Kangaroo care procedure as a primary environment for preterm infants and their caregivers

Background: A preterm birth, usually accompanied by the need for neonatal intensive care (NICU) and subsequent parents-infant separation, can disrupt infants’ early development, parental psychological well-being and parent-infant bonding. Recent research indicates that the early environment and experiences play a critical role in infant development and parenting processes. Kangaroo Care (KC) procedure has been introduced in high technology settings to supplement incubator care and to reduce the initial parents-infant separation through skin-toskin contact. Research has demonstrated its medical benefits but only partially documented its psychological effects on infants’ long-term development and parenting outcomes, and controversial data has emerged in the UK. Aim: The aim is to evaluate the psychological and behavioural impact of KC in high technology NICU during the first year of life. The domains investigated are: 1) parental psychological stress; 2) parents-preterm infant relationships; 3) mother-infant dyadic interaction; 4) proximal environment and 5) preterm infants cognitive, motor, socio-emotional and behavioural development. Method: 56 mother-preterm infant dyads in KC were compared to a control group of 34 in traditional care. Within this sample, a study was conducted with 28 fathers whose partner experienced KC contact with their infant and 16 fathers who were part of the Control group. Data was collected at 6 stages: before the initiation of KC procedure, after discharge from hospital, and at 3, 6, 9 and 12 months. Results: KC mothers have less parental stress, better attachment and interaction with their preterm infant across the research times and they provide a better home environment at 3 months than the Control group. Moreover, KC infants are more responsive during interaction, present better development in terms of motor and adaptive behaviors skills at 6 months, and better communication skills at 12 months than the TC group. Conversely, KC does not directly influence fathers’ psychological stress and the formation of father-infant relationships. Conclusions: The KC procedure promotes maternal psychological well-being and mother-infant dyadic relationships with a consequent positive influence on mother-child attachment and infant development

The transition to parenthood following a history of childhood maltreatment: a review of the literature on prospective and new parents' experiences

Background: Becoming a parent is viewed as one of the most important transitions in one’s life. However, a history of childhood maltreatment may affect the adjustment to parenthood. Objective: The objective of this review was to synthesize the current evidence base to further our understanding of prospective and new parents’ experiences in the transition to parenthood (pregnancy to 2 years post-birth), in the context of having a childhood maltreatment history. Method: A scoping review of the literature was conducted using the following online databases: PubMed, PsycINFO, PsycNET, and Published International Literature of Traumatic Stress. Results: The findings were synthesized into a four-component theoretical framework, which included mental health of the parent, physical changes, parental view of the child, and view of the self as a parent. A total of 69 papers, including 181,537 participants (of whom 30,482 mothers and 235 fathers had maltreatment histories), investigated the transition to parenthood. The majority of the studies showed that parents with a maltreatment history may suffer from a range of mental health problems during the transition to parenthood, experience more negative physical changes, and have more negative views of their child (or children). However, they reported both positive and negative experiences regarding their identity as a parent. Conclusions: The findings suggest that maltreatment is a risk factor for a more challenging transition to parenthood. Experiences of fathers with maltreatment histories merit more attention, as do those of parents in low- and middle-income countries. Future directions should include predictors of positive experiences and the development of early interventions to improve outcomes for this population

Men's Psychological Transition to Fatherhood: An Analysis of the Literature, 1989\u20132008

Background: The most recent review on men's transition to fatherhood was published in 1986. The present paper reports on how the literature has portrayed fatherhood over the past 20 years. The aim was to investigate men's psychological transition to fatherhood from pregnancy of the partner through the infant's first year of life. Methods: The PsycINFO, PubMed, MEDLINE, Ingenta, Ovid, EMBASE, and WoS databases were accessed to conduct a literature search on the topic. The concepts of self-image transformation, triadic relationship development, and social environment influence were used to examine the complexity of the fatherhood transition process. Specific focus was placed on men's intrapsychic relational and social dimensions. Results: Our analysis of the yielded results revealed three specific fatherhood stages: prenatal, labor and birth, and postnatal periods. Partner pregnancy was found to be the most demanding period in terms of psychological reorganization of the self. Labor and birth were the most intensely emotional moments, and the postnatal period was most influenced by environmental factors. The latter was also experienced as being the most interpersonally and intrapersonally challenging in terms of coping with the new reality of being a father. Conclusions: Men's transition to fatherhood is guided by the social context in which they live and work and by personal characteristics in interplay with the quality of the partner relationship. Men struggle to reconcile their personal and work-related needs with those of their new families

Sexuality among Fathers of Newborns in Jamaica

Background While a growing body of research has addressed pregnancy and postpartum impacts on female sexuality, relatively little work has been focused upon men. A few studies suggest that a fraction of men report decreases in libido during a partner’s pregnancy and/or postpartum, with alterations in men’s sexual behavior also commonly aligning with those of a partner. Here, we investigate sexuality among fathers of newborn children in Jamaica. In Jamaica, as elsewhere in the Caribbean, relationship dynamics can be fluid, contributing to variable paternal roles and care, as well as a high fraction of children born into visiting relationships in which parents live apart from each other. Methods During July-September, 2011, 3410 fathers of newborns with an average age of 31 (SD = 8) years participated in the fatherhood arm of a national birth cohort study (JAKids). These fathers answered questions about sociodemographic background, relationship quality and sexuality (e.g., various components of sexual function such as sex drive and sexual satisfaction as well as number of sexual partners the previous 12 months and sexual intercourse the previous week) during a visit to a hospital or birth center within a day or two of their child being born. Results Showed that sex drive was more variable than other components (erections, ejaculation, problem assessment) of sexual function, though sexual satisfaction was generally high. Thirty percent of men reported two or more sexual partners the previous 12 months. Nearly half of men indicated not engaging in sexual intercourse the past week. Multivariate analyses showed that relationship status was related to various aspects of men’s sexuality, such as men in visiting relationships reporting more sexual partners and more openness to casual sex. Relationship quality was the most consistent predictor of men’s sexuality, with men in higher quality relationships reporting higher sexual satisfaction, fewer sexual partners, and higher frequency of sex, among other findings. Conclusions These results provide an unusually large, quantitative look at men’s sexuality during the transition to fatherhood in Jamaica, offering helpful insight to would-be parents, clinicians or others seeking to anticipate the effects of a partner’s pregnancy on men’s sexuality