Vulnerable parenting among mothers with substance abuse in their family of origin: a cross-sectional comparative study of mothers in an infant and toddler program

Objective: To investigate whether women raised in a family with substance abuse constitute a particularly vulnerable group of patients in an infant psychiatry setting and to identify the risk factors of suspected parental malfunctioningin women referred to treatment in an infant and toddler intervention program.Background: A history of family substance abuse can severely disrupt the caretaking abilities of parents in ways that can have far-reaching consequences, and children growing up with insufficient parental care may incorporate thisdeficiency into their own parental behavior Methods: In total, 126 mothers completed self-report questionnaires assessing their substance abuse and Health problems as well as problems in their family of origin. The index group was defined as women who reported substanceabuse in their family of origin (n = 35). The comparison group was defined as women who denied substance abuse in their family of origin (n = 91).Results: Symptoms of depression and anxiety were overrepresented in the total group of mothers compared with the Swedish norm. The index group had experienced parental divorce and traumatic life events more often andreported earlier substance abuse of their own. They had significantly more depression and ADHD symptoms and were more often single parents. All these factors can have a negative influence, separately or in combination, on the abilityto practice sensitive parenting.Conclusions: Female offspring of substance-abusing parents are an especially vulnerable group of patients. To prevent the intergenerational transmission of alcohol and drug abuse, it is important to identify parents with specificneeds and to administer targeted treatment and support at primary health care centers and child psychiatric clinics

How do carriers of hemophilia experience prenatal diagnosis by fetal blood sampling?

A semistructured personal interview was performed with 29 carriers of hemophilia A or B, 1-4 years after a pregnancy in which prenatal diagnosis (PND) of hemophilia was performed by fetal blood sampling. The carriers had received different recommendations regarding future pregnancies, and 14/29 did not know before they became pregnant that PND by fetal blood sampling was possible. One third of the women felt that important information was lacking in the consultations that preceded the PND. The conclusions regarding future genetic counselling are that more attention should be paid to improving education of all female carriers before a pregnancy, to motivating fathers-to-be to attend counselling sessions with the carriers, and to emphasizing the importance of the emotional support given by the family doctor and by other females who have experienced PND

Identifying carriers at high risk for negative reactions when performing prenatal diagnosis of haemophilia

The aim of the current study was to determine which pregnant carriers of haemophilia are at particularly high risk for having notably negative psychological reactions in association with prenatal diagnosis (PND) by fetal blood sampling of offspring haemophilia. Among 29 carriers of haemophilia A or B, notable psychiatric or psychosomatic symptoms in association with PND were significantly related to the woman's having a negative view of herself in general and of being a gene carrier, a planned pregnancy, high education, a good general knowledge of haemophilia and a guiding philosophy of life. Women with strong negative reactions significantly more often reported signs of depressive mood at follow-up. The results suggest that giving more information and promoting increased knowledge about the disease and the PND procedure will, by itself, not help women to cope better emotionally. Provision of prospective psychosocial support is recommended

How do carriers of hemophilia experience prenatal diagnosis (PND)? : Carriers' Immediate and later reactions to amniocentesis and fetal blood sampling

A semistructured personal interview was performed with 29 carriers of hemophilia A or B, 1-5 years after a pregnancy in which prenatal diagnosis (PND) was performed by fetal blood sampling. Fetal blood sampling by fetoscopy was significantly more often reported by the women to the more trying than expected than was ultrasound-guided heart puncture. Of 29 women 13 was classified as having experienced the PND process (amniocentesis and fetal blood sampling) as distressing, having had mental or psychosomatic symptoms associated with it. All of the women who had abortion/miscarriage after PND reported a very high frequency of psychological sequelae during the 6 months that followed PND. Of 22 women who continued their pregnancy with a healthy fetus after PND 8 experienced the period until delivery as trying and felt that their emotional and somatic status influenced their daily life activities. This was particularly common among women who after fetoscopy received routine profylactic terbutalin treatment and had continuous sickleave until the 36th gestational week, 17/29 would consider going through PND in the future. Qualified psychological assistance must be offered both before and after PND