Efficacy of Sibling Preparation Classes.
Emma E A Beyers-Carlson, Brenda L Volling
PMID 28528809WHAT IT FOUND
Sibling preparation classes showed no clear benefit for firstborn behavior, sibling conflict, positive involvement, or attachment.
The only difference was lower avoidance at 4 months, but it rose by 12 months.
Key findings
01Of 13 outcome models, only one showed a significant main effect for sibling preparation class attendance, and the authors caution against overinterpreting it because many analyses were run.
02That effect was lower parent-reported avoidance of the infant sibling at 4 months, followed by a greater increase from 4 to 12 months among children who attended class.
03No significant effects were found for firstborn behavioral and emotional adjustment, sibling conflict, positive involvement, or attachment security to either parent.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study was not designed as a trial of sibling preparation classes, and families chose whether to attend, so differences may reflect family characteristics rather than the class. Only 47 of 225 parents remaining at 1 month reported class attendance, so the attending group was small. The authors tested 13 outcomes and only one was significant, so that result could be chance. Attendance was measured by parent report at 1 month, and class content was taken from internet descriptions rather than observed or standardized. The sample was mostly European American, well-educated, and middle-income, and paid classes may have excluded lower-income families. Some children were under the class target age of 2, but analyses restricted to older children did not add significant findings.
Declared interests
The study received NIH extramural research support. No author conflicts of interest are reported in the supplied text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that sibling preparation classes improve children's adjustment. The study was not randomized, only 47 of 225 parents at 1 month reported attendance, and only one of 13 outcome models was significant; the avoidance difference did not persist by 12 months.