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Background: Developmental Origins of Health and Disease Hypothesis (DOHaD) studies are often observational in nature and are therefore prone to biases from loss to follow-up and unmeasured confounding. Register-based studies can reduce these issues since they allow almost complete follow-up and provide information on fathers that can be used in a negative control analysis to assess the impact of unmeasured confounding. Aim: The aim of this study was to propose a causal model for testing DOHaD using paternal exposure as a negative control, and its application to maternal distress in pregnancy and offspring asthma. Methods: A causal diagram including shared and parent-specific measured and unmeasured confounders for maternal (fetal) and paternal exposures is proposed. The case study consisted of all children born in Sweden from July 2006 to December 2008 ( n=254,150). Information about childhood asthma, parental distress and covariates was obtained from the Swedish national health registers. Associations between maternal and paternal distress during pregnancy and offspring asthma at age five years were assessed separately and with mutual adjustment for the other parent’s distress measure, as well as for shared confounders. Results: Maternal distress during pregnancy was associated with offspring asthma risk; mutually adjusted odds ratio (OR) (OR 1.32, 95% CI 1.23, 1.43). The mutually adjusted paternal distress−offspring asthma analysis (OR 1.05, 95% CI 0.97, 1.13) indicated no evidence for unmeasured confounding shared by the mother and father. Conclusions: Using paternal exposure in a negative control model to test the robustness of fetal programming hypotheses can be a relatively simple extension of conventional observational studies but limitations need to be considered.

Aims This study presents data on the emotional and behavioral problems of Bedouin children, the most underserved citizens of Israel. Methods 458 children aged 4 – 10 were rated by their mothers with the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Socio-demographic traits and children’s exposure to traumatic events were recorded. Bedouin children were compared with independent samples of American, Chinese and Australian children. Results Boys had higher problems scores than girls. Bedouin children had higher problem scores than other children. Conclusions The higher problems scores of Bedouin children can be partly explained by their poverty, dire living conditions and consequent maternal distress.

The cross-generational influence of attachment security or insecurity on caregiving is well-established. Recently, research has focused on mindfulness as a potential variable to interrupt the transmission of insecure attachment and disrupt its effect across generations. Thirty-six pregnant female participants completed the Five Facets Mindfulness Questionnaire and Relationship Questionnaire-Clinical Version at 30 weeks' gestation. Following the infant's birth, mothers and their babies participated in a video-recorded feeding session at 7 to 10 weeks' postpartum. It was predicted that a secure attachment style and higher levels of mindfulness measured prenatally would be associated with greater maternal responsiveness postpartum. The hypothesis was supported for both the secure and insecure (fearful and profoundly distrustful) attachment styles. Mindfulness did not mediate the relationship between attachment and maternal distress. The mindfulness subscale Non-Reacting was significantly associated with maternal response to distress. These findings support the role of prenatal mindfulness skills and attachment security for later postnatal maternal sensitivity to baby.

To perform a needs assessment of maternal distress to plan the development of an intervention for the prevention and reduction of antenatal maternal distress.We searched PubMed, OVID and EBSCO and applied the PRECEDE logic model to select the data. Experts in the field validated the findings.We identified 45 studies. Maternal distress was associated with diminished maternal and child's quality of life. Aetiological factors of maternal distress included past and present circumstances related to obstetric factors and to a woman's context of living, coping behaviour, and support mechanisms. Lacking knowledge of coping with (maternal) distress was identified as a predisposing factor. Reinforcing factors were relaxation, partner support, counselling experiences and positive interaction with the midwife. Enabling factors were the availability of a support network.When planning the development of an antenatal intervention for maternal distress, it is advisable to focus on assessment of antenatal emotional wellbeing, the context of the woman's past and present circumstances, her coping behaviour and her environment. The identified predisposing factors, enabling and reinforcing factors should also be taken into consideration.

Objective To evaluate the influence of the severity of prematurity based on birth weight on maternal distress and sensitivity and on infant development. Methods Sixty-eight mothers and their preterm babies (30 babies classified into Extremely-Low-Birth Weight-ELBW and 38 into Very-Low-Birth Weight-VLBW) were assessed at 9 months of infant corrected age, using: Griffiths Scales for infant development, CARE-Index for maternal sensitivity during 5-minute of mother-infant interaction, and Parenting Stress Index-Short Form (PSI-SF) for maternal distress. Sixty-six healthy full-term infants (FT) and their mothers were assessed with the same procedure. Results ELBW, VLBW and FT groups showed similar levels at CARE-Index and PSI-SF. Nevertheless, considering infant development as outcome, a significant interaction between birth weight and maternal distress emerged, with higher Hearing & Language mean quotients in association with Non-Distressed mothers, but only in VLBW infants, compared to FT ones. Also the interaction between birth weight and maternal sensitivity influenced infant development: higher quotients (Eye-hand coordination, Hearing & Language, Locomotor) were significantly associated with sensitive mothers but only in ELBW infants. Conclusion The severity of prematurity, in interaction with the degree of maternal distress and sensitivity, influenced the level of infant development. Practical implications Taken together, these results suggest the relevance of considering severity of prematurity and maternal variables in order to implement appropriate interventions for supporting parenting role after a preterm birth and promoting an adequate infant development.

