Intervention
depressive symptoms
Parents in the intervention group all receive Individual Shantala Infant Massage. This preventive intervention is aimed at parents with a risk of low sensitive parenting behaviour and/or (eventually) a risk of attachment issues. Examples of signals thereof taken into account by PCH at the parent level are: depressive symptoms, single, very young, unrealistic views about parenting, adverse childhood experiences, mental challenges, difficulties with parenting, pregnancy or delivery. Examples of signals in the parent–child interaction are: struggles to cope with infant crying, difficulties to adapt to the infant’s temperament, inadequate touching behaviour or little affective body contact, little to no emotional support (comforting, encouraging, supporting), lack of talking to the infant, not taking the infant into account and a lack of structure. When PCH professionals (nurses or physicians) notice these signals during PCH contact moments through observation and based on the conversation with the parent, the parent can be offered enrolment in the intervention. The intervention is offered as part of selective preventive PCH services, in addition to regular care as usual (see below).A detailed description of the Individual Shantala Infant Massage intervention is provided on the website of the Dutch registry of health interventions [After intervention completion, the parent is allowed to contact the nurse with questions if necessary. Participation in the intervention is registered in the PCH child file, so (other) PCH professionals can ask about it during subsequent contact moments. If it appears that follow-up action and/or additional care is required for the family, necessary steps will be undertaken.