Assessing the Outcomes of an Animal-Assisted Intervention in a Paediatric Day Hospital: Perceptions of Children and Parents

[Abstract] There is a growing interest in the use of animal-assisted intervention (AAI) as a non-pharmacological strategy to improve child welfare in hospitals. However, the efficacy of implementation of programmes based on activities with dogs in a paediatric day hospital is not known. An intra-subject quasi-experimental longitudinal design was used for the purpose of assessing the feasibility of such an intervention, as well as exploring the perceptions of its outcomes by children and parents/guardians. A total of 55 children in outpatient care at a paediatric day hospital participated in an AAI session. The application of this intervention was feasible. Self-assessment by the paediatric patients revealed a statistically significant improvement in their emotional state after the session, which was large in size. Parents confirmed this improvement in their child, perceiving significant changes in their mood, which were large in size. This study suggests that AAI is an effective approach when it comes to promoting the emotional welfare of children during their stay in hospital care environments. Participating in recreational occupations with dogs could contribute in a relevant and efficient way to the development of significant and gratifying experiences and to a more positive perception of healthcare centres on the part of children

Seed germination and risks of using the invasive plant <i>Eichhornia crassipes</i> (Mart.) Solms-Laub. (water hyacinth) for composting, ovine feeding and biogas production

<div><p></p><p>Water hyacinth (<i>Eichhornia crassipes</i> (Mart.) Solms-Laub.) is an invasive aquatic weed that has one of the highest growth indices of vascular plants, producing large amounts of biomass. Its use for composting, livestock feed and biogas production has been proposed as a management strategy for its control. The work presented here is an assessment of the potential spread of water hyacinth due to the release of seeds from the by-products of some of these manufacturing processes. We tested experimentally if the seeds were destroyed or did not lose germinability when they had passed through the gut of sheep, remained in compost piles or been used in biogas bioreactors. We made optical and electronic microscopic observations, and calculated retrieval and germination percentages of the seeds subjected to these treatments. After having passed through the gut of sheep, the anatomical organization of the seed was completely destroyed, only 30.50 ± 5.83% of the seeds were retrieved and the germinability was null (0 ± 0%). The biogas production and compost-treated seeds both had retrieval percentages of 100 ± 0% and germination values of 1.00 ± 0.57 and 3.50 ± 0.96% respectively, with several anatomical damages. The use for compost or biogas production as a management strategy to control this pest is not completely safe from an environmental perspective and the selected management option should focus on sheep fodder production.</p></div