Perceptual dimensions of infants' cry signals : a dissertation present in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Philosophy in Education at Massey University

Two experiments were performed to uncover perceptual dimensions of 24 infant cry signals. In Experiment 1, the 24 cries were rated by listeners on 50 semantic differential scales. A factor analysis of the ratings uncovered three meaningful factors (Effect, Potency & Value) which emphasise emotional aspects of the cries, and support a suggestion that different cry-types essentially differ along a continuum of intensity/aversiveness. In Experiment 2, the method of pair-comparisons was used to obtain cry similarity ratings which were submitted to INDSCAL (a multidimensional scaling program). Three dimension were uncovered which emphasise physical aspects of the cries. These dimensions (Potency, Form and Clarity) were labelled in terms of the 50 semantic differential scales using standard linear multiple regression. For both experiments, accurate predictions of cry recognition results were made from the cry similarity data, suggesting that the listeners attended to the same cry features in each task. A canonical analysis of the semantic differential factor scores and the INDSCAL dimension weights revealed two significant canonical correlations, which suggests that the two techniques are essentially describing the same perceptual space. The relative advantages of the semantic differential and the method of pair-comparisons (coupled to INDSCAL) are discussed, and also the possibility of applying the semantic differential to study different cry-types, clinically abnormal cries, and the effects of crying on the caregiver

Progeny, June 2013, Vol 29, no.1

This newsletter from The Department of Public Health about perinatal health care and statistics

The importance of relational thinking in the practice of psycho-social research: ontology, epistemology, methodology and ethics

The object relations and relational psychoanalytic traditions can have a profound effect on the practices of social science research and, in the UK, this is taking place largely in the tradition that has come to be called ‘psycho-social’. My own research practice has been moving in this direction for some time and it has become evident to me that the use of psychoanalytic concepts that derive from the object relations and relational traditions have radical effects on every aspect of research. By every aspect, I refer first to the substantive analysis of phenomena that have social and psychological aspects (which surely includes most phenomena of interest to social science). I also refer to the trio of principles informing research that I refer to in the title of this chapter as ontology (how the person as subject of research is theorised), epistemology (how the status of the knowledge generation process is understood) and methodology (how these together inform how the researcher goes about finding out). Not in the title, but also implicated, is the subject of research ethics. After an outline of the project that I use as an illustration, subsequent sections of this chapter deal with ontology, epistemology, methodology and research ethics

An overview of attachment theory and the role of the child and family health nurse in supporting early infant-parent attachment

The relationship an infant has with their primary caregiver (in our society, this is usually the mother) has a profound impact on the infant’s future development. It is now well recognised that experiences in the first weeks and months of life help shape the developing brain; the most important of these experiences is the relationship between the infant and their caregiver. One of the earliest tasks of infancy is for the infant to be able to express and regulate their emotions; they learn to do this with the help of a sensitive and responsive caregiver. The foundation for their future mental health is based on this capacity for emotional regulation. Secure attachment relationships that involve opportunities for play, everyday activities and sharing of emotions, facilitate optimal brain development and stimulate the infant’s curiosity to explore and learn. The earliest family relationships are where infants learn how to interact and relate, and this has implications for their sense of connectedness to others and for future participation in society.  ----------------------------- Child and family health nurses are well positioned to provide information, guidance and encouragement to parents in forming responsive and sensitive relationships with their babies. Research indicates that providing stable, responsive and nurturing relationships (attachment relationships) in the early years of life can prevent or even reverse the damaging effects of early life stress with lifelong benefits for learning, behaviour and health. Essentially, the role of the parent is one of being available, ready to respond when called upon, to encourage, perhaps to assist, but to intervene only when clearly necessary (Bowlby, 1988).&nbsp

A psychoanalytic concept illustrated: Will, must, may, can — revisiting the survival function of primitive omnipotence

The author explores the linear thread connecting the theory of Freud and Klein, in terms of the central significance of the duality of the life and death instinct and the capacity of the ego to tolerate contact with internal and external reality. Theoretical questions raised by later authors, informed by clinical work with children who have suffered deprivation and trauma in infancy, are then considered. Theoretical ideas are illustrated with reference to observational material of a little boy who suffered deprivation and trauma in infancy. He was first observed in the middle of his first year of life while he was living in foster care, and then later at the age of two years and three months, when he had been living with his adoptive parents for more than a year

