Supporting early infant relationships and reducing maternal distress with the Newborn Behavioral Observations: A randomized controlled effectiveness trial.

Research points to the significant impact of maternal distress on the parent-infant 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; and depression diagnosis. Of 111 pregnant individuals randomized, 90 remained eligible and 74 completed the trial (82.2% retention). There were intervention effects on emotional availability F(6, 67) = 2.52, p = .049, Cohen's d = .90, with higher sensitivity and non-intrusiveness in the intervention group (n = 40) than the comparison group (n = 34). There was an intervention effect approaching significance for anxiety symptoms at 4 months (p = .06), and a significant effect over time (p = .014), but not for depression symptoms. Anxiety and depression symptoms significantly reduced to sub-clinical levels within the intervention group only. There were fewer depression diagnoses (n = 6) than expected across groups, with no observed intervention effect. No adverse intervention effects were seen. Exploratory analysis of sensory processing sensitivity suggested differential susceptibility to distress and intervention benefits. The NBO was accepted and exerted meaningful effects on relationship quality and distress; and may enhance the infant's interaction experience and maternal emotional adjustment in at-risk populations.

La angustia materna tiene impacto en las relaciones progenitor-infante y el desarrollo del infante. Las Observaciones del Comportamiento del Recién Nacido (NBO) es una intervención breve para apoyar al infante, al progenitor y la relación entre ellos. Este ensayo controlado al azar examinó la eficacia de NBO en un grupo de población con angustia antenatal y riesgo de depresión postnatal. En dos hospitales australianos, se reclutaron madres embarazadas, primerizas, con síntomas presentes de ansiedad o depresión, o enfermedad mental anterior. Las participantes recibieron tres sesiones de NBO en el primer mes de vida más el tratamiento como se acostumbra (TAU), o sólo TAU. Entre los resultados evaluados a los 4 meses se incluye la calidad de la interacción madre-infante, la ansiedad materna y síntomas de depresión, así como el diagnóstico de depresión. De las 111 mujeres embarazadas seleccionadas al azar, 90 quedaron siendo elegibles y 74 completaron el ensayo (retención 82.2%). La intervención mejoró significativamente la disponibilidad de interacción emocional F(6,67) = 2.52, p = .049, puntaje Cohen d = .90, y redujo síntomas de ansiedad a lo largo del tiempo (p = .014) entre quienes completaron el grupo de intervención (n = 40) versus el grupo comparativo (n = 34). El grupo de intervención mostró significativas reducciones en ansiedad y síntomas de depresión a niveles subclínicos, tanto en el examen previo como en el posterior. En el diagnóstico de depresión, no se observaron efectos de intervención. No se dio ningún efecto adverso de intervención. El proceso sensorial de la sensibilidad diferenció entre susceptibilidad a la angustia y los beneficios de la intervención. La NBO tuvo efectos en la calidad de la relación y la angustia; y pudiera haber mejorado la experiencia de interacción del infante y el ajuste emocional materno en los grupos clínicos de población.

Les recherches pointent vers un impact important de la détresse maternelle sur la relation parent-nourrisson et le développement du nourrisson. Les Observations Comportementale du Nouveau-né (abrégé ici OCN en français) est une intervention courte soutenant le nourrisson, le parent et leur relation. Cet essai contrôlé randomisé a examiné l'efficacité de l'OCN chez une population clinique avec une détresse anténatale et un risque de dépression postnatale. Des mères primipares enceintes avec des symptômes d'anxiété et de dépression ou de dépression passée ont été recrutées dans deux hôpitaux australiens. Les participants ont reçu trois séances OCN durant le premier mois de vie plus un traitement habituel ou seulement un traitement habituel. Les résultats ont été évalués à l'âge de quatre mois du nourrisson, y compris la qualité de l'interaction mère-nourrisson, l'anxiété maternelle, la dépression et les symptômes de stress de parentage, et le diagnostic de dépression. De 111 participantes enceintes randomisées, 90 sont demeurées éligibles et 74 ont complété l'étude (82,2% de rétention). On a trouvé des effets de l'intervention sur la disponibilité émotionnelle F(6, 67) = 2,52, p = ,049, d = ,90 de Cohen, avec une sensibilité plus élevée et un caractère non intrusif dans le groupe d'intervention (n = 40) dans le groupe de comparaison (n = 34). Il y avait des différences de groupe importantes dans les niveaux d'anxiété au fil du temps (p = ,014). L'anxiété et les symptômes de dépression ont été très largement réduits à des niveaux subcliniques au sein du groupe d'intervention. Aucun effet négatif d'intervention n'a été observé. Une analyse exploratoire de sensibilité du traitement sensoriel a révélé une susceptibilité différentielle à la détresse et aux bénéfices de l'intervention. L'OCN a été acceptée et a produit des effets significatifs sur la qualité de la relation et la détresse, et peut améliorer l'expérience d'interaction du nourrisson et l'ajustement émotionnel maternel chez les populations cliniques.

