Social factors associated with the decision to relinquish a baby for adoption

Little is known about the characteristics, social circumstances and mental health of women who give a child up for adoption. This paper reports data from a longitudinal study of 8556 women interviewed initially at their first obstetrical visit. In total, 7668 proceeded to give birth to a live singleton baby, of which 64 then relinquished the baby for adoption. Relinquishing mothers were predominantly 18 years of age or younger, in the lowest family income group, single, having an unplanned and/or unwanted baby and reported that they were not living with a partner. These women were somewhat more likely to manifest symptoms of anxiety and depression both prior, and subsequent to, the adoption, but the majority of relinquishing mothers were of 'normal' mental health. The decision to relinquish a baby appears to be a consequence of an unwanted pregnancy experienced by an economically deprived single mother rather than the result of emotional or psychological/psychiatric considerations. These findings document a particular dimension of the impact of poverty on health

Concentrations of Homovanillic Acid and 5-Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid in Cerebrospinal Fluid from Human Infants in the Perinatal Period

To assess maturation of central serotonin and catecholamine pathways at birth, we measured lumbar CSF homovanillic acid (HVA) and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA), stable acid metabolites of dopamine and serotonin, using HPLC with electrochemical detection. CSFs from 57 neonates (38 premature and 19 at term) and 13 infants 1–6 months old were studied. HVA levels increased with maturity (p < 0.05; ANOVA), whereas, 5-HIAA levels were similar in all these subjects. HVA/5-HIAA ratios increased markedly from 1 ± 0.12 in the most premature neonates to 1.98 ± 0.17 in the older infants (p < 0.01; t test). There were no sex differences for these values.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/66233/1/j.1471-4159.1984.tb06109.x.pd

Do toddlers prefer the primary caregiver or the parent with whom they feel more secure? The role of toddler emotion

This study tested Bowlby and Ainsworth’s hypothesis that a hierarchy of caregivers exists whereby infants prefer one caregiver over another when distressed. We examined parent gender (mother vs. father), primary caregiver status (defined as the parent who spent most time with the infant and performed most of the caregiving tasks), and role of toddlers’ history of attachment security with each parent, as predictors of toddlers’ preference for a particular caregiver when the toddlers are distressed and when they are content. Infants’ attachment security with each parent was assessed at 12–15 months. At 24 months, mother–child and father–child interactions were observed in triadic (mother, father, toddler) home interactions. When distressed, regardless of the security of their attachment to each parent, toddlers more often interacted with the primary caregiver. When content, toddlers did not show this preference. As expected, toddlers’ recovery from distress was predicted by their security of attachment with the parent whom they approached when distressed

The Power of Play: A Pediatric Role in Enhancing Development in Young Children

Children need to develop a variety of skill sets to optimize their development and manage toxic stress. Research demonstrates that developmentally appropriate play with parents and peers is a singular opportunity to promote the social-emotional, cognitive, language, and self-regulation skills that build executive function and a prosocial brain. Furthermore, play supports the formation of the safe, stable, and nurturing relationships with all caregivers that children need to thrive

Development and Validation of the Maternal Distraction Questionnaire

This paper describes the development of a self-report measure of mothers’ engagement in technological activities during mother-infant interactions. In Study 1, mothers (n = 332; infants: 3.8 ± 1.4 months) completed the Maternal Distraction Questionnaire (MDQ) and related questionnaires. Factor analysis revealed two distinct subscales representing engagement with technological distractors and perceived distraction. Subscales correlated with relevant measures of feeding styles, attachment, and infant eating behaviors and temperament. In Study 2, mothers (n = 24; infants: 3.8 ± 1.8 months) completed the MDQ and kept feeding activity diaries. Significant correlations between MDQ subscales and diary data were noted. In sum, the MDQ is a valid measure of maternal engagement with technological activities during mother-infant interactions

Behavior Problems in Relation to Sustained Selective Attention Skills of Moderately Preterm Children

