This document was printed from the website of the California Evidence-Based Clearinghouse for Child Welfare (CEBC), which you can access at http://www.cachildwelfareclearinghouse.org/
This document was printed from the website of the California Evidence-Based Clearinghouse for Child Welfare (CEBC), which you can access at http://www.cachildwelfareclearinghouse.org/
Type of Maltreatment: Physical abuse
Target Population: New parents, grandparents, teachers and healthcare professionals.
Brief Description:
The Happiest Baby (THB) has been rated by the CEBC in the area of Prevention (Secondary). THB explains that the current culture’s conceptualization of the first three months of life is flawed. In many ways, newborns are not fully ready for the world at birth, they still need a protected environment filled with rhythmic, monotonous, entrancing stimulation...a fourth trimester. It teaches five simple methods of activating the “calming reflex” by imitating the uterine sensory milieu - the "5 S's" - Swaddle, Side\stomach position, Shush, Swing, Suck. Laboratory research has demonstrated that elements of this program, including swaddling, sound, and movement, improve the quality of sleep and promote greater arousability, which may protect against Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). This program promotes good parent-infant bonding and aims to assist in the prevention of a number of severe and life-threatening consequences of infant crying. These consequences are marital stress, Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS), Post-Partum Depression (PPD), Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), excessive use of Emergency Room/physician time, overly aggressive medical evaluation and treatment for Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), and perhaps even in the prevention of obesity.
Provisional feedback form not available in printout. Please access the website to use the form.
The Happiest Baby (THB) was designed to be conducted in a group.
The Happiest Baby (THB) has not been tested for use in a group setting.
The recommended group size is: Groups of 1 to 6 couples
Recommended intensity: A single 90-minute class prenatally…may offer a follow-up postnatal class (or just postnatally if the population cannot be captured prenatally). The program is designed so that all participants receive two parenting tools (an educational DVD and a CD of white noise). For high-risk patients, there should be 90-minute home visits and/or telephone follow-ups.
Recommended duration: One class for most new parents. A Home visit and follow-up phone calls at one week, three to four weeks, and six to eight weeks post-partum for high-risk parents.
The Happiest Baby (THB) does not include a homework component.
The Happiest Baby (THB) is typically conducted in a(n): Adoptive Home, Birth Family Home, Community Agency, Group Home, Hospital, Outpatient Clinic, Residential Care Facility, and School.
The Happiest Baby (THB) was designed with a Parent Component.
The Happiest Baby (THB) addresses the following presenting problems and symptoms: Expectant parents or parents of newborns, especially those who experience crying babies, sleepless babies, breastfeeding failure (women unable to feed because the baby is crying or who want to give up nursing because the baby has begun to fuss more), etc.
The Happiest Baby (THB) was not designed with a Child Component.
The Happiest Baby (THB) was not developed for children with developmental delays.
The Happiest Baby (THB) has not been tested for children with developmental delays.
The Happiest Baby (THB) was not designed for specific racial/ethnic/cultural groups.
The Happiest Baby (THB) was not tested in specific racial/ethnic/cultural groups.
There is not a manual that describes how to implement this program.
There is training available for The Happiest Baby (THB).
Training contact: Sherry Turney-Mayeux, education@thehappiestbaby.org, 909-980-8062
Number of days/hours: Five days for 40 hours total
Training is obtained: At home – DVD and reading based with a test requiring passage at the 90%
There currently are not additional qualified resources for training.
The typical resources for implementing The Happiest Baby (THB) are: This is a home study certification, but enrollee must have access to a DVD player.
One year of patient/parent education experience or a medical professional degree.
The practice lacks adequate published, peer-reviewed research to empirically determine efficacy, however, the topical expert identified it as a program being used in this area, or it is being marketed and/or used in California with children receiving services from child welfare or related systems and their parents/caregivers.
There are currently no published research studies for The Happiest Baby program.
Franco, P., Seret, N., Van Hees, J., Scaillet, S., Groswasser, J., & Kahn, A. (2005). Influence of swaddling on sleep and arousal characteristics of healthy infants. Pediatrics, 115(5), 1307-1311.
Gerard, C.M., Harris, K.A., & Thach, B.T. (2002). Spontaneous arousals in supine infants while swaddled and unswaddled during rapid eye movement and quiet sleep. Pediatrics, 110, e70.
Karp, H. (2004). The “fourth trimester”: A framework and strategy for understanding and resolving colic. Contemporary Pediatrics, 21, 94-114
Contact name: Harvey Karp, MD, FAAP
Affiliation/Agency: The Happiest Baby, Inc.; UCLA School of Medicine
Email: dr.karp@thehappiestbaby.com
Phone: 310-207-1111
Fax: 310-207-1221
Website: http://www.thehappiestbaby.com