The Association Between Evidence-Based Decision Making and Accreditation of State Health Departments.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the association between evidence-based decision making, including implementation of evidence-based interventions (EBIs), with accreditation of state health departments through the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB). DESIGN: This was a cross-sectional, electronic survey of state health department practitioners. We utilized a survey instrument focused on evidence-based public health, de-implementation, and sustainability of public health programs. Survey questions were organized into 6 domains: (1) demographic information; (2) individual-level skills; (3) decision making on programs ending; (4) decision making on programs continuing; (5) organization/agency capacity; and (6) external influences. PARTICIPANTS: The targeted practitioners were randomly selected from the 3000-person membership of National Association of Chronic Disease Directors and program manager lists from key Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-supported programs in cancer and cancer risk factors. The final target audience for the survey totaled 1329 practitioners, representing all 50 states. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): The main outcome measures included the strength of association between a state's PHAB accreditation status and variables related to evidence-based public health and use of EBIs that fell within the individual participant skills, organization/agency capacity, and external influences domains. RESULTS: We received 643 valid responses (response rate = 48.4%), representing all 50 states, with 35 states being PHAB accredited. There was a statistically significant association between PHAB accreditation and state health department use of quality improvement processes (P = .002), leadership plans to implement EBIs (P = .009), and leadership reactions to EBI implementation issues (P = .004). Respondents from PHAB-accredited states were significantly more likely than participants from nonaccredited states to report greater engagement with legislators and governors regarding EBIs and 14% less likely to report the inappropriate termination of programs in their work unit (P = .05). CONCLUSIONS: The importance of accreditation relates to both internally focused functions and externally focused activities, especially regarding policy-related impact.

The Effects of Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome on Language Delay from Birth to 10 Years.

PURPOSE: To examine the longitudinal effects of a history of neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) on language development over the first 10 years of life. DESIGN AND METHODS: This study used a retrospective, longitudinal design. The data were analyzed using generalized linear mixed models (GLMM) to examine the effects of NAS on language delay over time while controlling for demographic, prenatal, and household factors. RESULTS: There was a significant difference in the pattern of language delays over time between the NAS and non-NAS groups. At the age of 5 (est: -1.788, p < .001), children with a history of NAS had a decreased log odds of developing language delays than those without NAS. Conversely, compared with age 1, at the age of 10 (est: 1.098 p < .001), children with a history of NAS had an increased log odds of developing language delays than those without NAS. CONCLUSIONS: Children with a history of NAS had significantly different rates of language delays over time. Children with a history of NAS had significantly higher rates of language delays at 10 years than children without NAS. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: There is a need to increase developmental surveillance, along with referrals for specialized services, for children with a history of NAS through middle childhood.

Implications of Tennessee's Opioid Legislation for Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome.

Opioid use during pregnancy is on the rise in the United States. Neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS), also known as newborn drug withdrawal, is a public health epidemic. Between 2004 and 2014, Tennessee experienced a fivefold increase in NAS hospitalizations, from 1.5 to 8.0 per 1,000 live births. Soaring increases in the number of newborns with NAS nationwide have caught the attention of many federal and state lawmakers, especially given the unknown burdens associated with medical and social services needed by those affected over time. Tennessee opioid-related regulations and laws enacted between 2000 and 2018 were systematically reviewed and analyzed to identify each law's purpose; effects on families and individuals; pros and cons in terms of social, practical, and legal factors; and implications for nursing practice. Our findings were that Tennessee's laws are intended to decrease the number of opioids prescribed, ensure access to continued prenatal care and substance abuse management for mothers with substance use disorders, and reduce the ease of obtaining opioids. We also found that Tennessee lawmakers have enacted laws and regulations aimed at decreasing the abuse of opioids, but not reducing the incidence of NAS. As new laws are considered, it is critical that health care providers and lawmakers work together to ensure that the developed and enacted laws strike a balance between safely managing the care of both pregnant women and their newborns without producing negative outcomes.

