Intention to Read to Newborns Following a Brief Reading Promotion Intervention among Low-Income Pregnant Women.

INTRODUCTION: Reading to children can increase word knowledge and success in school. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends beginning reading at birth. However, children from low-income families are exposed to less words, including reading exposure, than children from high-income families. METHODS: Pregnant women attending a community prenatal education program targeted at high-risk and low-income populations were recruited into this study. Participants completed a pre-survey, engaged with a brief educational intervention, then completed a matched post-survey. Surveys assessed perceived benefits, intended behaviors, and self-efficacy regarding reading to their child. RESULTS: Of 61 eligible participants, 54 (89%) completed the study. Participants reported being Black (33%), White (30%), Hispanic (28%), and other race (9%). Average gestational age at enrollment was 27 weeks (range 13 to 38 weeks). The average age of respondents was 26 years (SD = 7.2); 46% reported being pregnant for the first time. Following the intervention, no change in knowledge regarding benefits of reading was observed, however, baseline knowledge was high (58% - 94%). At post-test, significantly more women reported it was important to start reading to their child at birth (83% vs 56%; p < 0.001) and that they planned to start reading to their child at birth (70% vs 50%; p = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: A brief educational intervention showed promise in increasing pregnant women's intentions to read to their children and should be considered in conjunction with other reading promotion programs. Follow-up to assess actual reading behavior is needed.

Maternal Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Concerning Interpregnancy Interval.

INTRODUCTION: Few studies have examined maternal intentions and practices related to interpregnancy interval (IPI). IPI less than 18 months has been linked to increased preterm birth and infant mortality. This manuscript reports on a cross-sectional survey of mothers conducted to understand maternal knowledge, attitudes, and practice of IPI in Sedgwick County, Kansas. METHODS: New and expectant mothers and mothers of neonatal infant care unit (NICU) graduates (n = 125) were surveyed regarding the issues surrounding IPI. Front desk staff handed out self-administered surveys, which were returned to a nurse upon completion. NICU participants were emailed a link to the survey hosted on SurveyMonkey®. RESULTS: Fewer than 30% of mothers reported previously receiving information about IPI from any source. When asked about risks associated with IPI, women frequently (n = 58, 45%) identified increased risk for birth outcomes with no known association with short IPI. Findings regarding maternal attitudes surrounding optimal IPI were mixed with many mothers defining ideal IPI as less than 18 months (n = 52, 42%), while broadly reporting they believed that a woman's body needs time to heal between pregnancies. Respondents from the NICU sample generally reported shorter optimal IPI values than the other participants. When IPI was estimated from participants' past pregnancies, half of IPIs were less than 18 months. Mothers reported they favored healthcare providers as a source for IPI education. Face-to-face discussions or printed materials were the preferred modes of education. CONCLUSIONS: Women were aware of the need for spacing between pregnancies, however, that knowledge was unassociated with past behavior. These findings should be taken into consideration when formulating future interventions.

Kansas Provider Report of Adolescent Vaccinations in Their Practice.

BACKGROUND: Kansas falls consistently below average for adolescent vaccination of meningococcal (MCV), human papillomavirus (HPV), and influenza. METHODS: For this study, the members of Kansas Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics were emailed a confidential electronic survey soliciting their impressions of vaccination in their practice. RESULTS: Of 137 providers emailed, 61 (45%) completed the survey. Thirteen providers were excluded as they did not see/vaccinate adolescents or did not complete the survey. Tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis (Tdap), and MCV vaccines were most commonly up to date with 31 (65%) and 20 (42%) respondents reporting greater than 90% immunization rates, respectively. HPV (n = 42, 89%) and influenza (n = 40, 83%) vaccines had refusal rates greater than 25% in most clinics. Most practices (n = 44, 92%) used internal electronic medical records to track vaccinations, although 29 practices (60%) utilized the state immunization information system. Providers requested vaccine-specific patient education tools, positive media coverage, staffing support, and best-practices workshops to support vaccination efforts. CONCLUSION: Kansas providers may not be optimizing available resources to enhance these rates, such as Web IZ tracking and immunization reminders. Patient education supplies, specific to HPV and Influenza vaccination, potentially could increase vaccination rates.

Internet-Based Information on Long-Acting Reversible Contraception for Adolescents.

BACKGROUND: Long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) is safe, effective, and recommended as first-line contraception for adolescents. Despite clear medical recommendations, the type and quality of Internet information regarding LARC for teenagers is unknown. METHODS: Data were collected through web queries. Resulting websites were assessed for quality criteria and a priori content themes based on the leading medical societies' recommendations for adolescent LARC. RESULTS: Of the 238 websites evaluated, 77% made no recommendation of LARC for adolescent females. Of the 55 websites that did recommend LARC, only 40% specifically discussed its use in the adolescent population. Of note, 16% of websites recommending LARC discouraged their use in adolescents. Quality varied among LARC-discussing websites, ranging from 3 to 13 of the 15 criteria assessed. DISCUSSION: Few websites offer up-to-date information regarding the use of LARC, and most fail to discuss LARC use at all. As LARC is highly effective in preventing unplanned pregnancies in adolescents, incomplete or inaccurate information on the Internet present a barrier to promoting its utilization in this at-risk population.