complicated labour +/− delivery: A: extended contact + home visits (n=60). 9 visits age 0–3 months | ||||||||||
| Control: no extended contact, no home visits (n=59) | ||||||||||
| Intervention = emotional support and aims to promote maternal involvement with family | ||||||||||
| Stanwick et al (1982), Canada40 | Random | 0.39 | Public health nurses | Mothers with newborns | Home visit (n=80). 1 visit within 3 weeks of delivery. Control: no home visit (n=76) | |||||
| Intervention: enhance maternal confidence in caring for infant, increase knowledge and skills in child care | ||||||||||
| Maddenet al (1984), USA41 | Random | 0.46 | Volunteer women toy demonstrators | Low income families, infants 21–33 months old | 3 cohorts: 1974: home visit (n=22) 46 visits over 24 months. Control: no home visits (n=26) | |||||
| 1975: home visit (n=17). Control: no home visit (n=12). 1976: home visit (n=29) | ||||||||||
| Control: no home visit (n=26). Intervention = toys and books left in home with input from toy demonstrator | ||||||||||
| Control = verbal interaction stimulus materials left in home. No input from toy demonstrator | ||||||||||
| Seitzet al (1985), USA42 | Non-random | 0.14 | Home visitor, paediatrician, primary care day worker | Low socioeconomic status, first child, inner city | Home visit (n=17). Mean 28 visits, pregnancy to 30 months of age. | |||||
| Control: no home visit (n=17). Intervention = problem solving, obtain adequate food/housing, discuss long term problems, reduce physical dangers, liaise with other services | ||||||||||
| Barker et al (1988),46(1994), UK50 | Not clearly specified | 0.46 | Health visitors | Children on caseloads, age 3–27 months46 | Home visits (n=67846 and n=34850). Monthly visits | |||||
| Control: no home visits (n=37346 and n=22250) Intervention = child development programme | ||||||||||
| Primiparas age 14–2150 | ||||||||||
| Beckwith (1988), USA43 | Random | 0.36 | Nurse, early childhood educator | Pregnant and postpartum women, less than high school education, un/semi-skilled job, low birth weight, preterm infants, >3 days intensive neonatal care | Home visits (n=37). Until infant aged 13 months. Control: no home visits (n=55) | |||||
| Intervention = develop supportive relationship with mother | ||||||||||
| Resnicket al (1988), USA45 | Random | 0.57 | Paediatric nurse and child development specialist | Premature infants <1800 g at birth | Int: home visits (n=21). Weekly visits until adjusted birth date, then 2 per month from child development specialist for 12 months. Con: no home visits (n=20) | |||||
| Intervention: language, social, cognitive, muscular exercises for infants and parenting activities | ||||||||||
| Scarr and McCartney (1988), Bermuda44 | Random | 0.55 | Community mothers | Mothers with 2 year olds | Home visits (n=78). Weekly visits for 2 years Control: no home visits (n=39) | |||||
| Intervention = promote cognitive and social development, train mothers to teach child effectively | ||||||||||
| Sutton (1992), England47 | Sequential | 0.36 | Psychologist | Difficult preschool children | A: group sessions (n=7). Weekly sessions for 8 weeks B: home visits (n=9). Weekly visits for 8 weeks | |||||
| C: telephone contact (n=11). Weekly contact for 8 weeks. Control: waiting list for parent training (n=10) | ||||||||||
| Intervention = parent training teaching behavioural principles | ||||||||||
| Thompson et al (1992), USA48 | Random | 0.46 | Nurses | Black, adolescent, unmarried mothers, low socioeconomic status | Home visits (n=20). Monthly visits for 2 years. Control: no home visits (n=20) | |||||
| Intervention = encourage positive parent–child relationship and encourage parents to interact with child in developmentally conducive way | ||||||||||
| Johnson et al (1993), Ireland49 | Random | 0.25 | Community mothers | Disadvantaged first time mothers | Home visits (n=127). Monthly visits during 1st year of life | |||||
| Control: routine care (n=121) | ||||||||||
| Intervention = child development programme | ||||||||||
| Seeleyet al (1996), England51 | Non-random | 0.43 | Health visitors | Postnatal women | Home visits (n=70). 1 visit per week for 8 weeks. Control: routine primary care (n=30, historical controls) | |||||
| Intervention = counselling, including use of cognitive behavioural skills | ||||||||||
Note that Barker (1988)46 and Barker (1994)50 are two separate studies with same intervention.