Evidence-Based Public Health Provided Through Local Health Departments: Importance of Academic-Practice Partnerships.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the extent to which US local health departments (LHDs) are engaged in evidence-based public health and whether this is influenced by the presence of an academic health department (AHD) partnership. METHODS: We surveyed a cross-sectional stratified random sample of 579 LHDs in 2017. We ascertained the extent of support for evidence-based decision-making and the use of evidence-based interventions in several chronic disease programs and whether the LHD participated in a formal, informal, or no AHD partnership. RESULTS: We received 376 valid responses (response rate 64.9%). There were 192 (51.6%) LHDs with a formal, 80 (21.6%) with an informal, and 99 (26.7%) with no AHD partnership. Participants with formal AHD partnerships reported higher perceived organizational supports for evidence-based decision-making and interventions compared with either informal or no AHD partnerships. The odds of providing 1 or more chronic disease evidence-based intervention were significantly higher in LHDs with formal AHD partnerships compared with LHDs with no AHD partnerships (adjusted odds ratio = 2.3; 95% confidence interval = 1.3, 4.0). CONCLUSIONS: Formal academic-practice partnerships can be important means for advancing evidence-based decision-making and for implementing evidence-based programs and policies.

Mid-level Practitioners in Oral Health: Tennessee Dental Professional's Attitudes and Perceptions of the Dental Therapist Workforce Model.

OBJECTIVES: To determine Tennessee dentists' knowledge and attitudes about the Dental Therapist Workforce Model (DTWM), as one means of expanding access to oral health care. METHODS: We surveyed 1,047 general dentists in Tennessee to determine their attitudes and perceptions of the DTWM. We used descriptive statistics such as frequency distributions for demographic variables. For additional analyses, we used analysis of variance and chi-square. RESULTS: We received 418 completed responses, for a response rate of 40%. While dentists believed they had a responsibility to provide care to the underserved, and that the DTWM would help improve access, the majority had a negative opinion of the impact dental therapists will have on dentistry, in regard to both clinical care quality and patient perceptions of dentists. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides baseline data on the DTWM in Tennessee, and can be a reference for similar states that may begin evaluating the model.

Public Health Agency Accreditation Among Rural Local Health Departments: Influencers and Barriers.

OBJECTIVE: Health department accreditation is a crucial strategy for strengthening public health infrastructure. The purpose of this study was to investigate local health department (LHD) characteristics that are associated with accreditation-seeking behavior. This study sought to ascertain the effects of rurality on the likelihood of seeking accreditation through the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB). DESIGN: Cross-sectional study using secondary data from the 2013 National Association of County & City Health Officials (NACCHO) National Profile of Local Health Departments Study (Profile Study). SETTING: United States. PARTICIPANTS: LHDs (n = 490) that responded to the 2013 NACCHO Profile Survey. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: LHDs decision to seek PHAB accreditation. RESULTS: Significantly more accreditation-seeking LHDs were located in urban areas (87.0%) than in micropolition (8.9%) or rural areas (4.1%) (P < .001). LHDs residing in urban communities were 16.6 times (95% confidence interval [CI], 5.3-52.3) and micropolitan LHDs were 3.4 times (95% CI, 1.1-11.3) more likely to seek PHAB accreditation than rural LHDs (RLHDs). LHDs that had completed an agency-wide strategic plan were 8.5 times (95% CI, 4.0-17.9), LHDs with a local board of health were 3.3 times (95% CI, 1.5-7.0), and LHDs governed by their state health department were 12.9 times (95% CI, 3.3-50.0) more likely to seek accreditation. The most commonly cited barrier was time and effort required for accreditation application exceeded benefits (73.5%). CONCLUSION: The strongest predictor for seeking PHAB accreditation was serving an urban jurisdiction. Micropolitan LHDs were more likely to seek accreditation than smaller RLHDs, which are typically understaffed and underfunded. Major barriers identified by the RLHDs included fees being too high and the time and effort needed for accreditation exceeded their perceived benefits. RLHDs will need additional financial and technical support to achieve accreditation. Even with additional funds, clear messaging of the benefits of accreditation tailored to RLHDs will be needed.

