Table 2

Description of intervention components and intensity

Study	Description	Components*										Contacts: Number Frequency Duration	Who delivered the intervention?
Study	Description	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Contacts: Number Frequency Duration	Who delivered the intervention?
A. Studies comparing one intervention with usual care
Low intensity
Chang25	Three 3-min films demonstrating ‘behaviours central to promoting child development’ shown as women waited for 3, 6, 9, 12 and 18 month vaccine visits, followed by group discussions with a community health worker. Cards given to reinforce messages, plus picture book at 9 and 12 months and puzzle at 18 months.			✓	✓			✓			✓	5 Every 3-6 months Over 15 months	Health professionals
Christakis27	Parents were sent two sets of building blocks with accompanying newsletters containing suggested activities in the post.				✓	✓		✓				2 Bimonthly 3 months	No contact with families postrecruitment
High44	Paediatricians gave books, handouts and ‘literacy promoting anticipatory guidance’ to parents at routine well-child visits.		✓		✓			✓				5 Every 3 months Over 12 months	Health professionals
Hiscock23 45 46	‘Universal anticipatory guidance’ with strategies for behavioural difficulties: handout at 8 months; two 2-hour group sessions at 12 and 15 months.			✓	✓							3 Every 3-4 months Over 7 months	Health professionals
Wiggins61 62 Intervention 2	Access given to mothers to community group support that already existed and which provided drop in sessions and/or telephone support and/or home visits (different services provided by each of the 8 groups who agreed to take part in the study); participants selected whether to make contact and attend groups.	✓		✓					✓			Variable	Other professionals
Moderate intensity
Cheng26	Five one-to-one home visits of one hour ‘aimed at improving the quality of mother-infant relationship’; tailored encouragement and advice given following observation of mothers playing with infants.	✓										5 Monthly Over 5 months	Health professionals
Feinberg37–40	Four prenatal and four postnatal interactive group sessions, designed ‘to enhance coparenting’.			✓								8 Every 6 weeks Over 11 months	Mix of health and other professionals
Niccols54	Eight 2-hour group sessions using a ‘coping modeling problem solving approach’, to enhance caregiver skills in ‘reading infant cues and responding sensitively’ plus homework.			✓								8 Weekly Over 2 months	Other professionals
Niccols55	Eight 2-hour group sessions, using a ‘coping modeling problem solving approach’, to train parents on effective parenting styles and strategies, plus homework.			✓		✓						8 Weekly Over 2 months	Other professionals
Santelices56	Six 2-hour group sessions during pregnancy on ‘maternal sensitivity…and to promote the development of a secure and healthy bond between mother and child’, and 4-hour long one-to-one sessions postpartum to observe interactions and give feedback.	✓	✓	✓								10 Variable Over 16 months	Other professionals
Tsiantis57 58	Primary healthcare workers trained to use a semistructured interview technique during six to eight routine visits to discuss age-appropriate child development topics.		✓									6-8 Variable Over 36 months	Health professionals
Wiggins61 62 Intervention 1	Supportive home visits conducted postnatally by five very experienced health visitors, adapted to each woman’s needs to address her concerns and questions	✓										12 Monthly Over 12 months	Health professionals
High intensity
Cupples28	Trained peer mentors provided one-to-one support on ‘health-related’ topics via home visit or phone call	✓							✓			22 Every 2-4 weeks Over 17 months	Peer mentors
Drotar36	One-to-one home visits; monthly parent group sessions; annual developmental and health screening; access to resource network	✓		✓			✓			✓		27 Every 2-4 weeks Over 36 months	Other professionals
Griffith41	12 2-hour group sessions including watching videos, group discussions and role play to help understand and manage child behaviour; homework tasks to complete.			✓		✓						12 Weekly Over 3 months	Mix of health and other professionals
Miller50	30-60 min monthly home visit by a Lifestart family visitor and a monthly magazine (‘Growing Child’) of age-appropriate activities	✓			✓							35 Monthly Over 36 months	Other professionals
Minkovitz51–53	Enhanced well-child care (12 visits, including access to Reach Out and Read literacy programme); 6 home visits in 3 years; telephone line; developmental screening; written guidance; monthly parent groups; links to community resources	✓	✓	✓	✓		✓		✓	✓		16 Variable Over 36 months	Mix of health and other professionals
Wagner59 60	Monthly home visits and parent group meetings to provide information on child development and demonstrate age-appropriate activities. Periodic developmental screening and, if needed, referrals to community services provided.	✓		✓			✓			✓		24 Monthly Over 24 months	Other professionals
B. Studies comparing two interventions with each other
Beeghly24 1: Low intensity	Three individual 45-min sessions where mother observed a NBAS and discussed findings with a paediatrician (including exploring the caregiving that might promote the mother-child relationship)		✓									3 At 3, 14 and 30 days old	Health professionals
Beeghly24 2: Low intensity	Three individual 45-min sessions, where mother discussed her perceptions of motherhood and concerns with a paediatrician and was given feedback about an NBAS that was conducted in a different room.		✓									3At 3, 14 and 30 days old	Health professionals
Lobo49 1: Moderate intensity	Parents taught a positioning and handling programme during a home visit by a physiotherapist to be completed for 15 min daily for 3 weeks.Six assessment home visits also completed. Caregivers given manual and a session diary.	✓			✓	✓						6Every 2 weeksOver 3 months	Intervention delivered by parents after training
Lobo49 2: Moderate intensity	Parents asked to engage their child in 15 min of face-to-face interaction daily for 3 weeks. This group also had 6 assessment visits.	✓										6Every 2 weeksOver 3 months	Intervention delivered by parents after training
Doyle30–35 1: Moderate intensity	Access to a support worker; annual packs containing toys and books (worth €100); facilitated access to 1 year of preschool; stress control and healthy eating sessions		✓	✓ (2)				✓		✓	✓	VariableVariableOver 36+	Other professionals months
Doyle30–35 2: High intensity	Home visits from a trained mentor; tip sheets; Triple P Positive Parenting group sessions; baby massage; annual packs containing toys and books (worth €100); facilitated access to one year of preschool; stress control and healthy eating sessions	✓		✓ (3)	✓			✓		✓	✓	VariableWeeklyOver 36+ months	Other professionals months
Johnston47 Intervention 1:High intensity	Enhanced well-child care (six visits, including Reach Out and Read literacy programme); six home visits in 3 years; telephone line; developmental screening; written guidance; monthly parent groups; links to community resources	✓	✓	✓	✓		✓		✓	✓		VariableMonthlyOver 36+ months	Health professionals
Johnston47 Intervention 2:High intensity	As above, plus three additional home visits during second half of pregnancy	✓	✓	✓	✓		✓		✓	✓		VariableMonthlyOver 36+ months	Health professionals
Landry48 Intervention 1:High intensity	Playing and Learning Strategies: one-to-one home visits of 1.5 hours to discuss the child’s current development and behaviour, feedback on videotaped interactions with child; and planning with mothers of how to increase their ’responsive' behaviours	✓										10WeeklyOver 3 months	Other professionals
Landry48 Intervention 2:High intensity	Developmental assessment screening: one-to-one home visits of 1.5 hours consisting of developmental screening and discussions on child development. Handouts on common issues (eg, sleep, feeding) given.	✓			✓		✓					10WeeklyOver 3 months	Other professionals

*1=one-to-one home visits; 2=one-to-one clinic visits; 3=group sessions; 4=handouts; 5=activities to perform at home; 6=developmental screening; 7=toys and/or books;8=telephone support; 9=access to community resources; 10=other.
NBAS, Neonatal Behavioral Assessment.