Guest Speaker Dr. Kayla Vaillancourt: Research to Inform the Implementation of Parent-Infant Interaction Measures in Perinatal Mental Health Services

We were pleased to welcome Dr. Kayla Vaillancourt, Clinical Psychologist at City St George’s, University of London to our research colloquium ( Chair of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology) on May 19, 2026.

Dr. Vaillancourt presented research exploring the implementation of parent–infant interaction measures within Perinatal Mental Health Services, highlighting both the opportunities and challenges of integrating observational measures into clinical practice to better support families during the perinatal period.

The presentation examined how these services, which support individuals experiencing moderate-to-severe mental health difficulties during pregnancy and the first two years after birth, could better identify families who may benefit from parent–infant interventions and evaluate their impact on parent–infant relationships.

The presentation highlighted findings showing that brief versions of the NICHD* parental sensitivity scales could provide practical alternatives while reducing training and administration demands associated with existing measures. Parent interviews also emphasized the importance of trust and sensitive implementation, as critical factors to successful observation and support.

We are very grateful to Dr. Vaillancourt for traveling to share her work with us.

* National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)