Exploring the Impact of Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch‐Up on Infant Well‐Being: A Pre/Post Early Intervention Study
Published online on April 05, 2026
Abstract
["Child &Family Social Work, Volume 31, Issue 2, Page 904-911, May 2026. ", "\nABSTRACT\nEarly childhood adversity poses a risk for lifelong negative impacts on health and development. Previous studies have demonstrated that early interventions possess the potential to act as a positive buffer, alleviating the adverse effects of adversity on children. This research extends upon existing literature by investigating the effects of a specific early childhood intervention, Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch‐Up (ABC), on various aspects of child well‐being in a state‐wide early childhood initiative. Given that intervention effectiveness often diminishes when moved into real‐world settings, this study is particularly valuable as it assesses ABC within a large‐scale dissemination context. The initiative focused ABC implementation efforts on a high‐risk population, including a large sample of Hispanic families. Specifically, the sample included 262 infants deemed at risk of experiencing toxic stress by a clinical provider, and 51% of the infants were reported as being of Hispanic ethnicity. Employing linear mixed modelling, this study analysed child well‐being indicators before and after the completion of the ABC intervention. The results from the analysis indicate significant improvements in child well‐being, as reported by ABC providers, for infants after receiving ABC.\n"]