Background Elevated antenatal distress has been associated with negative outcomes for both mothers and, as a result, their infants. One mechanism hypothesised to underlie these associations is the maternal hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis. Though research has examined whether biopsychosocial antenatal interventions can reduce maternal HPA activity, only one review has summarized the nature of findings to date. The present study examined randomised control trials (RCTs) specifically; our primary aim was to assess the effectiveness of antenatal interventions in reducing HPA activity in pregnant women, our secondary aim was to examine whether antenatal interventions reduced maternal self-report of depression and/or anxiety. Methods This study systematically reviewed RCTs that evaluated biopsychosocial interventions that reported subjective and objective markers of maternal distress in pregnant women within the clinical population. Results Eight studies met inclusion criteria and women were in their second or third trimester. HPA-activity was primarily assessed through salivary cortisol (n = 7) and self-reported maternal distress was assessed using a variety of validated screening measures. Included trials demonstrated significant methodological heterogeneity and small sample sizes, poor treatment adherence, and poor reliability in cortisol measurement indicated low methodological quality. Conclusions Due to the high heterogeneity across studies, small sample sizes, and unreliable sampling methods, firm conclusions about the efficacy and effectiveness of antenatal interventions cannot be drawn. Despite this, interventions which targeted pregnancy-specific influencers of maternal mood were more likely to result in reduced depression and anxiety symptomatology as reported by mothers.

We explored parental feeding practices, feeding issues during the first 2 yr of life, and the relationship between feeding issues and levels of maternal distress in preterm infants. Four hundred twenty mothers (239 with preterm infants, 181 with full-term infants) participated in the study. The Behavior-Based Feeding Questionnaire for Infants With Premature History and the Parenting Stress Index–Chinese Version were used as the two outcome measures. The results indicated that preterm infants had different feeding experiences compared with their full-term counterparts. They tended to start solid food later in life and had limited experiences in food variation. Parenting stress was prevalent in parents with preterm infants and was associated with the frequency of feeding issues, especially at later ages when supplementary foods were being introduced.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the validity and accuracy of the Whooley questions for routine screening of maternal distress in Dutch antenatal care. Design/methodology/approach In this cohort design, the authors evaluated self-reported responses to the Whooley questions against the Edinburgh Depression Scale screening for antenatal depression, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for general anxiety and the pregnancy-related anxiety questionnaire-revised screening for pregnancy-related anxiety, among Dutch pregnant women during the first and third trimester of pregnancy. The authors used standard diagnostic performance measures for the two case-finding items. Findings The Whooley items in this study showed a higher specificity than sensitivity. The Whooley results showed good evidence to identify women who are depressed or (trait)anxious in both trimesters of pregnancy, but the results showed weak to moderate evidence to identify pregnancy-related anxiety. The Whooley items had a low to moderate predictive ability for depression, trait-anxiety and pregnancy-related anxiety and a good ability for negative case-finding. The Whooley items proved to be more able to report how effective the case-finding questions are in identifying women without depression, trait-anxiety and pregnancy-related anxiety (ruling out) rather than how effective these are in identifying women with depression, trait-anxiety and pregnancy-related anxiety (ruling in). The Whooley items were accurate in identifying depression and trait-anxiety in both trimesters but were not very accurate to identify pregnancy-related anxiety. Research limitations/implications Assessment of pregnancy-related anxiety using a case-finding tool requires further attention. Practical implications The two-item Whooley case-finding tool has shown good utility as a screening instrument for maternal distress. The continuous assessment of maternal emotional health during the childbearing period or, at least, revisiting the topic, would both support the woman and the midwife in regarding perinatal emotional wellbeing as an important remit of midwifery care. Originality/value A novel aspect of this paper is the proposition of applying the Whooley questions at later stages of pregnancy or presenting the Whooley questions in a written or digital form.

