University of Houston psychologists have received a $2.8 million grant from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development to lead the first randomized clinical trial to examine whether remotely delivered parenting programs can improve healthy brain development in young children and support long-term mental health outcomes for premature infants.
Researchers plan to investigate whether providing web-based support to parents during the critical weeks and months after premature babies are discharged from hospital enhances early brain development related to emotional and mental health.
More than 1 in 10 babies in the United States is born prematurely each year, and rates of mental health disorders among young people and adults born prematurely are rising, placing a heavy burden on individuals, families, and society. Texas has one of the highest preterm birth rates in the country.
Although advances in neonatal medicine have dramatically improved survival rates, babies born prematurely remain at high risk for developmental and mental health problems.
Scalable interventions have the potential to change the way families receive support after discharge from the neonatal intensive care unit, bringing evidence-based support into the home. This research aligns with UH Health’s mission to advance innovative and accessible solutions that improve health outcomes and reduce disparities for vulnerable populations.
Johanna Bick, associate professor of psychology and director of the UC Institute for Early Experience and Development, will lead a trial of a remotely delivered version of Play and Learning Strategies (PALS), a parenting program adapted for parents of premature infants. PALS is an evidence-based parenting intervention program designed to strengthen parent-child bonds and stimulate early cognitive, language, and social-emotional development.
The field is beginning to understand how preterm birth may impact the development of neural circuits underlying long-term mental health. This study will allow us to test whether increasing support during the most sensitive period of brain development can help put infants on a more typical developmental trajectory. ”
Johanna Bick, Associate Professor of Psychology and Director of the Institute for Early Experiential Development at the University of Houston
Many effective parenting programs end when the baby leaves the NICU, missing a critical period when parents need the most support and when the baby’s brain is rapidly developing. Because the program is offered online, it can reach families regardless of where they live, engaging multiple caregivers during this critical time.
Parents or caregivers of premature infants will be randomly assigned to either the remotely delivered PALS program or a comparison program. Researchers will use behavioral assessments and advanced neuroimaging and neurophysiological measurements to assess how interventions impact parental responsiveness, infant social and emotional development, emotion regulation, and brain development.