Attention skills may form an important developmental mechanism. A mediation model was examined in which behavioral problems of moderately preterm and term children at school age are explained by attention performance. Parents and teachers completed behavioral assessments of 348 moderately preterm children and 182 term children at 8 years of age. Children were administered a test of sustained selective attention. Preterm birth was associated with more behavioral and attention difficulties. Gestational age, prenatal maternal smoking, and gender were associated with mothers’, fathers’, and teachers’ reports of children’s problem behavior. Sustained selective attention partially mediated the relationship between birth status and problem behavior. Development of attention skills should be an important focus for future research in moderately preterm children

'Yeah that made a big difference!': The importance of the relationship between health professionals and fathers who have a child with Down Syndrome

Evidence suggests that medical services do not reflect the increased involvement of fathers in childcare, a discrepancy that can often lead to feelings of exclusion and inequality. Fathers who have a child with Down syndrome may encounter many different health professionals during their child’s life, therefore it is important to consider this relationship, and investigate the factors that influence their experiences. This is particularly important because the limited research focusing on fathers suggest that those who have a child with Down syndrome can experience increased stress levels and lasting feelings of loss and grief. It is therefore important to address their relationships with health professionals, as these may be a significant resource to prevent these feelings. This study used interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) to explore the experiences of seven fathers who have a child with Down syndrome, focusing on their interactions with health professionals. The analysis showed that the major factors associated with negative experiences were feelings of exclusion, receiving overly negative information about the condition and a perceived lack of on-going support. Positive experiences were associated with being made to feel like an equal parent, being given direct/clear information and being congratulated on the birth of their child. These results provide an insight into what fathers expect in terms of their own and their child’s care and highlight that health professionals have an important and extensive role in influencing fathers’ experiences of Down syndrome

Day care for pre-school children

BACKGROUND: The debate about how, where and by whom young children should be looked after is one which has occupied much social policy and media attention in recent years. Mothers undertake most of the care of young children. Internationally, out-of-home day-care provision ranges widely. These different levels of provision are not simply a response to different levels of demand for day-care, but reflect cultural and economic interests concerning the welfare of children, the need to promote mothers' participation in paid work, and the importance of socialising children into society's values. At a time when a decline in family values is held responsible for a range of social problems, the day-care debate has a special prominence. OBJECTIVES: To quantify the effects of out-of-home day-care for preschool children on educational, health and welfare outcomes for children and their families. SEARCH STRATEGY: Randomised controlled trials of day-care for pre-school children were identified using electronic databases, hand searches of relevant literature, and contact with authors. SELECTION CRITERIA: Studies were included in the review if the intervention involved the provision of non-parental day care for children under 5 years of age, and the evaluation design was that of a randomised or quasi-randomised controlled trial. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: A total of eight trials were identified after examining 920 abstracts and 19 books. The trials were assessed for methodological quality. MAIN RESULTS: Day-care increases children's IQ, and has beneficial effects on behavioural development and school achievement. Long-term follow up demonstrates increased employment, lower teenage pregnancy rates, higher socio-economic status and decreased criminal behaviour. There are positive effects on mothers' education, employment and interaction with children. Effects on fathers have not been examined. Few studies look at a range of outcomes spanning the health, education and welfare domains. Most of the trials combined non-parental day-care with some element of parent training or education (mostly targeted at mothers); they did not disentangle the possible effects of these two interventions. The trials had other significant methodological weaknesses, pointing to the importance of improving on study design in this field. All the trials were carried out in the USA. REVIEWER'S CONCLUSIONS: Day care has beneficial effect on children's development, school success and adult life patterns. To date, all randomised trials have been conducted among disadvantaged populations in the USA. The extent to which the results are generaliseable to other cultures and socioeconomic groups has yet to be evaluated

Lao Tzu

(Statement of Responsibility) by Shelly Yogman(Thesis) Thesis (B.A.) -- New College of Florida, 1979(Electronic Access) RESTRICTED TO NCF STUDENTS, STAFF, FACULTY, AND ON-CAMPUS USE(Bibliography) Includes bibliographical references.(Source of Description) This bibliographic record is available under the Creative Commons CC0 public domain dedication. The New College of Florida, as creator of this bibliographic record, has waived all rights to it worldwide under copyright law, including all related and neighboring rights, to the extent allowed by law.(Local) Faculty Sponsor: Langston, Dougla