Cette page a été traduite automatiquement et l'exactitude de la traduction n'est pas garantie. Veuillez vous référer au version anglaise pour un texte source.

Évaluation d'un programme d'éducation thérapeutique pour les femmes enceintes ayant un premier enfant diagnostiqué avec un trouble du spectre autistique (AUTMER)

4 novembre 2026 mis à jour par: Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris

Évaluation d'un programme d'éducation thérapeutique pour les femmes enceintes ayant un premier enfant diagnostiqué avec un trouble du spectre autistique (TSA)

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a heterogeneous set of severe developmental abnormalities of the nervous system characterized by deficits affecting social interactions and verbal and non-verbal communication, as well as the presence of restricted interests, repetitive behaviors, and atypical sensory manifestations . ASD affects approximately 1% of the general population (Elsabbagh et al., 2012). Studies of siblings of individuals with ASD show that ASD is present in 7-20% of the offspring in families where a child has had a diagnosis of ASD and this prevalence increases if there are two diagnosed children.

Several studies show the benefits of interventions targeting parents' interaction strategies in the early phases of development of infants at high risk for ASDs, in reducing the risk itself or its severity. Very early intervention, due to the presence of significant brain plasticity at these stages, may be particularly effective in changing these emerging trajectories, from a "preventive intervention" perspective that would aim to mitigate developmental risk and alter prodromal symptom trajectories, rather than eliminate a condition.

Our hypothesis is that the implementation of a specific therapeutic education program during a new pregnancy in the mother of a child with a diagnosis of ASD (MER Program) could improve the mother's well-being, increase parenting communication skills, and thereby improve interaction with the newborn at high risk for ASD. If the infant is affected, it may also reduce the symptoms of the disorder. Indirectly, it could also improve the well-being of the other parent involved in the interaction.

The M.E.R (Mères Ecoute Ressources) programme is a therapeutic education intervention aimed at mothers of children with ASD during a new pregnancy. This programme, which is being piloted in France and Europe, involves a number of dimensions, both educational and behavioural (strategies for stimulating the baby, use of specific communication and interaction tools) and psychological (reduction of stress, anxiety, etc. in the mother).

The programme comprises 8 one-to-one sessions lasting 1.5 hours every 15 days. The first and last of these are for assessment purposes, with the 6 intermediate sessions constituting the support. The structure of the programme and the sessions is based on what is recommended in therapeutic education. The sessions can take place on the hospital site or by teleconsultation (remote consultation used in the context of healthcare).

Aperçu de l'étude

Statut

Recrutement

Les conditions

Intervention / Traitement

Description détaillée

Randomized controlled trial with deferred start, French multicenter stepped-wedge type.

The start date of the intervention in each center will be done by randomization, defining 2 periods: a control period located before the start of the intervention, and an experimental period located after the start of the intervention.

This design allows the principal investigating team to train the centers associated in turn with the intervention, and to have a control group with structured follow-up but without intervention.

All subjects will be included before 26 ADT and assigned to the control or experimental group, depending on the time of inclusion and the randomization of the center to which they belong.

The follow-up will be conducted in 2 phases: 1. during pregnancy and 2. After the birth of the child.

Subjects included were pregnant women who already had a child with an ASD diagnosis, the second parent if present, and the newborn at risk for an ASD diagnosis.

The primary objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of an innovative therapeutic education program (the MER program) versus control in pregnant women with a first child followed for ASD on the quality of interaction strategies of the mother-infant dyad at 10 months postpartum.

The primary endpoint was the caregiver non-directiveness subscore of the Manchester Assessment of Caregiver-infant Interaction (MACI) scale at 10 months postpartum. This subscore is both the most sensitive to intervention and predictive of ASD diagnosis.

The first secondary objective is the evaluation of the effect of the MER versus control program on:

  • maternal pregnancy-related anxiety (PRAQ-R2 score) ;
  • Anxious and depressive symptomatology and quality of life (WhoQoL-Bref score) in the mother and the second parent during pregnancy (EPDS score) and up to 20 months of age of the newborn (HAM-Anxiety and HAM-Depression scores);
  • perceived stress related to pregnancy (ALES score)
  • mother-infant interaction at 10 and 20 months (MACI score and subscore);
  • autistic signs in at-risk infants at 20 months (ADOS Toddler score);

The second secondary objective was to study variables that could impact the effect of the intervention, including

  • adherence: compliance with sessions, satisfaction of participants (PEI-Parent score) ;
  • other variables that could modulate the effect of the intervention: sociodemographic variables (socioeconomic level, family configuration, number of children); clinical profile of the mother (intellectual efficiency (Raven's PM score), psychiatric comorbidities (DIGS, SRS score)); clinical profile of the child already diagnosed (ADI-R and ADOS score; developmental level); clinical profile of the infant at risk (gestational age, MSEL, IBQ-R and ECBQ scores).

