OBJECTIVE: To examine the effectiveness of sibling preparation classes to facilitate the adjustment of a firstborn child to the birth of a sibling. DESIGN: Longitudinal study with five measurement occasions: third trimester of the mother's pregnancy and 1, 4, 8, and 12 months after the sibling's birth. SETTING: Communities in southeastern Michigan. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 241 families, including mothers, fathers, and firstborn children. METHODS: Mothers and fathers completed questionnaires to assess changes in children's adjustment. Parents were also asked about their children's attendance at a sibling preparation class focused specifically on preparation for the newborn. Effects of attendance were tested using linear mixed models. RESULTS: Other than avoidance of the infant, children who attended sibling preparation classes did not differ from children who did not attend. CONCLUSION: Sibling preparation classes for adjustment after the birth of an infant sibling had few effects on participants.
OBJECTIVE: To examine the effectiveness of sibling preparation classes to facilitate the adjustment of a firstborn child to the birth of a sibling. DESIGN: Longitudinal study with five measurement occasions: third trimester of the mother's pregnancy and 1, 4, 8, and 12 months after the sibling's birth. SETTING: Communities in southeastern Michigan. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 241 families, including mothers, fathers, and firstborn children. METHODS: Mothers and fathers completed questionnaires to assess changes in children's adjustment. Parents were also asked about their children's attendance at a sibling preparation class focused specifically on preparation for the newborn. Effects of attendance were tested using linear mixed models. RESULTS: Other than avoidance of the infant, children who attended sibling preparation classes did not differ from children who did not attend. CONCLUSION: Sibling preparation classes for adjustment after the birth of an infant sibling had few effects on participants.
Authors: Masha Y Ivanova; Thomas M Achenbach; Leslie A Rescorla; Valerie S Harder; Rebecca P Ang; Niels Bilenberg; Gudrun Bjarnadottir; Christiane Capron; Sarah S W De Pauw; Pedro Dias; Anca Dobrean; Manfred Doepfner; Michele Duyme; Valsamma Eapen; Nese Erol; Elaheh Mohammad Esmaeili; Lourdes Ezpeleta; Alessandra Frigerio; Miguel M Gonçalves; Halldor S Gudmundsson; Suh-Fang Jeng; Pranvera Jetishi; Roma Jusiene; Young-Ah Kim; Solvejg Kristensen; Felipe Lecannelier; Patrick W L Leung; Jianghong Liu; Rosario Montirosso; Kyung Ja Oh; Julia Plueck; Rolando Pomalima; Mimoza Shahini; Jaime R Silva; Zynep Simsek; Andre Sourander; Jose Valverde; Karla G Van Leeuwen; Bernardine S C Woo; Yen-Tzu Wu; Stephen R Zubrick; Frank C Verhulst Journal: J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry Date: 2010-11-11 Impact factor: 8.829