Early parental program improves long-term childhood outcomes

Children whose parents participated in a prenatal program aimed at enhancing couples' co-parenting relationship were better adjusted at age seven than children whose parents were assigned to a control group, according to Penn State researchers.

Teachers reported significantly better adjustment and positive school engagement among children whose parents received the intervention than in the control children, the researchers reported in the current issue of the Journal of Family Psychology.

"The Family Foundations program focuses on fostering positive co-parenting - that is, more cooperative and supportive teamwork between parents - because research shows such co-parenting can benefit children in many ways," said Mark E. Feinberg, research professor of health and human development and senior scientist at the Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center for the Promotion of Human Development. "Parents who have better co-parenting relations feel more supported and confident, less stressed and depressed and they show more warmth and patience with their children."

Parents who argue and are often in conflict with each other over parenting issues can become more impatient and harsh with their children, according to Feinberg. Even if parents don't take out frustration on their children, the emotional security and well-being of the child can be threatened by the presence of conflict in the home.

"We hypothesized that all of these factors - better co-parenting, better parenting, better child adjustment - can lead to better school outcomes, as they enhance a child's ability to cooperate with peers and teachers, avoid distractions and focus on schoolwork," said Feinberg.

Ten years ago, Feinberg received funding from the National Institutes of Health to develop and test an educational and preventive program, Family Foundations, offering a series of classes for expectant parents. The program focuses on how a first-time expectant couple can prepare for a new baby together, developing new skills and perspectives helpful in raising a child.

In the current study, about 80 families responded to a questionnaire when their child was between five and seven years old. Half of these families had originally been assigned to the intervention program, while the other half were assigned to the control group. Parents were asked to answer questions about their child's behavior, including how often the child lost his temper, whether he was depressed and how often he fought with other children. Each child's teacher was also surveyed about the child's adjustment and adaptation to school.

"It is important to note that this was a 'universal' study that enrolled all couples expecting a first child, rather than a targeted intervention that focused on couples at high-risk due to poverty, low education, young age or other factors," said Feinberg. "Some programs have been shown to be effective in supporting very high-risk pregnant mothers. But few, if any, programs focused on all expecting couples have shown long-term benefits for children.