Mind‐mindedness and parenting stress in mothers of preterm and full‐term infants: The moderating role of perceived social support

The goal of this study was to examine the effects of preterm birth and maternal childbirth‐related posttraumatic stress and parenting stress on maternal mind‐mindedness (MM). The study also investigated the effects of perceived social support on parenting stress and MM. Sixty‐five preterm (N = 32) and full‐term (N = 33) mother–infant dyads were observed at 6 months. Measures of maternal MM were obtained from observations of mother–infant interaction. Mothers also provided ratings of their posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, parenting stress, and perceived social support via an online survey. Experiencing a preterm birth did not affect mothers’ use of mental state descriptors during mother–infant interaction. Neither childbirth‐related posttraumatic stress nor parenting stress directly affected maternal ability to comment on the child's mental states appropriately. However, at medium and high levels of perceived social support, a negative association between parenting stress and MM was observed. Maternal perception of being emotionally supported by significant others promoted MM in mothers showing low or mild levels of parenting stress, but not in mothers experiencing high stress in parenting their infants. Results suggest that a proclivity to MM might be affected by the interaction between parenting stress and social support, rather than by childbirth‐related variables, such as prematurity

Diagnostic and therapy of osteoarthrosis in domestic felines

Osteoarthritis is a health problem that affects companion animals and humans alike. For many years there has been an interest in canine osteoarthritis, while only in the last decade or so has feline osteoarthritis begun to be discussed. Feline OA has now been recognized with all its differences and similarities with the analogous pathology of the dog The purpose of this thesis is to provide as much overview as possible on the complex topic which is osteoarthritis in the domestic cat species: introduction to the articulation as an organ, etiology and pathogenesis of osteoarthritis, an overview of the most used diagnostic techniques with hints of experimental methods and a review of therapeutic, pharmacological and non-pharmacological possibilities. This review takes into consideration the most recent literature on the subject, trying to answer the question "What is it, how is it diagnosed and how can we treat osteoarthritis in a cat?" ___________________________________________________________L'osteoartrosi è un problema di salute che colpisce sia gli animali da compagnia che gli esseri umani. Da molti anni c'è un interesse per l'osteoartrosi canina, mentre solo nell'ultimo decennio circa l'osteoartrite felina ha iniziato a essere valutata e discussa. L'OA felina è ora riconosciuta come patologia, con tutte le sue differenze e somiglianze con l'analoga patologia del cane. Lo scopo di questa tesi è quello di fornire una panoramica il più ampia possibile sull'argomento complesso che è l'osteoartrosi nelle specie del gatto domestico: introduzione all'articolazione come organo, eziologia e patogenesi dell'osteoartrosi, una rassegna delle tecniche diagnostiche più utilizzate con accenni a metodi sperimentali non ancora di uso clinico e una revisione delle possibilità terapeutiche, farmacologiche e non farmacologiche. Questa review prende in considerazione la letteratura più recente sull'argomento, cercando di rispondere alla domanda: "Che cos'è, come viene diagnosticata e come possiamo trattare l'osteoartrosi in un gatto?

In-hospital growth and long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes of very low birth weight infants

Background and ObjectivesVery low birth weight infants (VLBW) are at risk for adverse growth and neurodevelopmental outcomes. We aimed to evaluate the association between growth during Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) stay and long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes in a cohort of preterm VLBW newborns.MethodsWe conducted a longitudinal observational study in the Follow-up Service of our Clinic from January 2014 to April 2017. All preterm VLBW infants born at our hospital and enrolled in our follow-up program were considered eligible for the study. The neurodevelopmental assessment was performed using the Griffiths Mental Development Scales at 12 and 24 months corrected age.ResultsStudy population included 172 subjects (47.1% males) with a mean gestational age of 29 weeks and a mean birth weight of 1,117 g. A unitarian Δz-score increase in head circumference from birth to discharge was associated with a 1.6-point increase in General Quotient at 24 months corrected age. An association with subscales C and D was also found. Likewise, an increase in length Δz-score was associated with better 24-month subscale C scores although not reaching statistical significance. No relationship with the outcome at 24 months was found for weight gain.ConclusionsGrowth during NICU stay appears to be related to a more favorable neurodevelopmental outcome at 24 months corrected age, especially in the hearing and language domain (subscale C). The longitudinal evaluation of auxological parameters during hospitalization can contribute to the identification of subjects at risk for adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes in the first years of life