Identified as an Evidence-Based Practice by Healthy Start EPIC Center (1)
contact jan tedder if you want to collaborate on hug your baby research
Peer-Reviewed Published Research on the Impact of HUG Your Baby
International, HUG Your Baby Outreach and Resources Enhances Care of the Late Preterm Infant
Because Late Preterm Infants (LPIs) face increased morbidity and mortality and their parents suffer from high rates of anxiety and depression, HUG Your Baby created and presented an international LPI workshop for birth and parenting professionals. Participants from 20 countries gave positive feedback about this information and the newly created parent education video and handout. Benedetta Costa, PT; Maryam Mozafarinia, MSN, PhD; Ning Desiyanti Shehartojo, MD, IBCLC; Jan Tedder, BSN, FNP, IBCLC. International Journal of Birth and Parent Education. (Jan., 2023) Click here to access.
Incorporating HUG Your Baby Virtual Course into nurse practitioner training improves breastfeeding competency
Students who completed HUG Your Baby’s virtual breastfeeding education during their women’s health or pediatric nurse practitioner curriculum showed significant gains in knowledge and confidence to support breastfeeding regardless of past personal or professional experience. Malinda Teague, DNP, CPNP and Kathy Trotter, DNP, WHNP, CNM. Jo of Nurse Practitioners, 19 (2), 104468. (2023). Click Here.
japanese Prenatal education program reduces Postpartum Depression and increases parent confidence
East Asian professors of nursing concluded that a HUG Your Baby intervention group showed decreased postpartum depression and increases parent confidence compared to the control group. There were more than 100+ participants in each group. Lead author: Yoko Shimpuku, Hiroshima College of Nursing. Women and Birth. 35(5), 4456-463. (2021). Click Here.
Evaluating Implementation of the online HUG Your Baby course “Roadmap to Breastfeeding Success” for Nevada WIC Professionals
180 WIC professionals participated in this project. Results showed significant improvement in knowledge about baby’s behavior and development, confidence in identifying and responding to infant behavior, changes in teaching objectives, and the integration of HUG resources into the professionals’ work. Grace Wagner, MSN, APRN, CPNP; Eleanor Stevenson, PhD, RN; Jan Tedder, BSN, FNP, IBCLC; Anne Derouin, DNP, APRN, CPNP, FAANP. (2021) . Journal of Perinatal Education. 31(3): 1-11 http://dx.doi.org/10.1891/JPE-2021-0011
HUG Your Baby Training Effectively Integrated into New E-learning Program for Japanese Maternity Nurses
This peer-reviewed study evaluated behavior changes in maternity nurses who participated in a 3-hour e-learning module that included HUG Your Baby’s online course in Japanese. After training, the nurses’ care inspired mothers to imitate enhanced interactions with their infants. In post-training interviews the nurses in the study reflected positively on their awareness of a shift in their practice from nurse-centered interactions with mothers to a model of care that focuses instead on baby’s behavior and maternal-child bonding. Ota, Y. (2021).HUG Your Baby Training Effectively Integrated into New E-learning Program for Japanese Maternity Nurses. Journal of Japanese Academy of Midwifery. https://doi.org/10.3418/jjam.JJAM-2020-0032. Click here for summary of article in English.
“HUG Your Baby”: il metodo per aiutare i genitori a comprendere il neonato
This article in Italian describes the background, trainings and resources of HUG Your Baby and how this program is being shared across Italy. Feedback received from both parents and the professionals who serve them is included. Universo Mamma, 17 (Giugno), 2020.
Addressing Prenatal Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy and advancing the baby Friendly hospital initiative using hug your baby curriculum
Breastfeeding rates at six months are still far below WHO recommendations. A study incorporating HUG information in a childbirth education class resulted in both an increase in intention to breastfeed and breastfeeding self-efficacy in the intervention group compared to the control group. Rippe, M. (April 30, 2020). Carolina Digital Repository. Click Here.
Implementing a parent education program [HUG] in the Special Care Nursery
This pilot study demonstrated a decrease in maternal stress and an increase in maternal confidence for postpartum mothers of preterm infants (born at less than 35 weeks’ gestation) who received HUG Your Baby teaching. Hunter, L., Blake, S., Simmons, C., Thompson, J. & Derouin, A. (2018). Journal of Pediatric Health Care, 23 (August), 1-7. Click Here.
Online education for WIC professionals: Teaching child development to extend breastfeeding duration
After completing a two-hour online course, WIC professionals in New Mexico demonstrated increased knowledge of how child development impacts breastfeeding, expressed a stronger intention to teach parents about normal child behavior, and reported greater confidence to do so. The course was viewed as evidence-based, its online format was well-received, and participants would recommend it to colleagues. Tedder, J. & Quintana, E. (2018). Clinical Lactation, 9(3), 108-118. Click Here.
HUG Your Baby: Web-based program to help nursing students understand and teach parents about infant behavior
This research confirmed that the introductory two-hour online HUG Your Baby course increased student nurses’ knowledge of infant behavior and their confidence to teach new parents. Alden, K. (2018). Journal of Perinatal Education, 27(2), 104-114.
