Infants at Psychosocial Risk

The project combines the concepts of early intervention programs, parent-infant interaction and intergenerational mentoring and presents an option for giving a better future to infants at high risk for adverse developmental outcomes because of adverse socioeconomic circumstances. With growing numbers of such children in our society, especially in our inner cities, this research is timely and has the promise of offering a cost effective and efficient way to address this social issue. This pilot study is desighed to precede Phase 1 of a 2-Phase study-- to compare two readily available community-based early intervention programs designed to improve menta health outcomes for at risk infants and their caregivers. Two intervention groups will receive regular home visits and/or telephone supervision by either advanced clinical practitioners (ACP) or by volunteer foster grandmothers and these will be compared with a control group receiving normally available postpartum care. Phase 1 interventions will begin at birth and continue throughout the infants' first 18 months of life. Phase 2 will focus on the infants' development through 3 years of age.