This program is delivered to parents with infants and is intended to impact parents and infants.

Fussy Baby Network® (FBN), a community-based preventive program, is designed to offer support to parents of infants who have concerns about or challenges with their infant’s crying, sleeping, or feeding habits.

Results from one small quasi-experimental study indicated that participants who self-selected into FBN had greater improvements in infant crying and in parenting self-efficacy at posttest than those who did not seek any program services. There were no differences between groups in parental levels of depression or stress.

FBN intends to improve parental well-being and competence, strengthen parent-infant relationships, and reduce the risk for child abuse by providing various supports and services to parents. These services include the following:

• Phone Support and Consultation - Infant specialists answer questions and provide support via telephone to parents who have concerns about caring for their baby;
• Home Visit with an Infant Specialist - Infant specialists conduct home visits for new parents and discuss parenting concerns and provide information and support; and
• Parent Groups Online or in the Community – Infant specialists hold group sessions in hospitals and community centers in the Chicago area to help parents learn how to manage and soothe fussy babies.

Infant specialists work to support parents and help them build their parenting capacity, so parents can begin to understand the challenges they are facing with their infant are manageable even if the infant’s behavior does not immediately change or improve.

FBN began in 2003 as a prevention home-visiting program. The program is based in Chicago; however, members of the Fussy Baby National Network offer similar programs in Berkeley, Denver, New Orleans, Oakland, Phoenix, and Seattle.

This program is implemented by Fussy Baby Infant Specialists, and FBN provides training and support to sites that wish to replicate the program. Please use details in the Contact section for more information.

Considerations for implementing this program include acquiring parent buy-in; recruiting staff, including infant specialists, medical personnel, and administrative staff to monitor telephone lines, oversee home visits, and support parents; and obtaining training for staff members.

The Clearinghouse can help address these considerations. Please call 1-877-382-9185 or email Clearinghouse@psu.edu

If you are interested in implementing FBN, the Clearinghouse is interested in helping you! Please call 1-877-382-9185 or email Clearinghouse@psu.edu

FBN focuses on an infant’s first year of life and is available to parents on an as-needed basis.

Program costs vary and depend on which components of the program are implemented and how many paid staff members are needed.

To move FBN to the Promising category on the Clearinghouse Continuum of Evidence, at least one evaluation with a strong study design must be conducted that demonstrates sustained, positive outcomes lasting at least six months from program completion.

The Clearinghouse can help you develop an evaluation plan to ensure the program components are meeting your goals. Please call 1-877-382-9185 or email Clearinghouse@psu.edu

Contact the Clearinghouse with any questions regarding this program.
Phone: 1-877-382-9185     Email: Clearinghouse@psu.edu

You may also contact the Erikson Institute by mail 451 N. LaSalle St., Chicago, IL 60654, phone 1-312-755-2250 or 1-888-431-2229, fax 1-312-755-0928, email fussybaby@erikson.edu, or visit https://www.erikson.edu/contact-us/

https://www.erikson.edu/fussy-baby-network/