Background In many countries, there is limited consideration of the psychological wellbeing of women during antenatal and postnatal care. Among a range of contributing factors, one practical reason is that brief, valid and reliable screening tools are not widely used to guide clinical interviews. The present study evaluated psychometric properties of three brief scales that measure recent wellbeing (the WHO-5 index), perceived stress (the PSS-10) and depression (the PHQ-9). Methods A prospective birth cohort study was completed in Hue City, central Vietnam with 148 pregnant women in the third trimester of pregnancy, with follow-up 3–5 months after childbirth. Moderate-to-severe antenatal depressive symptoms were used as the reference standard to validate the WHO-5 and PSS-10. Results Approximately one-third of the women indicated significant stress and 12% reported moderate to severe depressive symptoms during pregnancy. The WHO-5 and PSS had good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha=0.76–0.81) and good discriminant properties against prenatal depression. Area Under the Curve (AUC) values showed good predictive validity to detect postpartum depressive symptoms for the WHO-5 [AUC=0.73, 95% CI (0.60 – 0.86)] and the PSS-10 [AUC=0.69, 95% CI (0.45 – 0.92)]. WHO-5 scores ≤ 60/100 and PSS-10 scores ≥ 20/40 provided good sensitivity (approx.83%) and fair specificity (approx.61%) to detect depression pre- and post-natally. Conclusions Given these satisfactory psychometric properties, brief but broad screening that includes questions about positive wellbeing and recent stress in addition to depressive symptoms should be integrated into routine psychosocial care for pregnant women in Vietnam and similar cultural contexts.

Emotional and behavioral problems at an early age can reasonably be considered a high-risk factor for later mental health disorders. The aim of the article is to reveal predictive factors of 1½-year-old children's emotional and behavioral problems. The study was a part of a prospective birth-cohort study. The study sample consisted of 172 full-term infants (born during Gestational Weeks 37-42) and their mothers. Emotional and behavioral problems at the age of 1½ years were measured using the Child Behavior Checklist for Ages 1½-5 (T. Achenbach & L. Rescorla, 2000), which was completed by mothers. Emotional and behavioral problems at age of 1½ years were more prevalent in infants born via cesarean section, as compared to infants born vaginally without administration of medication. Newborns' suboptimal functioning after birth, complicated emotional acceptance of pregnancy, a couple's nonsatisfactory relationship during pregnancy, maternal distress during pregnancy and in the first months after childbirth, and inflexible and parent-oriented attitudes toward infant-rearing also predicted children's emotional and behavioral problems independent of sociodemographic factors. Results suggest that biomedical and psychosocial factors which manifest themselves in the prenatal and perinatal periods can have associations with later infant and child mental health.

Rationale Neuroendocrine-immune regulation is essential for maintaining health. Early-life adversity may cause dysregulation in the neuroendocrine-immune network through repeated activation of the stress response, thereby increasing disease risk. Objective This paper examined the extent to which maternal psychological well-being moderates neuroendocrine-immune relations in children. Methods We used data from a laboratory-based study of mothers and their five-year old children ( n = 125 mother–child pairs) conducted from 2011 to 2013 in Baltimore, Maryland. Child saliva was assayed for markers of immune function (i.e., cytokines: interleukin [IL]-1β, IL-6, IL-8, tumor necrosis factor alpha [TNF-α]) and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal activity (i.e., cortisol). A composite score for depressive symptoms, anxiety, and parenting stress characterized maternal psychological distress. Multilevel mixed models examined the relationship between maternal psychological well-being and child neuroendocrine-immune relations. Results Significant cytokine × maternal distress interactions indicated that as maternal distress increased, expected inverse cytokine–cortisol relations within children became weaker for IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α. Sex-stratified models revealed that these interactions were only significant among girls. Among boys, there were inverse cytokine–cortisol relations for all cytokines, and, while in the same direction as observed among girls, the cytokine × maternal distress interactions were non-significant. Conclusion The findings suggest that maternal distress is associated with child neuroendocrine-immune relations in saliva and may alter the sensitivity of inflammatory immune processes to cortisol's inhibitory effects. This desensitization may place the child at risk for inflammatory diseases. The findings support efforts for the early detection and treatment of at-risk mothers to protect maternal and child health and well-being.

Parental accommodation plays a key role in the maintenance of child anxiety, yet much of the research to date has been correlational, making it difficult to draw conclusions about underlying mechanisms. Given preliminary evidence that parental beliefs play a role in parental accommodation, the present study sought to experimentally reduce accommodation by targeting parental attitudes about child anxiety. Mothers of children ages 4-9 (N = 47) were randomly assigned to either receive brief instruction in cognitive reappraisal (EXP) or to a control intervention in which they received no instruction (CON). At pre- and post-intervention mothers were presented with bogus information that their child was experiencing varying levels of distress while completing a task in a nearby room. Maternal distress, negative affect and perceived likelihood of accommodation in the context of child distress were measured pre- and post-intervention. EXP mothers reported greater pre- to post-intervention decreases in distress and perceived likelihood of accommodation, compared to CON mothers. EXP and CON mothers showed similar changes in negative affect. Findings from this study provide preliminary experimental evidence that targeting maternal beliefs about child anxiety can result in changes in maternal distress and behavior following exposure to child distress. Implications for prevention and treatment are discussed.

