Research Evaluation of the Bringing Baby Home Program
Findings from a random clinical trial study examining the effectiveness of the Bringing Baby Home program indicate that couples have higher relationship quality, less interpersonal hostility, and markedly lower maternal post-partum depression and baby blues (22.5% compared to 66.5% in the comparison group). These statistically significant findings resulted from a study in which Drs. John Gottman and Julie Schwartz Gottman led the Bringing Baby Home (BBH) workshop. We are currently evaluating the results of the workshop and support groups given by birth educators with the long-term goal of promoting lasting change by implementing this program throughout the country. Our initial findings from this continued research indicate that both the BBH workshop and support groups led by family educators are effective in promoting positive marital relations, parent-baby interactions, and overall infant development through the first year after the baby is born. The specific results of our evaluations to date are broken down in the table right.

Parent-baby   relations: Both fathers and mothers who took the BBH program (compared to those that did not) showed greater sensitivity and responsiveness to their infant’s signals. This was particularly true for fathers. Parents who took the BBH program demonstrated better coparenting abilities in that they were able to work together more positively during family play with their 3-month-old baby. Babies expressed more smiling and laughter during family play if their parents had participated in the BBH program. This was true for both 3 and 12-month-old infants. Several indicators of father-infant attachment security were rated more positively in families who had taken the BBH program.

Infant Development & Temperament: There were less language delays in one-year-old infants of parents who took the BBH program. Mothers who took the BBH program rated their babies as showing less distress in response to limitations (such as having a toy out of reach). 1-year-old babies in the workshop group were rated as responding more positively to their fathers’ soothing (this is likely to reflect something about father-baby interaction quality as well as infant temperament).

Father involvement: Fathers who took the BBH program reported being more involved in parenting and feeling more satisfied and appreciated for their parental contributions. The quality of father-baby interactions was more positive if fathers had taken the BBH program (as reported throughout this table).

Couple Relationship: QualityCouples who took the BBH program reported high stable relationship quality. Those who did not take the BBH program showed a decline in relationship quality over the first year after the baby’s birth. There was less hostility expressed by both husbands and wives during conflict discussions if they had taken the BBH program.

Parent Psychopathology: Fewer mothers who took the BBH program showed symptoms of post-partum depression, the baby blues, and other indicators of psychopathology such as anxiety. Fewer fathers who took the BBH program showed signs of depression, anxiety and other psychopathology after the baby was born.