Enhancing the Interactions of Teenage Mothers and Their At-Risk Children

This study investigated the impact of a short-term interaction-focused parenting curriculum on maternal behaviors and child development outcomes. Participants were 94 teen-mother—child dyads; 48 in the intervention group received a relationship-focused curriculum offered in 24, 1-hour sessions. Maternal behaviors during play were videotaped and coded preintervention and postintervention. Children were assessed using a developmental screening inventory. When the groups were compared at posttest using analyses of variance, mothers in the intervention group were significantly more responsive, less directive, and more facilitative of child language development. Children of mothers in the intervention group had significantly higher developmental quotient scores than children of mothers in the contrast group. Findings corroborate previous research and offer support for interventions focusing on interaction variables to influence child outcomes.