The intersubjective family dimension of becoming a mother during the sensitive postpartum period has been little discussed in psychoanalysis or in other currents in psychology. Hypotheses: the lack of family's shoring in the immediate post-partum impact the motherhood processes: her psychic state (depression and anxiety). the establishment of maternai processes (primary maternai concern and maternai reverie), as well as the fate of her hostile motions in her relations. Epistemological approaches: clinical psychology and psychopathology with other contributions. Longitudinal and comparative mixed (clinical and quantitative) method in a sample of 35 families. Tools : interviews. observations and self-questionnaires assessing the psychic state of the mother (EPDS and STAI). her conjugal relationship (DAS), parental relationship (PAi) and her internai resources (RSQ and PBI). Results: Mothers with little family support are more likely to show signs of psychic distress and these signs persist over time, 6 months after the child birth. The analysis of three clinical cases makes it possible to follow over time the complexity of maternai processes, their links with family's shoring and the intra-psychic, intersubjective and societal factors that support or weaken them. The mother's hostile motions. not contained in the extended family, fuel her distress and her whole relationship with the spouse. father, and / or child. Conclusion: the necessary psychic work of becoming a mother in the immediate postpartum can not be considered without her family support network. This one is in interaction with her internai supports and depends on the relations with the father. The social context influences it. Consequences: this research shows the importance of taking into account, for the mother, the need in reality of the family support just after the birth and the setting up of adapted professional support.; La dimension intersubjective familiale du devenir mère lors de la période sensible du post­ partum a été peu abordée en psychanalyse ou dans les autres courants en psychologie. Hypothèses : le défaut d'étayage de la famille dans l'immédiat post-partum impacte les processus de la maternalité chez la mère : son état psychique (dépression et anxiété), sa préoccupation primaire et sa rêverie, ainsi que le destin de ses motions hostiles dans ses relations. Approches épistémologiques : la psychologie clinique et la psychopathologie avec d'autres apports. Méthode mixte (clinique et quantitative) longitudinale et comparative sur une population de 35 familles. Outils : des entretiens, des temps d'observations et des auto-questionnaires évaluant l'état psychique de la mère (EPDS et STA I), ses relations conjugales (EAD), parentales (IAP) et ses ressources internes (RSQ et PBI). Résultats : les mères qui ont peu bénéficié de soutien familial sont plus nombreuses à présenter des signes de détresse psychique et ces signes perdurent dans le temps, 6 mois après la naissance de leur enfant. L'analyse de trois cas cliniques permet de suivre dans le temps la complexité des processus de la maternalité, leurs liens avec l'étayage familial et les facteurs intra-psychiques , intersubjectifs et sociétaux qui les soutiennent ou au contraire les fragilisent. Les motions hostiles de la mère, non contenues par la famille élargie, alimentent sa détresse et l'ensemble de ses relations, avec le conjoint, le père et/ou l'enfant. Conclusion : le travail psychique nécessaire dans le post-partum immédiat du devenir mère ne peut être envisagé sans son réseau d'étayage familial. Celui-ci est en interaction avec ses appuis internes et dépend des relations avec le père. Le contexte social l'influence. Conséquences : cette recherche montre l'importance de prendre en compte,chez la mère, le besoin dans la réalité du soutien de sa famille juste après la naissance et la mise en place d'étayage professionnel adapté.

