A Parent Education Model Promoting Early Childhood Development in Children Diagnosed with Sickle Cell Disease: An Early Intervention Approach

Abstract

This study, a secondary data analysis, assessed the effectiveness of an early intervention model—an early childhood development parent education program (PEP)—for children diagnosed with chronic disease on developmental status at age 40 months, within a specialty clinic setting. The data was from a four-year mixed cross-sectional longitudinal study of early neurodevelopmental status in children younger than 4 years with Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) from a large children's hospital. Measures of cognitive, psychomotor, and adaptive development were obtained at nine, 15, 21, 30, and 40 months of age. The study sample included 24 children with SCD for cognitive and adaptive measures, and 23 for the psychomotor measure. A two-tailed t-test was used to determine the significance value of the PEP, by comparing the means of pre-intervention and post-interventions scores. A statistically significant outcome was observed in psychomotor functioning (Bayley Scales of Infant Development, 2 nd Edition (BSID-II)). No statistical significance was indicated in cognitive (BSID-II) and adaptive, motor subscale (Vineland-II) functioning. The BSID-II PDI findings suggest the PEP was instrumental in positive psychomotor development and may be instrumental for other clinical populations. A correlational analysis identified a significant negative correlation with maternal education and pre-intervention cognitive scores and a weak positive correlation with maternal education and post-intervention cognitive scores.