How effective is the early support program for psychosocially burdened mothers and their infants? A comparative intervention study.

Objectives: Our aim was to examine the effects of an early perinatal prevention program offered to mothers and families suffering from significant psychosocial burden.

Methods: All mothers giving birth in a Berlin university hospital during Jan-Aug 2013 were screened with a standardized 27-item questionnaire by trained staff. Mothers with a screening-score ≥ 3, who were not enrolled in other public support programs, were defined as psychosocially burdened.

[Evaluation of the Babylotse-Plus screening form : Evaluation of a simple instrument to systematically identify parents of newborns with severe psychosocial stress at Charité Berlin].

Background: The well-being and healthy development of children are at risk in families with severe psychosocial stress. In Germany, simple and valid screening instruments are lacking to identify families in need of early support.

Objectives: We aimed to examine the diagnostic accuracy of a simple perinatal screening form to identify families at high psychosocial risk.