Research

How Attention to Preterm Infant Brain Development Shapes Parents’ Confidence and Behavior in the NICU

Lisa McElaney, Vida’s President and Principal Investigator, presented a workshop at the 9th National Neonatal Nurses Conference in Phoenix, Arizona on Monday, September 14th 2009. Lisa’s workshop, entitled “How Attention to Preterm Infant Brain Development Shapes Parents’ Confidence and Behavior in the NICU,” explored findings from Vida’s NIH-sponsored study Promoting Preterm Infant Development and the resulting [...]

Managing Environmental Risks in Pregnancy

Dates: 09/15/2006 – 09/30/2010Status: Phase II Funding Awarded – In ProgressFunding Agency: NIH / NIEHSReference: 1R43ES014495-01A1 ABSTRACTEnvironmental toxicants are increasingly linked to adverse birth outcomes such as low birth weight, preterm birth, birth defects and developmental delays. Inner-city populations are at higher risk for adverse birth outcomes and also are more likely to be exposed to [...]

All Babies Cry: Project to Prevent Child Abuse in the First Year of Life

Dates: 04/01/2009 – 09/30/2011 Status: Fast Track – Phase 1 Funding Agency: NICHD Reference: 1R44HD061122-01 ABSTRACT Abusive head trauma or Shaken Baby Syndrome(SBS) is the most common cause of death from child abuse. Hospital-based, parent education programs targeting parents of newborns have been proven effective in reducing significantly the incidence of abusive head injuries. Massachusetts and eight other [...]

Supporting the Development of Preterm Newborns

Vida Health Communications, Inc. (Vida) produced two DVD programs that provide information about preterm infant brain development and its implications for newborn care in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU): No Matter How Small: A Parents’ Guide To Preterm Infant Behavior and Development – for parents Focus on the Brain Part 1: The Science of Preterm Infant [...]

Youth Violence Prevention Training for Health Professionals

Dates: 09/20/2007 – 12/19/2008Status: Phase IFunding Agency: NIH / NICHDReference: 1R43HD056631-01 ABSTRACTIn the proposed SBIR project, Vida Health Communications, Inc. (Vida) will produce, evaluate and distribute Youth Violence Prevention Training for Health Professionals. Drawing on the proven advantages of the Internet and DVD technologies, this comprehensive training including a web-based multimedia program for health care [...]

Childhood After Preterm Birth: The Preschool Years

Dates: 06/01/2007 – 12/31/2008Status: Phase IFunding Agency: NIH / NICHDReference: 1R43HD055045-01 ABSTRACTIn the past decade, there has been dramatic improvement in the survival rate of infants born preterm  i.e., after a pregnancy of less than 37 weeks. As more of these infants leave the neonatal intensive care unit for home, we are just beginning to [...]

Workplace Violence Training for Nurses

Dates: 09/01/2007 – 08/31/2011 Status: Phase II Funding Agency: CDC / NIOSH Reference: 2R44-01A1 ABSTRACT Research has shown that nurses are at very high risk of being victims of workplace violence. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing issued a Position Paper in 1999 emphasizing the inclusion of violence-related content as essential content in nursing curricula, yet training remains incidental. [...]

Managing Environmental Risks in Pregnancy

Dates: 09/15/2006 – 09/30/2009Status: Phase II Funding Awarded – In ProgressFunding Agency: NIH / NIEHSReference: 1R43ES014495-01A1 ABSTRACTEnvironmental toxicants are increasingly linked to adverse birth outcomes such as low birth weight, preterm birth, birth defects and developmental delays. Inner-city populations are at higher risk for adverse birth outcomes and also are more likely to be exposed [...]

After School Gets Moving

Dates: 05/01/2006 – 01/30/2008Status: Phase II applicationFunding Agency: NIH / NICHDReference: 1R43HD049919-01A1 ABSTRACTThe number of American school children who are not active enough to ensure healthy physical, mental and emotional development is growing. Low-income children from urban, communities are at greatest risk. “After-school” has become a social institution in little more than a generation. Urban after-school [...]

Supporting the Development of Preterm Newborns

Dates: 08/01/02 – 02/28/2008Status: Phase IIIFunding Agency: NIH / NICHDReference: 2R44HD042313-02 ABSTRACTIn Supporting the Development of Preterm Newborns Vida Health Communications, Inc. will produce and evaluate the effectiveness of an integrated set of modular DVD programs for parents of premature infants and professionals working in neonatal intensive care settings. Program developers will use state-of-the-art, miniature camera [...]