NCT06732310

The Unique and Combined Effects of Prenatal and Early Childhood Programming on Child Maltreatment: Examining Mechanisms of Change

Enrolling by Invitation
PHASE2Ages 3+InterventionalPrevention
University of Notre Dame
~600 participants
Updated 2026-04-23 on ClinicalTrials.gov
What's tested:Pregnant Moms' Empowerment ProgramReminiscing and Emotion TrainingPregnancy - Active ControlEnhanced Case Management

At a glance

Recruiting sites
0 of 2 listed sites are recruiting right now
RecruitingSuspended, closed, or not yet open
What they're measuring
DCS Records - Maltreatment Classification System
Measured over RET baseline (T5), 6 month follow-up (T8). 12 month follow-up
+6 more outcomes measured
Child Abuse
Intimate Partner Violence
Secondary Prevention
Parenting
2 sites across 2 states
Indiana1
Wisconsin1
  • Laura E Miller-Graff, PhD · PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR · University of Notre Dame
  • Kathryn H Howell, PhD · PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR · University of Wisconsin, Madison
  • Kristin Valentino, PhD · PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR · University of Notre Dame

This trial hasn't published a contact. View it on ClinicalTrials.gov

  • DCS Records - Maltreatment Classification SystemRET baseline (T5), 6 month follow-up (T8). 12 month follow-up

    DCS records will be coded using the Maltreatment Classification System (MCS; Barnett et al., 1993). The MCS utilizes operational criteria for determining the occurrence of subtypes of maltreatment. Subtype categories include sexual abuse, physical abuse, physical neglect, and emotional maltreatment.

  • Maternal Maltreatment Classification InterviewRET baseline (T5), 6 month follow-up (T8)

    MCS ratings will be supplemented by information obtained during the Maternal Maltreatment Classification Interview (MMCI; Cicchetti et al., 2002), a structured interview based on the MCS. It will be audiotaped and coded by two independent raters utilizing the same operational criteria as the MCS.

  • Maltreatment risk/PropensityPMEP baseline [T1], PMEP immediate post-test [T2], PMEP 3 month post-partum follow-up [T3], PMEP 12 month post-partum follow-up [T4], RET baseline [T5], RET immediate post-test [T6], RET 3 month follow-up [T7], RET 6 month follow-up [T8]

    Mothers will complete the Child Abuse Potential Inventory (CAPI; Milner, 1986) and the Adult Adolescent Parenting Inventory (AAPI; Bavolek \& Keene, 2001), both of which assess maltreatment propensity. A composite variable of maltreatment propensity/risk will be created by combining these indicators.

  • Intimate partner violencePMEP baseline [T1], PMEP immediate post-test [T2], PMEP 3 month post-partum follow-up [T3], PMEP 12 month post-partum follow-up [T4], RET baseline [T5], RET immediate post-test [T6], RET 3 month follow-up [T7], RET 6 month follow-up [T8]

    others will complete the Revised Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS2) (Straus, Hamby, Boney-McCoy, \& Sugarman, 1996; Straus, 1979), which assesses the severity of psychological, physical, and sexual violence in a dating, cohabiting, or marital relationship. This measure has the advantage of being able to be flexibly coded to gain information about IPV severity, frequency, and chronicity.

  • Maternal Sensitivity - perinatal periodPMEP 3 month post-partum follow-up [T3], PMEP 12 month post-partum follow-up [T4]

    Maternal sensitivity will be assessed in several observational contexts. At T3 and T4, mother-child dyads will participate in a 5-minute free play activity that will be coded using an established coding framework (Braungart-Rieker et al., 2014).

  • Maternal Sensitive Guidance - early childhoodRET baseline [T5], RET immediate post-test [T6], RET 3 month follow-up [T7], RET 6 month follow-up [T8]

    From T5-T8, maternal sensitive guidance will be assessed by following the Autobiographical Emotional Events Dialogue procedure (AEED; Koren-Kari e, Oppenheim, Haimovich, \& Etzion-Carasso, 2003b).

  • Maternal Sensitivity - DPICS - early childhoodRET baseline [T5], RET immediate post-test [T6], RET 3 month follow-up [T7], RET 6 month follow-up [T8]

    Participants will also complete a 10-minute free play paradigm using an abbreviated Dyadic Parent-Child Interaction Coding System (DPICS; Eyeberg, et al., 2013). This free play will be coded for positive, neutral and negative patterns of parent-child communication.