Parents with young children receiving relationship-based home visiting and infant and early childhood mental health (IECMH) services want flexibility and hybrid approaches that combine in-person and remote services. This is the top finding from a national study of parents served by seven geographically and demographically diverse program sites…

Behavioural, cognitive and emotional dysregulation related to parent borderline personality disorder (BPD) may have a major impact on parent-infant interactions. We investigated the ways in which infant social withdrawal and mother sensitivity may be associated to a BPD diagnosis in mothers. Two groups of clinic-referred mother-infant dyads were…

This study presents findings from an Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (IECMHC) initiative in Arizona called Smart Support. The IECMHC used an early childhood mental health consultation model as an early childhood education intervention to address the needs of preschoolers with challenging behaviors. Disparities in…

Keeping children safe and healthy is one of the main concerns of parents and child care providers. SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) is the leading cause of death in infants 1 month to 12 months of age. Over 2,000 infants die from SIDS every year in the United States, and almost 15% of these deaths occur in child care settings. A targeted…

Thirty-two mother/infant dyads were randomly assigned to groups provided with routine well-child care and to discussions of either infant social development (intervention treatment) or accident prevention and nutrition (control). Findings revealed more sensitivity, cooperativeness, appropriateness of interaction, and appropriateness of play in the…

Many developmental theories that emphasize the importance of developmental task attainment imply that there is a degree of homogeneity in the developmental histories of children with serious disorders. From the perspective of developmental psychopathology, however, children identified as having serious emotional or behavioral disorders are likely…

This report describes the Maternal Infant Health Outreach Worker (MIHOW) program which operates in Appalachia and rural Western Tennessee. The program, which constitutes a partnership between community organizations and the Vanderbilt University Center for Health Services, trains local women to use home visitations to educate and support other…

To assess the needs of early intervention teams, 627 direct care providers were surveyed. Four domains of infant mental health were explored: attachment, behavior, stress/coping, and regulation/adaptation. Differences in comfort with those domains were found among the providers based on professional training as well as years of experience.…

Findings from a qualitative evaluation of the Coordinated Consumer Health Education Project in rural Eastern Kentucky are presented. The purpose of the project is to provide health education for pregnant and lactating women and their infants up to one year of age through a coordinated effort with other health care providers. The evaluation…

This paper reports a medical evaluation of a federal program providing funds for special nutritious food supplements to low income pregnant and lactating women, infants, and children up to four years of age who are nutritional risks. Growth, dietary intake, and biochemical measures were obtained for study infants at the time of enrollment in the…

The Maternal and Infant Health Outreach Worker Program (MIHOW) of Vanderbilt University's Center for Health Services gathered data on family planning, prenatal care, pregnancy outcomes, breastfeeding, and preventive child health care from 60 women in 6 rural, low income communities in Tennessee, Kentucky, and West Virginia. The resulting baseline…

This study addresses seven components of Public Law 99-457 which relate to mental health intervention to meet the comprehensive early needs of infants and toddlers with, or at risk for, disabilities. The seven components include: the definition of "developmentally delayed"; multidisciplinary evaluation; the individualized family service…

A survey was conducted of 193 directors of agencies providing home visits as part of early intervention programs for infants and toddlers with disabilities. Findings indicated limited coordination with hospitals, medical specialists, and mental health services; insufficient compensation for service coordination efforts; and state support to…

Part of a series designed to provide guidance for communities interested in building systems of care for children with emotional disturbances, this volume addresses mental health services for very young children and their families. A literature review was conducted, and four Community Mental Health Services for Children and Their Families Program…