The primary goal of the proposed research is to examine the transition period following the birth of a baby sibling. The arrival of a newborn sibling often leads to feelings of displacement on the part of the older child and parental concerns about sibling jealousy. Specifically, we propose to examine changes in family relationships (mother-child, father-child, and marital), parent well-being, and the firstborn child's adjustment longitudinally. The study begins in the last trimester of the mother's pregnancy with a second child and continues throughout the first year after the sibling's birth. An important goal of this study is to determine which families may be a greatest risk for a stressful transition. This research proposes to: 1. identify different change trajectories in the firstborn child's adjustment across the first year following the birth of the second child; 2. to examine the interrelations between changes seen in family relationships, parental well-being and the older child's adjustment; 3. to use prenatal assessments of family, child and parent characteristics to predict different developmental trajectories of family and child functioning overtime and; 4. to address the socioemotional development of the young infant throughout the first year following the transition to siblinghood. The proposed research is unique in that it will include a large sample of 200 families; follow these families longitudinally before and after the birth; include both mothers and fathers as participants; and examine this transition from a dynamic ecological systems framework. This developmental study will further our understanding of the transitional stresses experienced by families and guide us in developing preventative recommendations to health care professionals and the families they serve.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development (NICHD)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01HD042607-02
Application #
6800323
Study Section
Risk, Prevention and Health Behavior Integrated Review Group (RPHB)
Program Officer
Mccardle, Peggy D
Project Start
2003-09-15
Project End
2008-06-30
Budget Start
2004-07-01
Budget End
2005-06-30
Support Year
2
Fiscal Year
2004
Total Cost
$449,123
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Michigan Ann Arbor
Department
Psychology
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
073133571
City
Ann Arbor
State
MI
Country
United States
Zip Code
48109
Volling, Brenda L; Yu, Tianyi; Gonzalez, Richard et al. (2018) Maternal and paternal trajectories of depressive symptoms predict family risk and children's emotional and behavioral problems after the birth of a sibling. Dev Psychopathol :1-18
Kuo, Patty X; Volling, Brenda L; Gonzalez, Richard (2018) Gender role beliefs, work-family conflict, and father involvement after the birth of a second child. Psychol Men Masc 19:243-256
Stevenson, Matthew M; Volling, Brenda L; Gonzalez, Richard (2018) An examination of father vulnerability and coercive family process after the birth of a sibling: A spillover cascade model. Dev Psychopathol :1-14
Song, Ju-Hyun; Volling, Brenda (2018) Theory-of-Mind Development and Early Sibling Relationships after the Birth of a Sibling: Parental Discipline Matters. Infant Child Dev 27:
Oh, Wonjung; Volling, Brenda L; Gonzalez, Richard et al. (2017) II. METHODS AND PROCEDURES FOR THE FAMILY TRANSITIONS STUDY. Monogr Soc Res Child Dev 82:26-45
Song, Ju-Hyun; Oh, Wonjung; Gonzalez, Richard et al. (2017) V. DEVELOPMENTAL TRAJECTORIES OF CHILDREN'S ATTENTION PROBLEMS AFTER THE BIRTH OF A SIBLING. Monogr Soc Res Child Dev 82:72-81
Safyer, Paige; Stevenson, Matthew M; Gonzalez, Richard et al. (2017) X. DEVELOPMENTAL TRAJECTORIES OF CHILDREN'S SLEEP PROBLEMS AFTER THE BIRTH OF A SIBLING. Monogr Soc Res Child Dev 82:130-141
Beyers-Carlson, Emma E A; Volling, Brenda L (2017) Efficacy of Sibling Preparation Classes. J Obstet Gynecol Neonatal Nurs 46:521-531
Kuo, Patty X; Volling, Brenda L; Gonzalez, Richard (2017) His, hers, or theirs? Coparenting after the birth of a second child. J Fam Psychol 31:710-720
Volling, Brenda L (2017) I. INTRODUCTION: UNDERSTANDING THE TRANSITION TO SIBLINGHOOD FROM A DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOPATHOLOGY AND ECOLOGICAL SYSTEMS PERSPECTIVE. Monogr Soc Res Child Dev 82:7-25

Showing the most recent 10 out of 26 publications