The third secondary objective was to describe the barriers and levers to the implementation of the intervention.

Characteristics related to the implementation of the intervention (recruitment, uptake, fidelity, and implementation) will be collected, as well as the profile of mothers who did not participate in the project.

Type d'étude

Interventionnel

Inscription (Estimé)

165

Phase

  • N'est pas applicable

Contacts et emplacements

Cette section fournit les coordonnées de ceux qui mènent l'étude et des informations sur le lieu où cette étude est menée.

Coordonnées de l'étude

Sauvegarde des contacts de l'étude

Lieux d'étude

      • Paris, France, 75019
        • Recrutement
        • Hôpital Robert Debré
        • Contact:

Critères de participation

Les chercheurs recherchent des personnes qui correspondent à une certaine description, appelée critères d'éligibilité. Certains exemples de ces critères sont l'état de santé général d'une personne ou des traitements antérieurs.

Critère d'éligibilité

Âges éligibles pour étudier

18 ans à 70 ans (Adulte, Adulte plus âgé)

Accepte les volontaires sains

Non

Sexes éligibles pour l'étude

Femelle

La description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Mothers of children with a diagnosis of ASD, in pregnancy (before the 26th week of amenorrhea);
  • The diagnosis of ASD of the older child has been made, according to the DSM IV-TR or DSM 5 criteria, formalized by a diagnostic evaluation including if possible: the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule ADOS, and/or ADI
  • Informed consent from mother and sec

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Presence of a clearly identified and unstabilized severe psychiatric disorder in the mother (confirmed by medical interview and DIGS questionnaire conducted at the time of the inclusion visit) and/or intellectual disability;
  • Engagement in another form of individual therapeutic intervention.
  • Refusal of either parent (for child assessment, primary criterion)
  • Parents not proficient in French language
  • Persons (mother or second parent) under legal protection, guardianship or trusteeship, persons deprived of liberty, under court protection, under psychiatric care, under constraint, admitted to a health or social institution for purposes other than research
  • Persons with cognitive disorders or intellectual disabilities

Plan d'étude

Cette section fournit des détails sur le plan d'étude, y compris la façon dont l'étude est conçue et ce que l'étude mesure.

Comment l'étude est-elle conçue ?

Détails de conception

  • Objectif principal: La prévention
  • Répartition: Randomisé
  • Modèle interventionnel: Affectation parallèle
  • Masquage: Seul

Armes et Interventions

Groupe de participants / Bras
Intervention / Traitement
Aucune intervention: control group

Pregnant women followed by the center in the period before the intervention is implemented (the start of which is determined by randomization)

Expérimental: experimental group

Pregnant women followed by the center during the period after the intervention is implemented (the start of which is determined by randomization)

The M.E.R program is a therapeutic education intervention for mothers of children with ASD during a new pregnancy. This program, which is a pilot in France and in Europe, involves several dimensions, both pedagogical and behavioral (strategies for stimulating the baby, use of specific communication and interaction tools) and psychological (reduction of stress, anxiety, etc. in the mother).

It includes 8 individual interviews of 1h30 every 15 days. The first and the last one are for evaluation purposes, the 6 intermediate sessions constitute the accompaniment. The structure of the program and the sessions are based on what is recommended in therapeutic education. The sessions can take place on the hospital site or teleconsultation (remote consultation used in the context of healthcare).

Que mesure l'étude ?

Principaux critères de jugement

Mesure des résultats
Description de la mesure
Délai
Manchester Assessment of Caregiver-infant Interaction (MACI) "caregiver non-directiveness" subscore
Délai: 5 months after delivery

mother-baby interaction in the experimental group versus the control group at 5 months postpartum.

This subscore is the most sensitive to intervention and predictive of ASD diagnosis.

