To determine the early impacts of pediatric primary care parenting interventions on parent cognitive stimulation in low socioeconomic status families and whether these impacts are sustained up to 1.5 years after program completion.

This randomized controlled trial included assignment to 1 of 2 interventions (Video Interaction Project [VIP] or Building Blocks) or to a control group. Mother–newborn dyads were enrolled postpartum in an urban public hospital. In VIP, dyads met with an interventionist on days of well-child visits; the interventionist facilitated interactions in play and shared reading through provision of learning materials and review of videotaped parent–child interactions. In Building Blocks, parents were mailed parenting pamphlets and learning materials. We compare the trajectories of cognitive stimulation for parents in VIP and control from 6 to 54 months.

There were 546 families that contributed data. VIP was associated with enhanced reading, parent verbal responsivity, and overall stimulation at all assessment points, with analyses demonstrating a 0.38 standard deviation increase in cognitive stimulation overall. Trajectory models indicated long-term persistence of VIP impacts on reading, teaching, and verbal responsivity.

VIP is associated with sustained enhancements in cognitive stimulation in the home 1.5 years after completion of the program and support expansion of pediatric interventions to enhance developmental trajectories of children of low socioeconomic status.

Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT00212576.