Parental Relationship with Twins from Pregnancy to 3 Months: The Relation Among Parenting Stress, Infant Temperament, and Well-Being

Objective: The transition to parenthood, from pregnancy to postpartum period, is a critical process, particularly for couples expecting twins. There is very little literature regarding the links between anxiety, depression, dyadic adjustment, parental stress, and infant temperament spanning from pregnancy to postpartum. This study has two aims: first, to examine whether mothers' and fathers' anxiety, depression, and dyadic adjustment, assessed at the sixth month of pregnancy and 3 months postpartum, are associated with infants' negative affectivity (NA) and parenting stress; second, to examine whether there is any difference between fathers' and mothers' levels of parenting stress and perception of the twins' temperament, as well as to evaluate, separately for mothers and fathers, whether the levels of parenting stress and perception of child temperament differ for each twin. Method: The study participants were 58 parents (29 couples) and their healthy 58 twin babies (51.7% boys, 48.3% girls). Mothers' ages ranged from 30 to 44 years, (M Age = 36.3 years, SD = 3.2 years), and fathers' ages ranged from 32 to 52 years, (M Age = 38.2 years, SD = 4.4 years). The parents, during the pregnancy period and 3 months after delivery, filled out the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and the Dyadic Adjustment Scale. Three months after delivery they also filled out the Parenting Stress Index-Short Form and the Infant Behavior Questionnaire Revised. Results: The analyses showed a significant correlation between parental anxiety/depression symptoms and infants' NA and parenting stress (in both mothers and fathers). Moreover, compared to fathers, mothers reported higher scores on specific dimensions of the infants' NA, [t(28)= -2.62 and p < 0.05; t(28) = 2.09 and p < 0.05], and parenting stress, [t(28) = 2.19 and p < 0.05; t(28) = 2.23 and p < 0.05], but only for Twin 2. Finally, the results showed that mothers' perceptions of child temperament vary between two twins, [e.g., distress to limitations: t(28) = 2.08 and p < 0.05]. Discussion: This study highlights the peculiarity of twin parenthood during the fourth trimester. In particular, the differences between twins' mothers' and fathers' perceptions are relevant from a clinical perspective and for perinatal professionals. It would be interesting to study the long-term impact of mothers' and fathers' differing perceptions of their twins

From Their Point of View: Identifying Socio-Behavioral Profiles of Primary School Pupils Based on Peer Group Perception

Our study adopted a person-based approach with the aim to identify socio-behavioral profiles of primary school students based on peer group perception. The study involved 109 classes and their teachers, from the first three grades of elementary school. The final student sample consisted of 424 children, aged 6–9 years (M = 94.9 months; SD = 9.7), of whom 58.3% were male. We used peer-group nomination to investigate the aspects that are linked to peer group acceptance and perception of classroom behaviors, with reference to academic and relational criteria. We identified and defined six clusters. We validated these clusters by taking into consideration the children’s academic performances and the teacher’s perceptions of their relationship with the single students. The identified clusters were related to both of these aspects, and they show predictive value when referring to children’s behaviors as evaluated by their teachers. Implications for theory and educational policies are discussed

Perinatal Parenting Stress, Anxiety, and Depression Outcomes in First-Time Mothers and Fathers: A 3- to 6-Months Postpartum Follow-Up Study

Objective: Although there is an established link between parenting stress, postnatal depression, and anxiety, no study has yet investigated this link in first-time parental couples. The specific aims of this study were 1) to investigate whether there were any differences between first-time fathers’ and mothers’ postnatal parenting stress, anxiety, and depression symptoms and to see their evolution between three and 6 months after their child’s birth; and 2) to explore how each parent’s parenting stress and anxiety levels and the anxiety levels and depressive symptoms of their partners contributed to parental postnatal depression. Method: The sample included 362 parents (181 couples; mothers’ MAge = 35.03, SD = 4.7; fathers’ MAge = 37.9, SD = 5.6) of healthy babies. At three (T1) and 6 months (T2) postpartum, both parents filled out, in a counterbalanced order, the Parenting Stress Index-Short Form, the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, and the State- Trait Anxiety Inventory. Results: The analyses showed that compared to fathers, mothers reported higher scores on postpartum anxiety, depression, and parenting stress. The scores for all measures for both mothers and fathers decreased from T1 to T2. However, a path analysis suggested that the persistence of both maternal and paternal postnatal depression was directly influenced by the parent’s own levels of anxiety and parenting stress and by the presence of depression in his/her partner. Discussion: This study highlights the relevant impact and effects of both maternal and paternal stress, anxiety, and depression symptoms during the transition to parenthood. Therefore, to provide efficacious, targeted, early interventions, perinatal screening should be directed at both parents

