Research points to the significant impact of maternal distress on the parentinfant relationship and infant development. The Newborn Behavioral Observations (NBO) is a brief intervention supporting the infant, the parent and their relationship. This randomized controlled trial examined the effectiveness of the NBO in a population with antenatal distress and risk of postnatal depression (PND). Pregnant, first-time mothers with current anxiety or depression symptoms or past mental illness were recruited from two Australian hospitals. Participants received three NBO sessions in the first month of life plus treatment as usual (TAU), or, TAU-only. Outcomes assessed at infant age 4 months included mother-infant interaction quality; maternal anxiety and depression symptoms;This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License, which permits use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non-commercial and no modifications or adaptations are made.

The purpose of this study is to test a brief, attachment intervention added to routine maternity care that aims to improve the adolescent mother-infant relationship during transition to motherhood. A pre-test, post-test, peer-control-group trial was set in a large tertiary maternity hospital in Melbourne, Australia. Participants were multi-cultural, pregnant adolescents (n = 97). The two-session 'AMPLE' intervention was provided in late pregnancy and neonatally. The main outcome measure was mother-infant interaction quality at age 4 months, blind-coded using the Emotional Availability Scales (EAS) (fourth edition). Study acceptability was high: participation rate 82.9 % and completion rate 75.3 %. Thirty-five participants received the intervention plus usual care (intervention group) and 38 received usual care (control group). There were no pre-test between-group differences across demographic, psychosocial or obstetric domains. At post-test, mother-infant interaction was significantly better in the intervention group. MANOVA analyses showed an overall intervention effect on emotional availability in 20 min of free play (n = 73), F (6,65) = 5.05, p < .01, partial η (2) = .32, and in 25 min of play plus brief separation-reunion (n = 55), F (6,48) = 2.72, p = .02, partial η (2) = .25. T tests showed significant between-group differences in specific EAS subscales. All effect sizes were medium-large. This promising intervention appears to exert a clinically meaningful effect on the adolescent mother-infant relationship. Further research is warranted to replicate the findings and confirm causality. The study suggests a brief attachment focus, incorporated into routine maternity care, could influence the developmental trajectory of infants of young mothers from birth.

PurposePerinatal drug users are a marginalized group at risk of depression and parenting stress. This study aims to inform service development by determining key components needed to reduce depression among this population by triangulating data from qualitative interviews with service users and their care providers.Design/methodology/approachPre and post natal in‐depth qualitative interviews with drug users attending a specialist antenatal clinic in Melbourne, Australia, and their care providers were conducted; and an email survey of experts was undertaken. Twenty‐eight interviews were conducted and the views of ten experts were received. Data from these sources were triangulated to determine the key components of an intervention to reduce depression among perinatal drug users.FindingsThere was high concordance among data sources. Key service components identified were: case management; extended postnatal care; access to mental health services and drug treatment including relapse prevention; parenting support, and housing support. Judgmental attitudes from healthcare staff and the fear of child protection may be barriers to accessing services.Research limitations/implicationsThe study findings are limited by the small sample size.Practical implicationsServices should be enhanced in pregnancy and the early parenting years to build a service model that incorporates the key components identified in this study and supported in the literature.Originality/valueThe originality and value of this study is that it determines the key service components needed to reduce depression among perinatal drug users by triangulating their experiences and views, that of their care providers and expert opinion.

BackgroundHigh rates of psychological-distress, trauma and social complexity are reported among young pregnant women. At the Royal Women’s Hospital, Australia, young pregnant women acknowledge wanting tools to improve maternal wellbeing yet remain challenging to engage in antenatal education and support. While yoga is a widely accepted and participated activity in pregnancy, with demonstrated benefits for adult pregnant women, adolescent women are often excluded from both these yoga interventions and related pregnancy studies.MethodsThis mixed methods study examined the acceptability and benefits of yoga for young women. We recruited 30 participants aged under 24 years, who were offered twice a week, one-hour voluntary prenatal yoga sessions throughout their pregnancy. A medical file audit gathered baseline demographics, pre and post yoga session surveys were administered and brief individual interview were conducted with study participants.ResultsWhile 26 study participants were positive about the availability of a yoga program, only 15 could attend yoga sessions (mean = 8 sessions, range 1–27). No differences were found in the demographic or psychosocial factors between those who did and did not attend the yoga sessions. The medical file audit found that 60% of all the study participants had a documented history of psychological distress.Barriers to participation were pragmatic, not attitudinal, based on the timing of the group sessions, transport availability and their own health. All study participants identified perceived benefits, and the yoga participants identified these as improved relaxation and reduction of psychological distress; labour preparation; bonding with their baby in utero; and social connectedness with the yoga group peers.ConclusionsThis study demonstrated yoga was acceptable to young pregnant women. For those who did participate in the sessions, yoga was found to decrease self-reported distress and increase perceived skills to assist with their labour and the birth of their baby. The provision of accessible yoga programs for pregnant young women is recommended.