Guideline for UK midwives/health visitors to use with parents of infants at risk of developing childhood overweight/obesity

A guideline for members of the health visiting team to use with parents of infants at risk of overweight/obesity has been developed. The guideline contains recommendations about identification of infants at risk as well as a number of strategies that could be used for prevention of overweight/obesity. The guideline needs to be applied alongside health visitors’ professional judgement. It is not intended to replace normal UK clinical practice which is guided by the Healthy Child Programme and complements existing guidance such as the Framework for Action for tackling obesity

The forgotten mothers of extremely preterm babies : A qualitative study

© 2019 The Authors. Journal of Clinical Nursing Published by John Wiley & Sons LtdAims and objectives: To explore the experiences of mothers of extremely prematurebabies during their Neonatal Intensive Care Unit stay and transition home. Background: Mothers of extremely preterm infants (28 weeks’ gestation or less) experience a continuum of regular and repeated stressful and traumatic events, during the perinatal period, during the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit stay, and during transition home. Method: An interpretive description method guided this study. Ten mothers of extremely premature infants who had been at home for less than six months were recruited via a Facebook invitation to participate in semi‐structured telephone interviews exploring their experiences in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and the transition home. The data were examined using a six‐phase thematic analysis approach. The COREQ checklist has been used. Results: Two main themes emerged: (a) things got a bit dire; and (b) feeling a failure as a mother. Participants had a heightened risk of developing a mental disorder from exposure to multiple risk factors prior to and during birth, as well as during the postnatal period in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and their infant's transition to home. Mothers highlighted the minimal support for their mental health from healthcare professionals, despite their regular and repeated experience of traumatic events. Conclusion: The mothers were at high risk of developing post‐traumatic stress symptoms and/or other mental health issues. Of note, study participants relived the trauma of witnessing their infant in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, demonstrated hypervigilance behaviour and identified lack of relevant support needed when their infant was at home. Relevance to Clinical Practice: This study highlights the need for nurses to include a focus on the mothers’ psychosocial needs. Supporting maternal mental health both improves maternal well‐being and enables mothers to be emotionally available and responsive to their extremely preterm infant.Peer reviewe

Observation, reflection and containment: A psychoanalytic approach to work with parents and children under five.

The contemporary relevance of psychoanalysis is being increasingly questioned; Off the Couch challenges this view, demonstrating that psychoanalytic thinking and its applications are both innovative and relevant, in particular to the management and treatment of more disturbed and difficult to engage patient groups. Chapters address: clinical applications in diverse settings across the age range the relevance of psychoanalytic thinking to the practice of CBT, psychosomatics and general psychiatry the contribution of psychoanalytic thinking to mental health policy and the politics of conflict and mediation. This book suggests that psychoanalysis has a vital position within the public health sector and discusses how it can be better utilised in the treatment of a range of mental health problems. It also highlights the role of empirical research in providing a robust evidence base. Off the Couch will be essential reading for those practicing in the field of mental health and will also be useful for anyone involved in the development of mental health and public policies. It will ensure that practitioners and supervisors have a clear insight into how psychoanalysis can be applied in general healthcare

Suji Kwock Kim's “Generation” and the Ethics of Diasporic Postmemory

Regarding her highly acclaimed first book of poetry, Notes from the Divided Country, second-generation Korean American poet Suji Kwock Kim has stated that she considers the representation of the traumatic experiences of the Korean War as “the responsibility that one has, in terms of using the imagination as a means of compassion, and understanding things one couldn't have experienced.” If Notes from the Divided Country is a work created from a sense of ethical responsibility, we could perhaps also see it more specifically as a project of ethical memory and ask, along with ethnic studies scholar Jodi Kim, “What does it mean to want to represent or ‘remember’ a war that has been ‘forgotten’ and erased in the U.S. popular imaginary, but has been transgenerationally seared into the memories of Koreans and Korean Americans, and experienced anew every day in a still-divided Korea?” Notes from the Divided Country in many ways grapples with this very question and can be seen as an effort to remember the “Forgotten War” through vivid, chilling, moving poems that depict the enduring trauma of wartime violence from the perspective of diasporic postmemory. Taking Hirsch's work on Holocaust photos as a point of departure, this article reads in the poem “Generation” the poetics of postmemory and the ethics of memory from the perspective of diasporic subjectivity