Centrality evolution of the charged-particle pseudorapidity density over a broad pseudorapidity range in Pb-Pb collisions at root s(NN)=2.76TeV

Peer reviewe

Child scribbling: a sensory motor activity and representational ability

Los niños por lo general comienzan a producir garabatos alrededor de su segundo año de vida. Como la actividad representativa ya se adquiere a esta edad, el acto gráfico puede ser correctamente considerado más que una mera actividad motora: es, sin duda, uno de los factores más relevantes que intervienen en el proceso gráfico, pero es deber del educador discernir su aspecto intencional, por lo tanto representativo. El objetivo de nuestro estudio es un examen detallado de los garabatos producidos por niños de entre dos y tres años de edad, cuyos temas dados son el niño él / ella, el niño involucrado en cualquier actividad lúdica o deportiva dada, y las figuras de la madre y el padre: cualquier posible diferencia que surja de tales caminos gráficos será investigada y analizada. Este estudio es parte de un proyecto mucho más amplio, que quiere acentuar los rasgos emotivos que se encuentran en la actividad gráfica de un niño, rasgos que podrían ser utilizados como medio de exploración del niño, de su propia interioridad, de un mundo interior en pleno desarrollo.Children usually begin producing scribbles around their second year of life. As representative activity is already acquired at this age, the graphic act can be rightly considered more than a mere motor activity: it is, without a doubt, one of the most relevant factors involved in the graphic process, but it is the educator’s duty to discern its intentional-therefore representative- aspect. Our study’s goal is a detailed examination of the scribbles produced by children between two and three years of age, whose given subjects are the child him/herself, the child engaged in any given playful or sportive activity, and the figures of the mother and the father: any possible difference emerging from such graphic paths, will be investigated and analyzed. This study is part of a much wider project, which would like to emphasize the emotive traits found in a child’s graphic activity, traits which could be used as means of exploration of the child’s own interiority, an inner world in full development.peerReviewe

Prejudice in School: A Research among Primary School Teachers Prejuicio en la escuela: una investigación con profesores de educación primaria.

<p>The number of immigrants has been continuosly rising, in Italy as well as all around Europe: in Piedmont, the quota of underage immigrants has almost doubled within the last four years, bringing about the issue of educating pupils belonging to different cultures. This research will take into account the opinion of primary school’s teachers on the possible existence of stereotyped or prejudicial opinions about the presence of foreigin children in school and in society, and it will try to understand if it may influence the relationship between teacher and pupil. The 79 teachers and 396 children who took part in this project have been given a questionnaire investigating the occurrence of prejudicial behaviours, and the quality of the relationship created by the teacher with pupils. The data collected show how prejudice appears to influence the relationship teacher-pupil especially in moments of tension, which are worsened by prejudice itself, and how the evaluation of the child may consequently change.</p><p>Key words: Prejudice, foreign children, teacher-pupil relationship.</p> <p>El número de inmigrantes en Italia, así como en el resto de Europa, crece continuamente y en los últimos cuatro años, el número de menores extranjeros ha aumentado alrededor de un 50%, concerniendo cada vez más a las instituciones educativas y a los docentes destinatarios de la petición de escolarización de los niños inmigrantes. Los objetivos de la investigación son indagar, si existen opiniones de naturaleza estereotípica o prejudicial en las representaciones de los docentes respecto a la presencia de menores extranjeros en la escuela primaria y si la presencia de tal prejuicio, influye en la relación entre el docente y el niño extranjero. La muestra de la investigación se compone de 79 maestros y de 396 niños, se ha utilizado un cuestionario y a través de las respuestas ha sido posible atribuir a cada docente una puntuación que indica el grado de prejuicio. De lo que emerge la influencia del prejuicio, surge en los momentos en que el equilibrio de la relación entra en crisis. El prejuicio no facilitaría la resolución de estos momentos, es más, parecería determinar el agravamiento. Como consecuencia de esto, haciendo más frecuentes y difícilmente solucionables los momentos de crisis de la relación, la presencia de prejuicio también influye, de manera evidente, en la valoración cualitativa total que el docente da a la relación con el niño extranjero.</p><p>Palabras clave: Prejuicio, niños extranjeros, relación maestro-alumno.</p&gt