5 months after delivery

Mesures de résultats secondaires

Mesure des résultats
Description de la mesure
Délai
Pregnancy-Related Anxiety Questionnaire-Revised2 (PRAQ-R2) subscore
Délai: between 11 weeks and 26 weeks of gestation

To evaluate the effect of the MER program on maternal anxiety related to pregnancy

between 11 weeks and 26 weeks of gestation
Pregnancy-Related Anxiety Questionnaire-Revised2 (PRAQ-R2) subscore
Délai: at 3 months after intervention

To evaluate the effect of the MER program on maternal anxiety related to pregnancy

at 3 months after intervention
Appraisal of Life Events Scale (ALES)
Délai: between 11 weeks and 26 weeks of gestation

Perceived pregnancy-related stress in the mother.scale with a list of adjectives, rated on a five-point Likert scale)

between 11 weeks and 26 weeks of gestation
Appraisal of Life Events Scale (ALES)
Délai: at 3 months after intervention

Perceived pregnancy-related stress in the mother.scale with a list of adjectives, rated on a five-point Likert scale

at 3 months after intervention
Edimburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS)
Délai: 10 months after birth

used to assess the risk of postnatal depression and is useful for identifying the presence of anxiety symptoms.The threshold retained for the French validation is 10.5, above which a depression is possible and below which the risk is very low.

10 months after birth
quality of life score-Bref (WhoQol-Bref)
Délai: 10 months after birth

WHOQOL-BREF includes 26 items that measure the following broad domains: physical health, psychological health, social relationships and environment.

10 months after birth
parental anxiety score (HAM)
Délai: 10 months after birth

hetero-questionnaire with 14 items, measuring both the psychic (mental agitation and psychological distress) and somatic (physical complaints related to anxiety) expression of anxiety. Each item is rated on a Likert scale from 0 to 4 (total range 0-56, where <17= mild anxiety; 18-24= mild to moderate; 25-30 moderate to severe)

10 months after birth
mother's intelligence quotient
Délai: between 11 weeks and 26 weeks of gestation

measured by Raven's Progressive Matrices

between 11 weeks and 26 weeks of gestation
Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS)
Délai: between 11 weeks and 26 weeks of gestation

to refine the evaluation of social difficulties in a dimensional way

between 11 weeks and 26 weeks of gestation
Wechsler Mullen scale
Délai: between 11 weeks and 26 weeks of gestation

developmental level of the ASD child

between 11 weeks and 26 weeks of gestation

Collaborateurs et enquêteurs

C'est ici que vous trouverez les personnes et les organisations impliquées dans cette étude.

Les enquêteurs

  • Chercheur principal: Anita Beggiato, PHD, APHP

Dates d'enregistrement des études

Ces dates suivent la progression des dossiers d'étude et des soumissions de résultats sommaires à ClinicalTrials.gov. Les dossiers d'étude et les résultats rapportés sont examinés par la Bibliothèque nationale de médecine (NLM) pour s'assurer qu'ils répondent à des normes de contrôle de qualité spécifiques avant d'être publiés sur le site Web public.

Dates principales de l'étude

Début de l'étude (Réel)

13 mai 2025

Achèvement primaire (Estimé)

13 mars 2029

Achèvement de l'étude (Estimé)

13 août 2029

Dates d'inscription aux études

Première soumission

11 octobre 2021

Première soumission répondant aux critères de contrôle qualité

22 octobre 2021

Première publication (Réel)

2 novembre 2021

Mises à jour des dossiers d'étude

Dernière mise à jour publiée (Réel)

9 novembre 2026

Dernière mise à jour soumise répondant aux critères de contrôle qualité

4 novembre 2026

Dernière vérification

1 novembre 2026

Plus d'information

Termes liés à cette étude

Informations sur les médicaments et les dispositifs, documents d'étude

Étudie un produit pharmaceutique réglementé par la FDA américaine

Non

Étudie un produit d'appareil réglementé par la FDA américaine

Non

Ces informations ont été extraites directement du site Web clinicaltrials.gov sans aucune modification. Si vous avez des demandes de modification, de suppression ou de mise à jour des détails de votre étude, veuillez contacter register@clinicaltrials.gov. Dès qu'un changement est mis en œuvre sur clinicaltrials.gov, il sera également mis à jour automatiquement sur notre site Web .

S'abonner