research

Research on 225 families—in which both intervention and control groups were comprehensively assessed—demonstrated important benefits of the MBU program in several areas considered to be definitive measures of infant health during the first year of life.

The MBU program was found to produce the following significant health-related outcomes (click on each for applicable chart):

Reduction in ER visits, hospitalizations, and referrals to specialists

Reduction in diagnostic tests ordered

	Reduction in medicines prescribed
	Reduction in required follow-up pediatric visits

	Reduction in pediatrician requests to bring infants in for office visits
	Reduction in the need for phone calls from pediatricians to mothers

The MBU intervention group was also found to have increased compliance with immunization schedules. The total number of minor, non-severe illnesses was approximately the same for both groups.

Another focus of the research was the effect of the MBU program on high-risk groups, specifically young (primarily teen) mothers and mothers of pre-term infants. The researchers found that in addition to the benefits outlined above, the MBU program produces an increased knowledge of infant development and a greater degree of maternal self-confidence in both of these high-risk groups.

Copies of the research paper are available upon request.