The intersubjective family dimension of becoming a mother during the sensitive postpartum period has been little discussed in psychoanalysis or in other currents in psychology. Hypotheses: the lack of family's shoring in the immediate post-partum impact the motherhood processes: her psychic state (depression and anxiety). the establishment of maternai processes (primary maternai concern and maternai reverie), as well as the fate of her hostile motions in her relations. Epistemological approaches: clinical psychology and psychopathology with other contributions. Longitudinal and comparative mixed (clinical and quantitative) method in a sample of 35 families. Tools : interviews. observations and self-questionnaires assessing the psychic state of the mother (EPDS and STAI). her conjugal relationship (DAS), parental relationship (PAi) and her internai resources (RSQ and PBI). Results: Mothers with little family support are more likely to show signs of psychic distress and these signs persist over time, 6 months after the child birth. The analysis of three clinical cases makes it possible to follow over time the complexity of maternai processes, their links with family's shoring and the intra-psychic, intersubjective and societal factors that support or weaken them. The mother's hostile motions. not contained in the extended family, fuel her distress and her whole relationship with the spouse. father, and / or child. Conclusion: the necessary psychic work of becoming a mother in the immediate postpartum can not be considered without her family support network. This one is in interaction with her internai supports and depends on the relations with the father. The social context influences it. Consequences: this research shows the importance of taking into account, for the mother, the need in reality of the family support just after the birth and the setting up of adapted professional support.; La dimension intersubjective familiale du devenir mère lors de la période sensible du post­ partum a été peu abordée en psychanalyse ou dans les autres courants en psychologie. Hypothèses : le défaut d'étayage de la famille dans l'immédiat post-partum impacte les processus de la maternalité chez la mère : son état psychique (dépression et anxiété), sa préoccupation primaire et sa rêverie, ainsi que le destin de ses motions hostiles dans ses relations. Approches épistémologiques : la psychologie clinique et la psychopathologie avec d'autres apports. Méthode mixte (clinique et quantitative) longitudinale et comparative sur une population de 35 familles. Outils : des entretiens, des temps d'observations et des auto-questionnaires évaluant l'état psychique de la mère (EPDS et STA I), ses relations conjugales (EAD), parentales (IAP) et ses ressources internes (RSQ et PBI). Résultats : les mères qui ont peu bénéficié de soutien familial sont plus nombreuses à présenter des signes de détresse psychique et ces signes perdurent dans le temps, 6 mois après la naissance de leur enfant. L'analyse de trois cas cliniques permet de suivre dans le temps la complexité des processus de la maternalité, leurs liens avec l'étayage familial et les facteurs intra-psychiques , intersubjectifs et sociétaux qui les soutiennent ou au contraire les fragilisent. Les motions hostiles de la mère, non contenues par la famille élargie, alimentent sa détresse et l'ensemble de ses relations, avec le conjoint, le père et/ou l'enfant. Conclusion : le travail psychique nécessaire dans le post-partum immédiat du devenir mère ne peut être envisagé sans son réseau d'étayage familial. Celui-ci est en interaction avec ses appuis internes et dépend des relations avec le père. Le contexte social l'influence. Conséquences : cette recherche montre l'importance de prendre en compte,chez la mère, le besoin dans la réalité du soutien de sa famille juste après la naissance et la mise en place d'étayage professionnel adapté.

This study aimed to examine factors associated with maternal wellbeing at four months post-partum in the Irish context. Socio-demographic, health behaviour and infant feeding data were collected in pregnancy, at birth and at 17 weeks post-partum. Maternal distress, body image and resilience were measured at 17 weeks post-partum. Binary logistic regression predicted maternal distress and statistical significance was taken at p < 0.05. One hundred and seventy-two women were followed-up in pregnancy, at birth and at 17 weeks post-partum. Three in five (61.6%, n106) initiated breastfeeding. At 17 weeks post-partum, 23.8% (n41) were exclusively or partially breastfeeding and over a third (36.0%, n62) of all mothers were at risk of distress. In multivariate analyses, independent predictors of distress included: low maternal resilience (p < 0.01, odds ratio (OR): 7.22 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.49–20.95)); unsatisfactory partner support (p = 0.02, OR: 3.89 (95% CI: 1.20–12.65)); older age (p = 0.02, OR: 1.11 (95% CI: 1.02–1.21)); and breastfeeding (p = 0.01, OR: 2.89 (95% CI: 1.29–6.47)). Routine assessment of emotional wellbeing and targeted interventions are needed to promote a more healthful transition to motherhood among women in Ireland.

Bu çalışmada plasentanın ayrılmasında kullanılan fundal bası ile maternal ıkınmanın ağrı üzerine etkisinin incelenmesi amaçlanmıştır. Araştırmanın örneklemi, İstanbul ilinin Avrupa yakasında yer alan Eğitim ve Araştırma Hastanesinin doğum ünitesine başvurmuş, hiçbir risk faktörü ve sezaryen endikasyonu bulunmayan, rastgele seçilmiş olan 61 nullipar ve 61 multipar toplam 122 gebe ile tamamlanmıştır. Araştırma Temmuz 2017 Aralık 2017 tarihleri arasında 6 aylık süreci içeren yarı-deneysel bir çalışmadır. Plasenta çıkarma yöntemlerinden maternal ıkınma ve fundal bası sırasında oluşan ağrı düzeylerinin belirlenmesi ve karşılaştırılması yapılmıştır. Gebelerin, plasentayı çıkarma evresinde ağrı düzeylerini ölçmek için VAS (Visual Analog Skala) skalası uygulanmıştır. Plasenta çıkarma yöntemi açısından gebelerin ağrı şiddetlerine bakıldığında; fundal bası olan gebelerin 2 tanesi 0 -3 şiddetinde ağrı ifade ederken, maternal ıkınmada bu sayı 22 olmuştur (p

If becoming a mother involves a reworking of a woman’s sense of self, then becoming a depressed mother requires double the amount of ‘self-work.’ This chapter explores the accounts of 19 women who identified as having experienced postnatal depression (PND). It examines how the women spoke of early maternal distress and how they related such distress to maternal subjectivities. In particular, it considers the tensions between what could be narrated and what exceeded, or interrupted, narration. The authors locate the accounts within a genre of recovery narratives, suggesting that they allowed women to ‘narrate away’ feelings of maternal inadequacy or impairment. Furthermore, the authors extend their analysis beyond the discursive realm, inferring non-verbal, indeed non-narratable, cadences in the narrative performance. Finally, they reflect on how such cadences might articulate with the heightened relationality of early maternity.

