Fidelity of motivational interviewing in an American Indian oral health intervention.

Objectives: Assess fidelity of a motivational interviewing (MI) intervention focused on preventing early childhood caries in a cohort of American Indian mothers with newborns.

Methods: Four interventionists were trained to administer an oral health MI intervention. The MI sessions were audio recorded to enable scoring as part of fidelity studies to assess the interventionist's degree of competence in using MI principles.

Comparison of two tools to assess dyad feeding interaction in infants with gastroesophageal reflux disease.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to compare the Mother-Infant/Toddler Feeding Scale (MITFS) and the Nursing Child Assessment Feeding Scale (NCAFS). Specific questions were as follows: (1) Are there differences between the results of the MITFS and the NCAFS tools in terms of rating infant feeding interactions? And (2) does one tool provide a more detailed, nuanced overview of the quality of feeding interactions than the other?

Design And Methods: This comparative descriptive study is a secondary analysis of a study evaluating a massage intervention for infants with symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). A feeding observation for each dyad was scored using both the NCAFS and MITFS.

Hormonal and Neuromuscular Responses to Breastfeeding: A Pilot Study.

Objectives: Difficult breastfeeding in the first weeks after birth may result in muscle tension in infants and activation of the maternal hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and sympathetic nervous system (SNS). Our primary objective was to examine the feasibility of collecting neuroendocrine markers of maternal HPA axis and SNS activation (salivary cortisol and α-amylase [sAA]) and electromyographic (EMG) markers of infant distress during feeding in the first 2 weeks after birth. We also examined the relationships of these indices to each other and to mother-infant interactive behaviors during feeding.

A Comparative Analysis of Oral Health on the Santo Domingo Pueblo Reservation.

The study was done to compare oral health data from a tribe in a relatively accessible location between Santa Fe and Albuquerque, New Mexico to national American Indian data and broader US data sets. Participants (N = 399) were recruited via random sampling of housing units. Dental health measures included DMFT/dmft and dental sealants.

Interactions during feeding with mothers and their infants with symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux.

Objectives: To examine whether maternal-child interaction during feedings was suboptimal in dyads in which the infant had gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and to compare massage therapy to a nonmassage therapy sham treatment in improving the mother-child interaction in these dyads.

Design: In this randomized, controlled pilot study, infants received massage therapy (n=18) or a nonmassage touch/holding sham treatment (n=18). Mothers, data collectors, and the investigator who scored the feeding observations were blinded to group assignment.

Motivational interviewing with American Indian mothers to prevent early childhood caries: study design and methodology of a randomized control trial.

Background: This randomized control trial assesses the effectiveness of motivational interviewing (MI) to encourage behavior change in new mothers relating to caries prevention when caring for their newborn American Indian (AI) infants and young AI children.

Methods/design: The study is a randomized control trial. We hypothesize that when motivational interviewing is added to enhanced community oral health education services, the new mothers will achieve greater reduction of caries experience in their AI children compared to those who are receiving enhanced community services (ECS) alone.

Assessment of parental oral health knowledge and behaviors among American Indians of a Northern Plains tribe.

Objectives: Investigate the relationship between sociodemographic variables and oral health knowledge and behaviors of American Indian (AI) parents as the initial step in a program aimed at reducing caries experience among AI children.

Methods: Survey data were collected from a sample of 147 AI parents of children ages 0-7 years who are residents of a Northern Plains reservation. Questions addressed sociodemographic variables for parents/their children and parent oral health knowledge and behavior.