THE WORLDWIDE BURDEN OF INFANT MENTAL AND EMOTIONAL DISORDER: REPORT OF THE TASK FORCE OF THE WORLD ASSOCIATION FOR INFANT MENTAL HEALTH.

Children worldwide experience mental and emotional disorders. Mental disorders occurring among young children, especially infants (birth -3 years), often go unrecognized. Prevalence rates are difficult to determine because of lack of awareness and difficulty assessing and diagnosing young children. Existing data, however, suggest that rates of disorders in young children are comparable to those of older children and adolescents (von Klitzing, Dohnert, Kroll, & Grube, ). The lack of widespread recognition of disorders of infancy is particularly concerning due to the unique positioning of infancy as foundational in the developmental process. Both the brain and behavior are in vulnerable states of development across the first 3 years of life, with potential for enduring deviations to occur in response to early trauma and deprivation. Intervention approaches for young children require sensitivity to their developmental needs within their families. The primacy of infancy as a time of unique foundational risks for disorder, the impact of trauma and violence on young children's development, the impact of family disruption on children's attachment, and existing literature on prevalence rates of early disorders are discussed. Finally, global priorities for addressing these disorders of infancy are highlighted to support prevention and intervention actions that may alleviate suffering among our youngest world citizens.

Development of a Research Agenda Focused on Academic Health Departments.

An academic health department (AHD) is a formal partnership between an academic institution and a governmental public health agency. Case studies have described the value of individual AHDs in the areas of student engagement, practice-based research, workforce development, and service. With growing interest in AHDs and the increasing importance of academic-practice linkages in both academic programs' and public health agencies' accreditation processes, articulating a research agenda focused on the AHD model can be useful for stimulating the research and practice fields to further develop the evidence base for AHDs. We provide a research agenda, developed through an iterative process involving academicians, practitioners, and others interested in academic-practice linkages.

The Public Health Practitioner of the Future.

The requisite capacities and capabilities of the public health practitioner of the future are being driven by multiple forces of change, including public health agency accreditation, climate change, health in all policies, social media and informatics, demographic transitions, globalized travel, and the repercussions of the Affordable Care Act. We describe five critical capacities and capabilities that public health practitioners can build on to successfully prepare for and respond to these forces of change: systems thinking and systems methods, communication capacities, an entrepreneurial orientation, transformational ethics, and policy analysis and response. Equipping the public health practitioner with the requisite capabilities and capacities will require new content and methods for those in public health academia, as well as a recommitment to lifelong learning on the part of the practitioner, within an increasingly uncertain and polarized political environment.

A Population Health Driver Diagram to Address Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome.

This article describes the process for developing a population health driver diagram to address a priority health issue in East Tennessee: neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS). Population health driver diagrams are used in quality improvement processes for determining and aligning actions that a community can take to achieve a specified outcome. The Tennessee Department of Health contracted with the University of Tennessee's Department of Public Health to conduct a community participatory process to contribute to a statewide health improvement plan. Colleagues in local public health practice identified NAS as the leading perinatal health issue, and community engagement was achieved by involving community health councils. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected, analyzed, and provided to these councils. A region-wide stakeholders' meeting resulted in the development of a population health driver diagram to address NAS. We describe this process and provide lessons learned that can be valuable in other settings. Population health diagrams have important implications for practice because of their use as a framework for community action, especially in the context of a community health assessment.

Macro Trends and the Future of Public Health Practice.

Public health practice in the twenty-first century is in a state of significant flux. Several macro trends are impacting the current practice of governmental public health and will likely have effects for many years to come. These macro trends are described as forces of change, which are changes that affect the context in which the community and its public health system operate. This article focuses on seven such forces of change: the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, public health agency accreditation, climate change, health in all policies, social media and informatics, demographic transitions, and globalized travel. Following the description of each of these, this article then turns to possible approaches to measuring, tracking, and understanding the impact of these forces of change on public health practice, including the use of evidence-based public health, practice-based research, and policy surveillance.