Background Effects of depression on parenting and on cognitive development of newborns are augmented when symptoms continue throughout the first postnatal year. Current classification systems recognize maternal depression as postnatal if symptoms commence within four to six weeks. Traditional cultural rituals in Sudan offer new mothers adequate family support in the first 6–8 weeks postpartum. The course of postnatal depression symptoms beyond that period is not explored in such settings. We therefore aim to investigate the change in screening status and in severity of depression and distress symptoms between three and eight months postpartum among a sample of Sudanese women using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and a locally used tool: the 10-items Hopkins Symptoms Checklist (HSCL-10). Methods Three hundred pregnant women in their 2nd or 3rd trimester were recruited from two clinics in Khartoum state. They were followed up and screened for depression symptoms eight months after delivery by EPDS at ≥12, and by HSCL-10 at ≥1.85. The same sample was previously screened for depression at three months after birth. Results Prevalence of postnatal depression symptoms by EPDS was lower at eight months compared to three months after birth (3.6% at eight months (8/223) compared to 9.2% at three months (22/238), p

Maternal emotional distress symptoms, including life satisfaction, anxiety and depressed mood, are worse in Severely Obese (SO) than lean pregnancy and may alter placental genes regulating fetal glucocorticoid exposure and placental growth. We hypothesised that the associations between increased maternal distress symptoms and changes in placental gene expression including IGF2 and genes regulating fetal glucocorticoid exposure are more pronounced in SO pregnancy. We also considered whether there were sex-specific effects. Placental mRNA levels of 11β-HSDs, NR3C1-α, NR3C2, ABC transporters, mTOR and the IGF2 family were measured in term placental samples from 43 lean (BMI ≤25 kg/m2) and 50 SO (BMI ≥40 kg/m2) women, in whom distress symptoms were prospectively evaluated during pregnancy. The mRNA levels of genes with a similar role in regulating fetal glucocorticoid exposure were strongly inter-correlated. Increased maternal distress symptoms associated with increased NR3C2 and IGF2 isoform 1(IGF2-1) in both lean and SO group (p≤ 0.05). Increased distress was associated with higher ABCB1 and ABCG2 mRNA levels in SO but lower ABCB1 and higher 11β-HSD1 mRNA levels in lean (p≤ 0.05) suggesting a protective adaptive response in SO placentas. Increased maternal distress associated with reduced mRNA levels of ABCB1, ABCG2, 11β-HSD2, NR3C1-α and IGF2-1 in placentas of female but not male offspring. The observed sex differences in placental responses suggest greater vulnerability of female fetuses to maternal distress with potentially greater fetal glucocorticoid exposure and excess IGF2. Further studies are needed to replicate these findings and to test whether this translates to potentially greater negative outcomes of maternal distress in female offspring in early childhood.

Objectives Identify factors associated with maternal perceptions of health-related quality of life (QoL) among youth with food allergies (FA), and identify maternal factors that may moderate relationships between FA-related challenges and child QoL. Methods In all, 533 mothers of children with FA completed measures assessing characteristics of their child's FA, maternal perceptions of child QoL, maternal psychological distress, and maternal overprotection. Results FA severity, maternal psychological distress, and overprotection were significantly associated with maternal reports of poorer child functioning and/or poorer QoL among youth with FA. Hierarchical linear regression analyses showed an FA severity by maternal distress interaction in the prediction of child FA-related anxiety; children of higher stress mothers showed a stronger link between auto-injector use and anxiety than children of lower stress mothers. Conclusions When identifying youth with FA who are at risk for low QoL, it is important to assess history of FA-related challenges, parental psychological distress, and overprotection.

