Effects of a Parenting Skills Training Program on Maternal Self-Efficacy, Perceived Social Support, and Infant Development in Mothers of Preterm Infants Aged 6-12 Months

NCT07468435 | Not Yet Recruiting

• 2 other identifiers: E-10840098-772.02-4699557
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 26
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate whether a structured parenting skills training intervention can improve maternal parenting self-efficacy, perceived social support, and infant developmental outcomes in mothers of preterm infants aged 6-12 months (corrected age). The main questions it aims to answer are: Does a parenting skills training intervention improve maternal parenting self-efficacy? Does the intervention increase mothers' perceived social support and positively influence infant developmental levels? Researchers will compare mothers who receive the parenting skills training intervention with a control group receiving standard care to determine whether the intervention leads to greater improvements in maternal and infant outcomes. Participants will: Complete baseline, post-intervention, and follow-up assessments of parenting self-efficacy and perceived social support Have their infants assessed using standardized developmental evaluation tools Participate in a structured, home-based parenting skills training program consisting of multiple sessions (intervention group only) Take part in semi-structured interviews before and after the intervention to share their experiences and perceived needs

Conditions

Prematurity

Keywords

parental self-efficacy; social support; preterm infants; parenting skills

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Preterm Parenting & Self-efficacy Checklist

  The Preterm Parenting \& Self-Efficacy Checklist is a parent-reported assessment tool designed to evaluate parenting self-efficacy in caregivers of preterm infants. The checklist measures parents' beliefs and confidence in their ability to effectively manage caregiving tasks and parenting responsibilities related to their preterm infant. The instrument consists of multiple items assessing key dimensions of parenting self-efficacy, including confidence in caregiving skills, perceived competence in managing infant needs, and the importance attributed to parenting tasks. Items are rated on a Likert-type scale, with higher scores indicating higher levels of perceived parenting self-efficacy. The checklist has been developed specifically for parents of preterm infants and has demonstrated acceptable psychometric properties, including internal consistency and construct validity, in previous studies. It is suitable for use in clinical and research settings to assess changes in parenting sel

  Assessment will be completed at baseline, after the 7 week training program and end of the one month follow-up period

• Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support

  The Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) is a self-report questionnaire designed to assess an individual's perceived adequacy of social support from multiple sources. The scale evaluates perceived support from three distinct domains: family, friends, and a significant other. The MSPSS consists of 12 items rated on a Likert-type scale, with higher scores indicating higher levels of perceived social support. Subscale scores can be calculated for each support source, as well as a total score representing overall perceived social support.

  Assessment will be completed at baseline, after the 7 week training program and end of the one month follow-up period

Secondary Outcomes (2)

• Assessment of developmental level of children in five domains; gross motor, fine motor, communication, problem-solving, social skills.

  Assessment will be completed at baseline, after the 7 week training program and end of the one month follow-up period

• Psychomotor, cognitive, language, and social-emotional developmental levels of infants.

  Assessment will be completed at baseline, after the 7 week training program and end of the one month follow-up period

Study Arms (2)

Parental Training Group

EXPERIMENTAL

Parental Training group will receive 7 session of training comprising communication ways with infant, bonding strategies, play and toy selection for development, sleep, feeding and social support.

Other: Parental Skill Training Program

Control Group

NO INTERVENTION

This group will only receive assessment at baseline (T0), after study (T1) and follow-up (T3)

Interventions

Parental Skill Training Program OTHER

The intervention will consist of a structured Parenting Skills Training Program delivered to mothers of preterm infants aged 6-12 months (corrected age). The program will be designed as an individualized, home-based intervention aiming to strengthen maternal parenting skills, enhance parenting self-efficacy, and support infant development through responsive caregiving practices. Mothers in the intervention group will receive the parenting skills training in multiple structured sessions delivered by a trained professional. Sessions will be conducted in the participants' homes and will include both informational and practical components tailored to the mother-infant dyad.

Parental Training Group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 6 Months - 12 Months
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17)

You may qualify if:

• For Mothers Being able to read and write in Turkish Providing written informed consent Having a preterm infant with a corrected age between 6 and 12 months Not having a diagnosed psychiatric disorder
• For Infants Being born preterm between week of 32 and 37 Not presenting any neurological or other conditions Having a corrected age between 6 and 12 months

You may not qualify if:

• For Mothers Having any neurological, musculoskeletal and psychiatric diagnosis to effect the caregiving role
• For Infants Use of multiple daily medications Hospitalization in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) for longer than 2 months

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Medipol University: lead

Study Sites (1)

Istanbul Medipol University

Istanbul, 34815, Turkey (Türkiye)

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Premature Birth

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Obstetric Labor, Premature; Obstetric Labor Complications; Pregnancy Complications; Female Urogenital Diseases and Pregnancy Complications; Urogenital Diseases

Central Study Contacts

Minevver Emir, Msc

CONTACT

+90 555-013-5120; munevver.emir@medipol.edu.tr

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT
• Purpose: SUPPORTIVE CARE
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Research Assistant

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: February 17, 2026
• First Posted: March 12, 2026
• Study Start: March 13, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): June 20, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): August 30, 2026
• Last Updated: March 12, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-02

Locations

TU (1)