Development of a Toolkit for implementation and evaluation of the HUG Your Baby program in a non-profit community setting
Researcher successfully developed a “Toolkit” that increased attendance at a parenting program and enhanced volunteers’ confidence to teach HUG Your Baby. Hughes, K. (2017). Global Nursing E-Repository. May.
Developing the Japanese HUG Your Baby Program
This article provides an overview of the Japanese HUG Your Baby program, outlines HUG materials available in Japanese, and describes the scope of the program and the research underway to assess its impact on Japanese families. Iida, M., Shimpuku, Y., Tanimoto, K., Matsunaga, M. & Horiuchi, S. (2017). Journal of Japanese Academic Midwifery, 31(2), 187-194.
HUG Your Baby: Evidence-based support tool for early child rearing in Japan
This article reviews components of the Japanese HUG Your Baby program, nursing faculty’s positive response to it, and the potential of the HUG Your Baby’ program to improve outcomes for young Japanese families. Shimpuku, Y. and Tedder, J. (2013). Japanese Journal of Nursing Education, 54(12): 1114-1118.
Supporting fathers in a NICU: Effects of the HUG Your Baby program on fathers’ understanding of preterm infant behavior
This study confirms that when fathers with preterm infants are taught the HUG Your Baby material their knowledge of infant behavior increases. Kadivar, M. & Mozafarinia, M. (2013). Journal of Perinatal Education, 22(2), 113-119.
Teaching for Birth and Beyond: Incorporating online learning about newborn behavior into the training of childbirth, lactation, and doula professionals
100% of participants confirm that: “This program gave me helpful tools and strategies for teaching parents about newborn behavior”; “This online learning format was easy to follow”; “I would recommend this course to colleagues.” Tedder, J. (2012). International Journal of Childbirth Education, 27(3), 65-68.
Peer-Reviewed Articles Describing Literature Used to Develop HUG Your Baby
The Roadmap to Breastfeeding Success: Teaching child development to extend breastfeeding duration
This article discusses developmental events from birth to one year that, if misunderstood, can negatively impact breastfeeding duration. Tedder, J. (2015). Journal of Perinatal Education, 24(4), 239-248.
Give The HUG: An innovative approach to helping parents understand the language of their newborn
This article describes the medical and child development background used to develop HUG Your Baby. Case studies demonstrate use of these concepts and materials with young families. Tedder, J. (2008). Journal of Perinatal Education, 17(2), 14-20.
The HUG: An innovative approach to pediatric nursing care
This article reviews research used to develop HUG Your Baby. The three HUG Strategies—”Start Here, not There,” “See, then Share,” and “Gaze, then Engage”—are also discussed. Tedder, J. & Register, N. (2007). MCN The American Journal of Maternal Child Nursing, 43(4), 210-214.
HUG Your Baby Reviews and Textbook Inclusions
International Lactation Consultant Association and peer-reviewed lactation journal Positively Review HUG resources
“HUG Your Baby touches on an often-overlooked aspect of breastfeeding: a mother tuning into the specific needs and preferences of her unique baby. This concept may change the way you approach breastfeeding.” – ILCA
“Overall, the HUG Your Baby program is well rounded, supportive of breastfeeding, and promotes parent-baby attachment. Educators will find the steps easy to teach to parents and caregivers. By recognizing and responding to their baby’s cues, parents will feel more confident and capable.” Meade, K . (2019). Media Review. Clinical Lactation, 10(2): 88-89.
HUG Your Baby included in best-selling maternal/child textbook
HUG Your Baby cited in Chapter 23 (“Nursing Care of the Newborn and Family”) under the heading, “Helping Parents Recognize, Interpret, and Respond to Newborn Behaviors.” Perry, S., Lowdermilk, D., et al (2018). Maternal Child Nursing Care. Sixth Edition. St. Louis, MO: Elsevier, 593.
Understanding Infant Cues Often Extends Breastfeeding
Successful statewide training of WIC staff, targeted to help mothers avoid over-reacting to normal developmental events, described and discussed as centerfold of annual report. New Mexico Department of Health, New Mexico WIC 2018 Annual Report, 6-7.
HUG Your Baby Presentations on Unpublished Research
HUG Your Baby: An Innovative approach for lactation education for nurse practitioner students
28 Women’s Health and 37 Pediatric Primary Care nurse practitioner students completed a two-hour digital HUG Your Baby course including pre- and post-test confidence and knowledge questionnaires. There was a 27.6% increase in the average score on student confidence to teach parents and a 30% increase in their knowledge of material covered. Trotter, K., Teague, M., & Derouin, A. (Nov., 2021). Presentation at 46th Biennial Sigma Theta Tau Conference. Click here.
Italian Infant Massage Educators Benefit from HUG Your Baby Training
Infant Massage Educators who completed the Italian HUG Your Baby online course confirmed that it was well-received and enhanced professionals’ knowledge of child development and parent education. Benedetta Costa, PT. Presentation to International Association of Infant Massage conference, 2021.
(1) Healthy Start Epic Center. (n.d.). Retrieved here.