Dynamic systems methods offer invaluable insight into the nuances of the early parent–child relationship. This prospective study aimed to highlight the characteristics of mother–infant dyadic behavior at 12 weeks post-partum using state space grid analysis (total n = 322). We also examined whether maternal prenatal depressive symptoms and perceived stress were associated with reduced non-negative engagement in exchange for more negativity and unengagement, and contrasted them with global observational methods. Non-negative engagement (NNE) was an attractor for dyads during a teaching task, with a range of flexibility and entropy across dyads. Further, dyads with mothers reporting higher prenatal depressive symptoms demonstrated less 12-week NNE dyadic behavior and more dyadic negativity. Prenatal maternal perceived stress was associated with reduced negativity and reduced flexibility in NNE states. However, maternal distress of any kind was not associated with entropy of behavior. Finally, direct comparisons with global perspectives of dyadic behavior indicated strong external validity relating to concepts of dyadic affect and engagement, and dynamic approaches remained uniquely related to prenatal distress above and beyond global observations of behavior. Findings lend support to the utility and necessity of dynamic systems approaches for identifying mechanisms of prenatal risk and emerging parent–child social–emotional functioning. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The objective of this article is to examine associations among socioeconomic, cultural, and child factors and maternal distress among families of children with intellectual disabilities (ID). Latino and nonLatino White (NLW) mothers of children with and without ID (N = 192) reported on familism, language acculturation, maternal distress, child adaptive functioning, and child behavior problems. Among mothers of children with ID, higher levels of child behavior problems mediated the association between Latina ethnicity and elevated maternal distress. Associations between child behavior problems and maternal distress in Latina mothers of children with ID were moderated by single-parent marital status, higher familism, and lower English usage. Thus, child and cultural factors contribute to elevated distress among Latina mothers of children with ID.

Utilizing a cohort sequential design and multilevel modeling on a sample of 113 mothers, the effects of three forms of maternal educational involvement (school-based involvement, home-based involvement, and home-school communication) on maternal and family functioning (maternal psychological distress, parenting efficacy, and family cohesion) were assessed over a seven year period when children with ASD in the study were 7–14 years of age. Findings indicated that maternal home-based educational involvement was linked to decreased psychological distress as well as to increased parenting efficacy and family cohesion, while home-school communication was linked to decreased distress and increased parenting efficacy (school-based involvement was related to decreased maternal distress only). In addition, in two instances, home-based involvement was found to moderate the effects of child and maternal risk factors (child problem behavior and stress proliferation) on maternal and family outcomes. Study findings are discussed in light of prior research and study limitations and implications are highlighted.

Background: Aim of current study was to study the use of outlet forceps in modern obstetrics and find out its fetal and maternal outcomes. Methods: Observational study of 50 cases of outlet forceps application over a period of 3 years and our institution from June 2012 to May 2015. Results: Outlet forceps was more commonly used in primipara patient between 21-30 years in term babies in prolonged second stage of labor and in case of fetal and maternal distress with perineal infiltration of local analgesia with minimal NICU admissions of the babies and minimal maternal perineal injuries. Conclusions: Prophylactic use of forceps is a safe alternative to cut short the second stage of labor. Using outlet forceps the overall rates of maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality are negligible and comparable to normal delivery.

Massage therapy is one of the oldest touch therapies, and it has been used for many conditions. We have systematically reviewed articles on infant massage to evaluate its effects on maternal distress, and also on mother-infant relationship. Infant massage has been known to benefit mothers and infants regarding several health variables such as depression, parenting stress, weight gain for the infant, hormones and anxiety as well as functionality of the immunity system. However, tactile-only stimulation must be distinguished from multisensory interventions that include a tactile component, for tactile-only stimulation without social contact is associated with higher levels of stress, and it is also overstimulating for infants. The significance of this systematic review lies in the important role of massage therapy in human health, as it highlights a crucial yet often underestimated effect in psychological and biosomatical variables.

Advances in perinatal mental health research have provided valuable insights around risk factors for the overall development of maternal distress. However, there is still a limited understanding of the experience of women struggling emotionally during pregnancy. We explored how women view, experience, and interpret psychological distress antenatally. Eighteen Australian women participated in in-depth interviews that were analyzed thematically within a critical realist theoretical framework. We present and situate the current findings within the dominant discourse of the good mother, which arguably promotes guilt and stigma and results in women self-labeling as bad mothers.

Fetal movement is an important index of fetal well-being. The absence or a reduction in fetal movement is a symptom or an alarming sign of fetal compromise or even death. The timely detection of abnormalities in fetal movement is vital to reduce the incidence of fetal loss, perinatal morbidity and maternal distress. This paper presents a smart fetal monitoring system to detect fetal movement and monitor movement pattern safely and reliably by using a new fabric sensor belt. The monitoring belt is wearable, non-intrusive, radiation free and washable. The new algorithms are robust for automated analysis, detection and assessment of fetal condition, which include effective noise removal, feature extraction, time sequence data analysis and decision support. Both the design of fabric sensor and functionality implementation of the belt are original and unique. The results of preliminary clinical trials demonstrate the feasibility of our prototype. There are no such similar products available in the market.

