Search

The Karitane Parenting Confidence Scale (KPCS) was designed to assess parenting self-efficacy in parents of infants during the first year. The aim of this study was to analyse the psychometric characteristics of the KPCS in Portuguese mothers during the first-year postpartum. A sample of 383 mothers were recruited at two public outpatient units in Northern Portugal. Mothers completed the KPCS, a sociodemographic questionnaire, and measures of depressive and anxiety symptoms at least one time between two weeks, three, six and 12 months postpartum. Good fit was found for a factor model with three subscales: parenting, support and child development. The KPCS presented good internal consistency. Regarding the criterion validity of the KPCS, significant effects of mother's age were found on the development subscale and significant associations were found between mother's depressive and anxiety symptoms and the KPCS total scale and subscales. Optimal clinical cut-offs were suggested. Findings provided evidence on the psychometric characteristics of the KPCS which can be used to assess parenting self-efficacy in Portuguese mothers during the first-year postpartum, possibly identifying mothers with low parenting self-efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intersubjectivity is a fundamental dimension of the mother–infant relationship. Design of a questionnaire to assess maternal perception of the infant's intersubjectivity. After running a focus group with mothers of infants within their first year of life, items related to maternal perception of the infant's intersubjectivity were generated. These items were applied to a sample of 125 mothers and the results were submitted to principal components analysis. Principal components analysis (forced extraction to 3 factors, KMO =.752, Bartlett = 976.202, p =.000; explained variance = 42.12%) identified 22 items grouped in three factors: a) F1, 'Interactive Competence' (α =.817); b) F2, 'Emotional States' (α =.749), and c) F3, 'Initiative' (α =.647). Positive and significant correlations were observed among all MPIIQ factors (p ≤.01). Maternal perception of infant's intersubjectivity varied according to the number of gestational weeks at birth (T = −1.15, p ≤.05) and according to the infant´s age (F = 7.834, p ≤.001). Mothers of preterm infants reported lower perception of infant's intersubjectivity whereas mothers of older infants reported higher perception of infant's intersubjectivity. The Maternal Perception of Infant's Intersubjectivity Questionnaire (MPIIQ) seems to be a sensitive instrument, able to discriminate different levels of maternal perception about the infant's intersubjective competences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Depression symptoms may negatively affect the achievement of developmental tasks within the transition to parenthood, increasing the risk of paternal adjustment problems and negative paternal attitudes. This study analysed the effect of men's depression symptoms on paternal adjustment and paternal attitudes trajectories from the second trimester of pregnancy to six months postpartum. A sample of 127 men completed measures of depression symptoms and paternal adjustment and paternal attitudes at the second trimester of pregnancy and at six months postpartum. From the second trimester of pregnancy to six months postpartum, men with more depression symptoms revealed a decrease on positive attitudes towards sex (while men with fewer depression symptoms revealed an increase), a steeper decrease in the satisfaction with marital relationship (than men with fewer depression symptoms), and a decrease in positive attitudes towards pregnancy and the baby (while men with fewer depression symptoms revealed an increase). Depression symptoms early in pregnancy may represent a risk factor to increased paternal adjustment problems and negative paternal attitudes during the transition to parenthood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although the original characteristics of temperament tend to remain constant over the course of development, environmental circumstances may influence infants’ reactions and behaviour. Parents’ reports of infant temperament are rich informants of infant behaviours in different contexts.Objective: This study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of the Portuguese version of the Infant Behaviour Questionnaire - Revised (IBQ-R) and test the adequacy of the original and other previously published structures to the Portuguese data.Method: 330 mothers and 81 fathers of children aged between 3 and 12 months completed the Portuguese version of the IBQ-R.Results: The confirmatory factorial analysis revealed a non-adequate model fit of the IBQ-R original structure to the Portuguese data; nonetheless, it did reveal an adequate model fit of a previous published IBQ-R structure. This structure, although only slightly different from the original one, seems to be more suitable for the Portuguese data.Conclusion: This study provides data that indicates that the IBQ-R is a reliable questionnaire to evaluate infant temperament in the Portuguese culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: The aims of this study were to analyse the changes in anxiety and depression symptoms from early pregnancy to 30 months postpartum according to gender and parity. Method: 129 couples (N = 258) recruited from an obstetrics unit completed self-report measures of anxiety and depression at each pregnancy trimester, childbirth, 3 and 30 months postpartum. Using multilevel modelling, piecewise dyadic growth curve models were performed, assessing time, gender and parity as predictors of anxiety and depression symptoms. Results: Anxiety and depression symptoms decreased from the first trimester to 3 months postpartum and increased from 3 to 30 months postpartum, returning to the baseline levels in the overall sample. The symptoms were positively correlated within-dyad; in a given time point when a partner reported more symptoms, the other reported more symptoms as well. Changes in anxiety and depression symptoms over time were different according to gender and parity, especially from 3 to 30 months postpartum. Primiparous women revealed low stable symptoms, whereas multiparous women revealed the steepest symptoms increase (in comparison to primiparous men and women and multiparous men). Conclusions: This study corroborates the literature considering that the transition to parenthood can last until the child’s age of 2 or 3 years. Results point out that the risk for anxiety and depression symptoms increasing over the postpartum period is greater for multiparous and lesser for primiparous women. Future studies should explore the factors that contribute to the high risk of symptoms increase over the postpartum period for multiparous women. Screening and intervention should target couples and not only women. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background:Little is known about the development of fathers’ parenting self-efficacy during the transition to parenthood. Objectives:To analyse (1) fathers’ parenting self-efficacy developmental path and (2) the effects of anxious and depressive symptoms and coparenting support on fathers’ parenting self-efficacy developmental path, from the first trimester of pregnancy to 6 months postpartum. Methods:Eighty-six fathers recruited at the first trimester of pregnancy completed self-report measures of anxious and depressive symptoms, coparenting support and parenting self-efficacy at the first and third trimesters of pregnancy, and at 1 and 6 months postpartum. Growth curve models were performed. Results:An increase in fathers’ parenting self-efficacy was found from the first trimester of pregnancy to 6 months postpartum. The main effects of anxious symptoms and interaction effects of anxious symptoms and time were found on fathers’ parenting self-efficacy. Fathers with higher anxious symptoms revealed lower levels of parenting self-efficacy at the first trimester of pregnancy and a lower increase of parenting self-efficacy from this time to 6 months postpartum. The main effects of coparenting support were found in fathers’ parenting self-efficacy. At the first trimester of pregnancy, fathers who perceived more coparenting support revealed higher levels of parenting self-efficacy. Conclusion:The present study may contribute to the literature by describing fathers’ parenting self-efficacy developmental path and the effects of anxious symptoms and coparenting support on fathers’ parenting self-efficacy developmental path during the transition to parenthood. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background Objective Methods Results Conclusion Foetal heart rate (FHR) variability is considered a marker of foetal neurobehavioral development associated with infant self-regulation and thus may be an early precursor of the adverse impact of mother’s prenatal depressive symptoms on infant self-regulation.This study analysed the mediator role of FHR variability in the association between mother’s prenatal depressive symptoms and infant self-regulation at three months.The sample comprised 86 first-born infants and their mothers. Mothers reported on depressive symptoms at the first trimester of pregnancy and on depressive symptoms and infant self-regulation at three months postpartum. FHR variability was recorded during routine cardiotocography at the third trimester of pregnancy. A mediation model was tested, adjusting for mother’s postnatal depressive symptoms.Higher levels of mother’s prenatal depressive symptoms were associated with both lower FHR variability and lower infant self-regulation at three months. FHR variability was associated with infant self-regulation and mediated the association between mother’s prenatal depressive symptoms and infant self-regulation at three months.Findings suggested FHR variability as an early precursor of infant self-regulation that underlies the association between mother’s prenatal depressive symptoms and infant self-regulation. Infants of mothers with higher levels of prenatal depressive symptoms could be at risk of self-regulation problems, partially due to their lower FHR variability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The psychological impact of abortion is a controversial issue. While some studies indicate that women who had elective abortions present lower psychological distress when compared with those who had spontaneous or therapeutic abortions, other studies found abortion to be associated with significant psychological distress. Objectives To assess psychological adjustment (emotional disorder, trauma symptoms and couple relationship) one and six months after abortion, and gender differences regarding psychological adjustment, and to assess the moderation role of couple relationship in the effect of the etiology of abortion on emotional disorder and trauma symptoms. Methods Women (n=50) with different etiologies of abortion agreed to participate, as well as 15 partners (N=65). Assessments took place one and six months after abortion. Measures included the Brief Symptoms Inventory, the Impact of Event Scale-Revised and the Relationship Questionnaire. Results A decrease in emotional disorder for all etiologies of abortion and an increase in perceived quality of couple relationship in therapeutic abortion were observed over time. Couple relationship moderates the effect of the etiology of abortion on trauma symptoms one month after abortion. Conclusion Psychological adjustment after abortion seems not to be exclusively related to its etiology, being influenced by other factors such as couple relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The way mothers reconstruct the childbirth experience during the early postpartum period may interfere in their mood and predisposition to get pregnant again. This study explored continuity and changes in the perception of childbirth experience throughout the first six postpartum months, taking into account different types of delivery. The sample consisted of 68 Portuguese pregnant women, who filled in the Childbirth Experience and Satisfaction Questionnaire 48 h after delivery and in the third and sixth postpartum months. A continuity in the mothers' overall perceptions of childbirth experience, use and usefulness of relaxation techniques, social support, health conditions and care provided, and other postpartum events was found over time. Despite that, mothers developed a more positive perception of this experience marked by fewer worries about the infant's health and well-being as well as their own, and by a decrease in the perception of the pain felt. The type of delivery had an impact both on the mothers' perceptions of childbirth experience and on memory changes over time. Results suggest that the construction of a more positive perception of childbirth can be a relevant postpartum developmental task which can help mothers to better adjust to motherhood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]