Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39780054›Full record

Trial reportBMC pregnancy and childbirth2025

The newborn behavioural observations (NBO) system embedded in routine postpartum care in at-risk families in Iceland: a randomised controlled trial.

Lisbeth Valla, Kari Slinning, Tore Wentzel-Larsen, Gun-Mette Røsand, Stefanía Birna Arnardóttir

Registry-linked trialAbstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in BMC pregnancy and childbirth, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT04739332 (Assessing the Effect of the Newborn Behavioral Observations System on Maternal Sensitivity Four Months Post-partum), which is not on this map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT04739332 nacompletednot on this map

Assessing the Effect of the Newborn Behavioral Observations System on Maternal Sensitivity Four Months Post-partum

TypeinterventionalSponsorCenter for Parents and Infants, IcelandRan2016 to 2019Enrolled60ConditionsMother-Infant InteractionArmsThe Newborn behavioral observations system
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Lisbeth VallaRegional Centre for Child and Adolescent Mental Health, Eastern and Southern Norway (RBUP), Oslo, Norway. lisval@oslomet.no.
Kari SlinningRegional Centre for Child and Adolescent Mental Health, Eastern and Southern Norway (RBUP), Oslo, Norway.
Tore Wentzel-LarsenRegional Centre for Child and Adolescent Mental Health, Eastern and Southern Norway (RBUP), Oslo, Norway.
Gun-Mette RøsandRegional Centre for Child and Adolescent Mental Health, Eastern and Southern Norway (RBUP), Oslo, Norway.
Stefanía Birna ArnardóttirPsychiatric team for prospecting parents and parents with young children, Primary health care in capital area, Reykjavik, Iceland.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe Newborn Behaviour Observation system (NBO) is a flexible relationship-based intervention designed to sensitise parents to their newborn's capacities, to increase parental confidence and foster the bond between parent and infant. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of an NBO intervention on maternal confidence during the first month postpartum, and on the quality of mother-infant interaction at infant age 4 months in a sample of mothers who exhibit elevated signs of distress or depression during pregnancy and/or describe prior experiences of mental health issues.

methodPregnant women with current emotional distress and/or a history of anxiety and depression were recruited from a healthcare centre in Reykjavik, between August 2016 and April 2018. The study used a two-group, randomised trial design with six measuring points, in which 54 women were randomly assigned to either the intervention or control group. The intervention group (n = 26) received the NBO in combination with standard care during routine home visits. The control group (n = 28) received the same numbers of home visits with standard care without NBO. Maternal confidence was measured using a parent questionnaire (covering learning outcomes relating to the infant's communicative signals and maternal confidence) administered after each home visit in weeks 2, 3 and 4 postpartum. At 4 months infant age, a free-play situation involving mother-infant interaction was video-recorded in the participants' homes and coded using the Emotional Availability Scale (EAS). Mixed effects models were used to estimate group differences in learning outcomes and maternal confidence across three time points. Two sample t-tests were used to compare the two groups' EAS scores.

resultsThe mothers in the intervention-group reported significantly higher maternal confidence and increased knowledge about their infant compared to the control group. Adjusted analyses suggest some evidence of a higher EAS non-hostility score in the intervention group (p = .031), but not for the other EAS scale scores (p ≥ .118).

conclusionEarly home visits combining NBO with standard care enhance maternal confidence and the mother's understanding of her infant. The small sample size makes it difficult to conclude whether repeated NBO sessions during the first month increase dimensions of maternal sensitivity in mother-infant interaction at 4 months postpartum.

trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov ID NCT04739332, Registered 02/01/2021.

Indexed as

Mother-Child RelationsPostnatal CareAdultAnxietyBehavior Observation TechniquesDepression, PostpartumFemaleHouse CallsHumansIcelandInfantInfant BehaviorInfant, NewbornMothersPostpartum PeriodPregnancyMother-infant interactionNBONewborn behaviour observation

Identifiers

PMID39780054
PMCPMC11707989

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Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.