Background Maternal exposure to adversity during the perinatal period has been associated with increased susceptibility for psychiatric symptoms in the offspring. The aim of this study was to investigate a possible developmental effect of maternal perinatal stressors on emotional and behavioural symptoms in the offspring in a developing country. Methods We followed an Ethiopian birth cohort (N = 358), assessing intimate partner violence (IPV) and maternal psychiatric symptoms during the perinatal period and at follow-up 10 years later, as a proxy for adversity, and maternal ratings on the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) 10 years later as the outcome. Results Among the women, exposure to IPV was common (60.6%) during the perinatal period and predicted IPV (29.9% of the mothers) at follow-up (ρ = 0.132; p = 0.012). There was also an association between maternal psychiatric symptoms at the two time points (ρ = 0.136; p = 0.010) and between maternal symptoms and IPV. Current maternal symptoms of anxiety and depression (β = 0.057; p

Family accommodation is a pervasive problem among families of youth with anxiety disorders that frequently perpetuates anxiety symptoms and oppositional behaviors occurring in response to anxiety. Unfortunately, this problem is addressed all too infrequently in the literature regarding empirically supported treatments for anxiety disorders. The purpose of this report is to present a case of severe family accommodation for a young child with anxiety and oppositional behaviors. This case highlights the detriment of family factors such as accommodation, maternal distress, and anxious modeling as well as provides strategies for adapting an empirically supported treatment protocol (i.e. cognitive-behavioral therapy) to address such family factors. Behavioral and cognitive behavioral techniques, described within, were modified and utilized for treatment of a 6-year-old with significant anxiety symptoms. With adaptations, despite complicating family factors, behavioral treatment was successful in alleviating clinical symptoms of anxiety in a young child. This case exemplar suggests that treatment adaptation can produce successful outcomes in terms of symptom reduction; however, for circumstances in which families are particularly challenging, full remission may not be achieved should family accommodation fail to be eradicated.

Mothers of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) experience considerable amounts of distress and experiences of crisis. The Family Adjustment and Adaptation Response model provides a theory for understanding the experience of distress and crisis in families, and the purpose of the present study was to examine experiences of distress in mothers of individuals with ASD using this framework. We specifically investigated how parent empowerment and positive gain were related to their experiences of distress, whether as mediators or as moderators of child aggression. Participants included 156 mothers of children with ASD ranging in age from 4 to 21 years. Mothers completed an online survey of demographics, problem behaviors, family empowerment, positive gain, and distress. We conducted path analyses of multiple mediation and moderation. Results indicated that greater child problem behavior was related to less parent empowerment, which was related to greater maternal distress, supporting empowerment as a partial mediator. At the same time, greater child aggression was not related to maternal distress in mothers who report high rates of positive gain, suggesting that parent gain functions as a moderator. The implications for how and when clinicians intervene with families of children with ASD are discussed.

Theoretischer Hintergrund: In der Diagnostik psychischer Störungen im Jugendalter wird der Einbezug unterschiedlicher Urteilerperspektiven empfohlen. Die Aussagen unterschiedlicher Urteiler korrelieren jedoch nur gering. Fragestellung: Die Ziele dieser Arbeit bestehen in der Darstellung der Prävalenzen, der Übereinstimmung von Mutter-Kind-Aussagen sowie der Identifikation potentieller Prädiktoren von Nichtübereinstimmung hinsichtlich psychischer Störungen im Jugendalter. Methode: Die Stichprobe stammt aus dem DFG-Projekt „Zukunft Familie III” der Technischen Universität Braunschweig. Es wurden 234 Mütter (Alter: M = 46.4 Jahre, SD = 4.7) und deren Kinder im Alter zwischen 11 und 17 Jahren mit Hilfe des Diagnostischen Interviews bei psychischen Störungen im Kindes- und Jugendalter (Kinder-DIPS) und weiteren Verfahren befragt. Ergebnisse: Insgesamt liegen geringe Prävalenzen psychischer Störungen vor. Die Aussagen von Müttern und Jugendlichen weisen eine geringe bis mäßige Übereinstimmung auf (durchschnittliches κ = .26). Die Mütter berichten mehr externalisierende Störungen. Für internalisierende Störungen wurde kein signifikanter Unterschied zwischen Müttern und Jugendlichen gefunden. Die Jugendlichen berichten mehr Essstörungen und tendenziell mehr Schlafstörungen. Die psychische Belastung der Mutter, Konflikte innerhalb der Mutter-Kind-Beziehung und das Alter des Jugendlichen sind signifikante Prädiktoren für die Nichtübereinstimmung der Mutter-Kind-Aussagen. Schlussfolgerungen: Die Ergebnisse verdeutlichen die Notwendigkeit, sowohl das Urteil der Mutter als auch das Urteil des Kindes in der Diagnostik psychischer Störungen im Jugendalter zu beachten. Praktische Implikationen werden abgeleitet.