Summary
Delivery of the intervention: Individual- / family-based
Aim of the intervention: The aim of the Swing baby family work is to support the early interaction between parents, and their baby and the development of securely attached relationship in the families with risk factors for the formation of it.
Description of the intervention: Swing baby family work is an intervention, which supports the early interaction in families with babies. The intervention lies on the attachment relationship theory, ecocultural theory and research-based knowledge about the harmful effects of the risk factors for early interaction on the child development. Swing baby family work is provided for families, which have psychosocial or physiological risk factors for the development of early interaction. Baby family work is conducted at home of the families, where support and instructions for parenting are provided. The Swing lasts for approximately a year and includes one meeting per week on average.
Availability of the intervention in Finland: Swing-baby family worker training is provided as an in-service training for the professionals of social and health care, education and sports. Training is organized by the Oulu polytechnic and Metropolia. Originally, Swing baby family work was developed in Finland as an early rehabilitation method for families of children with disabilities. Vamlas Foundation is responsible for the development of the program. Swing baby family work has been applied in Finland in the social and health care but there is no accurate information on the availability of the intervention.
Research- and evidence-based efficacy of the intervention: The effectiveness of the Swing baby family work on child development and interaction between mother and child has been examined in one Finnish study (Sajaniemi & Mitts 2004). The interaction between the mothers and babies, who participated in the baby family work (n = 39), developed positively compared to the control group (n = 19), but the small sample size weakened the reliability and interpretation of the results. Swing baby family work has little effect on the positive development of the attachment relationship between parent and child compared to the control group, which received support as usual.
Literature:
- Sajaniemi, N. & Mitts, T. (2004). Kiikku-vauvaperhetyön vaikutukset vanhemmuuteen ja lapsen kehitykseen. Erityispedagogiikan laitos, Helsingin yliopisto.