The significance of supportive and undermining elements in the maternal representations of an unborn baby

Objective: The maternal representations of an unborn baby begin to develop during pregnancy. However, the factors that moderate them are not well identified. The objective of this study was to jointly explore supportive and undermining factors in the maternal representations of an unborn baby and motherhood. Methods: Cross-sectional data comprising 1646 women studied during the third trimester of pregnancy. Maternal expectations were measured using a 12-item self-report questionnaire, Mother's Representations about an Unborn Baby. Depression, anxiety, family atmosphere and adult attachment were measured using standardised questionnaires. Statistical analysis is based on multivariate linear regression analysis. Results: The most powerful predictors of a mother's prenatal expectations were the mother's educational status, age, closeness in adult relationships, higher levels of depressive symptoms and family atmosphere. In accordance with our hypothesis, depression was related to the mother's more negative expectations on their relationship with the unborn baby and on regularity in the baby's sleeping and eating patterns. A positive family atmosphere and the mother's ability for closeness and dependence (i.e. confidence) in adult relationships were related to more positive expectations of the mother-unborn baby relationship. On the other hand, stress, anxiety and adverse life events were not related to the mother's expectations of her unborn baby. Conclusions: The results may be helpful in identifying families who need early professional support and call for studies where the prenatal phase is explored as a proactive phase for the development of the child-parent relationship.Peer reviewe

Yhteisöllisen online-työskentelyn ja formatiivisen palautteen yhteys metodikäsitteiden oppimiseen ja osaamiseen

Tässä artikkelissa käsittelemme, miten yhteisöllinen online-työskentely ja formatiivinen palaute tukivat opiskelijoiden metodikäsitteiden oppimista ja osaamista. Tutkimuksen kohteena oli 103 avoimen yliopiston opiskelijaa, jotka suorittivat kasvatustieteiden perusopintoihin kuuluvan metodologian kurssin verkossa. Opiskelijat saivat ohjeet kolmen viikon aikana verkossa pienryhmissä toteutettavaan työskentelyyn. Välittömästi työskentelyyn sisältyvien tehtävien palautuksen jälkeen seurasi palauteluento. Yhteisöllistä työskentelyä ja palauteluentoa tutkittiin opiskelijoille lähetetyllä strukturoidulla sähköisellä lomakkeella. Yhteisöllisen työskentelyn muuttujille tehtiin pääkomponentti-analyysi, jonka perusteella muodostettiin 12 pääkomponenttia, ryhmä-työskentelyn laatutekijää. Metodikäsitteiden oppimista tutkittiin itsearvio-mittarilla ja osaamista oppimistehtävän pisteytyksellä. Formatiivinen palaute selitti sekä metodikäsitteiden oppimista että osaamista lineaarisessa regressio-analyysissa. Valtaosa ryhmätyöskentelyn laatutekijöistä ei selittänyt metodi-käsitteiden oppimista eikä osaamista. Ryhmän positiivinen ilmapiiri ja ryhmä-työskentelyn tavoitteen selkeys selittivät metodikäsitteiden oppimista. Kattavimmin metodikäsitteiden osaamista selittivät formatiivinen palaute ja itsenäinen perehtyminen metodikäsitteisiin. Tuloksia tulkittiin sosiokognitiivisen ja kognitiivisen oppimisnäkemyksen sekä uusimpien CSCL-tutkimustulosten avulla. Tulosten valossa pohditaan verkossa toteutettavan menetelmäopetuksen kehittämistä. Asiasanat: tietokoneavusteinen oppiminen, yhteisöllisyys, metodologia, osaaminen, ryhmätyö, pedagoginen skripti, tiedon transfer, palautePeer reviewe

Prenataalit odotukset ja muut psykosoisaaliset tekijät postnataalisen bondinghäiriöiden riskitekijöinä

The mother's bond to her baby starts to develop during pregnancy, and it is related to the baby's attachment. We study how the mother's prenatal expectations of her unborn baby, the mother's adult relationships, and postnatal psycho-social factors (stress, depression, and anxiety) are related to the risk of bonding disturbance. The study comprised 1398 mothers and their unborn babies assessed both during pregnancy and when the babies were 3 months old (47.7% girls). The mother's risk of bonding disturbance was investigated using Brockington's Postpartum Bonding Questionnaire. According to the results, 71 (5.1%) of all the mothers in the study had a risk of a bonding disturbance. In a final adjusted logistic regression model, the most important risk factors were the mother's inability to form positive expectations about relationships with the baby during the third trimester of pregnancy (AOR = 7.78, p <= .001), maternal postnatal stress (AOR = 4.95, p <= .001) and maternal postnatal depression (AOR = 3.46, p <= .01). The results challenge healthcare professionals to screen pregnant mothers to identify at-risk groups for post-partum bonding disturbances. Intervention programs to prevent the development of bonding disturbances, and thus their possible serious consequences for children's development, should be considered.Peer reviewe

A Longitudinal Study of Maternal Postnatal Bonding and Psychosocial Factors that Contribute to Social-Emotional Development

In this longitudinal study, we examined how maternal bonding and psycho-social factors are associated with social-emotional problems in two-year-old children. Our data came from a birth cohort from which data were collected at four timepoints: prenatally during the third trimester, and postnatally at 3, 8 and 24 months. The participants were 1,667 mothers, of which 943 (56.6%) returned the questionnaire at each timepoint of the longitudinal study. The Children's social-emotional problems were examined using the Brief Infant-Toddler Social and Emotional Assessment. According to linear regression analysis, maternal bonding difficulties at three and eight months, maternal expectations of the unborn baby during pregnancy, and maternal relationships within and outside the family were related to social-emotional problems in children of two years of age. The results highlight the importance of screening mothers who already prenatally have bonding problems or mothers who have bonding problems postnatally to provide effective and targeted intervention support.Peer reviewe