At a glance
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Antenatal Parenting Support for Women Vulnerable in Pregnancy: an Exploratory Randomised Controlled Trial of Mellow Bumps
In Brief
A clinical study evaluating Mellow Bumps and Chill-out in Pregnancy for Mental Health Wellness 1 and 2 related conditions. Completed, enrolled 35 participants across 2 sites.
Detailed Summary
The purpose of this study is to compare the effectiveness of a relationships based antenatal intervention (Mellow Bumps) against a comparison intervention (Chillout In Pregnancy) and also against the normal antenatal care which is received during pregnancy (Care As Usual). The Mellow Bumps intervention will seek to improve maternal anxiety and maternal sensitivity whilst the Chillout In Pregnancy intervention will aim to improve only maternal anxiety. This will allow the researchers to determine what type of intervention, if any, is most successful at improving the outcomes of the mother and child. This will be measured by looking at the mother's stress response, anxiety, depression and irritability, the baby's stress response and the interactions between the mother and the baby. Participants in the study will be pregnant women who would be between 20 and 30 weeks pregnant at the start of the antenatal intervention. Participants will be chosen to take part in one of the three conditions (Mellow Bumps, Chillout In Pregnancy or Care As Usual) at random. All participants will be asked to complete questionnaires and give saliva samples prior to the intervention. The questionnaires will also be repeated at the end of the intervention and at a follow up occurring eight to twelve weeks after birth. Consent will also be sought to take saliva samples from the baby before and after a routine blood test when the baby is five days old. This information will then be evaluated to establish the effectiveness of the proposed interventions.
Study Details
Timeline
Interventions
Mellow Bumps is a six week group-based antenatal programme designed to support families with additional health and social care needs. It is intended to decrease maternal antenatal stress levels, increase expectant mothers' understanding of neonates' capacity for social interaction and emphasise the importance of early interaction in enhancing brain development and attachment. It is delivered non-didactically to maximise participant engagement and rapport. Each week there is one activity focused on the woman and another on a baby-related topic. The programme is designed to be offered between twenty to thirty weeks' gestation, to capture the period when the risk of miscarriage is low and fetal movement felt, but before major preoccupation with the delivery.
Chill Out in Pregnancy (ChIP) is a relaxation programme that includes all the mother centred components of Mellow Bumps but none of the baby / mother-baby relationship components. It also runs for six weeks at two hours per week and is intended to decrease stress levels.