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Biological Mothers (biological + mother)
Selected AbstractsBrief exposure to the biological mother "potentiates" the isolation behavior of precocial Guinea pig pupsDEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOBIOLOGY, Issue 8 2006Michael B. Hennessy Abstract When isolated rat pups are briefly reunited with a lactating female, her subsequent removal leads to a dramatic increase in the emission of ultrasonic vocalizations, but not other behaviors. Whether this socially induced augmentation of isolation behavior (i.e., "potentiation") is characteristic only of altricial rodents is not known. Therefore, we examined precocial guinea pig pups in a potentiation paradigm. Ten-day-old guinea pigs were isolated in a test cage for 10 min, at which time they were then placed into a second cage for 5 min that either contained a companion or, for controls, was empty. Pups were then isolated again in the test cage for a second 10-min period. Control pups showed a significant reduction in vocalizing and locomotor activity from the first to second isolation period. Exposure to the biological mother prevented the decline in both behaviors (Experiment 1), whereas exposure to a familiar littermate (Experiment 2) had no effect, and exposure to an unfamiliar lactating female (Experiment 3) had only a minimal effect on locomotor activity. The results show that potentiation of isolation behaviors is not limited to altricial rodents, and suggest that specific characteristics of the effect (i.e., its magnitude, the specific behaviors affected, and the selectivity of the response to particular social partners) varies with the abilities and requirements of the young, as well as the behavioral ecology of the species in question. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Dev Psychobiol 48: 653,659, 2006. [source] A preliminary examination of the intergenerational continuity of maternal psychopathic featuresAGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR, Issue 1 2007Bryan R. Loney Abstract The study provided a preliminary test of the intergenerational continuity of maternal psychopathic features in a non-referred elementary aged sample of children. Consistent with dominant etiological models and recent behavioral genetics research, a direct association was expected between maternal and child affective features of psychopathy (i.e., callous,unemotional or CU traits). Potential mediators representative of alternative transmission mechanisms were assessed including parenting dysfunction, parental hostility/interpersonal insensitivity, and child impulsivity. Behavioral features of psychopathy were also assessed and were predicted to bear weaker and more indirect parent,child associations. A mixed sex sample of 83 children accompanied by a biological mother were administered a multi-informant rating-scale battery including separate parent (i.e., Levenson Self-Report Psychopathy Scale) and child (i.e., Antisocial Process Screening Device) measures of psychopathy. Consistent with prediction, a significant association was documented between maternal and child CU traits (r=.22). Additionally, a slightly weaker association and statistical trend (r=.21) was observed in the relation between maternal and child interpersonal features of the psychopathy construct. Contrary to prediction, all documented associations were fully mediated by parental hostility and parenting dysfunction. Given the preliminary nature of study findings, implications for developmental modeling and future intergenerational continuity research are discussed. Aggr. Behav. 33:14,25, 2007. © 2006 Wiley-Liss; Inc. [source] Predicting Family Reunification, Adoption, and Subsidized Guardianship Among Adolescents in Foster CareAMERICAN JOURNAL OF ORTHOPSYCHIATRY, Issue 3 2010Sonya J. Leathers Although national legislation has attempted to decrease the length of time that children spend in foster care, these policies have been less effective with adolescents than with children, raising questions about how best to promote permanency for adolescents. This study examined factors that predict adolescent adoption, subsidized guardianship, and reunification. The caseworkers and foster parents of 203 randomly selected 12- to 13-year-olds placed in traditional or specialized foster care were interviewed. Permanency outcomes were prospectively tracked for 8 years. By the end of the study, over 40% of the adolescents were placed in permanent homes. As hypothesized, a strong relationship with a biological mother predicted successful reunification, and a high degree of integration into a foster home predicted adoption. Additionally, when compared with adoption, subsidized guardianship with foster parents occurred more frequently for youth with strong relationships with their biological mothers and weaker relationships with their foster families. Unexpectedly, behavior problems were not related to any permanency outcomes. Results suggest that promotion of strong relationships with adults is the key in efforts to find permanent families for foster children. Furthermore, efforts to attain permanency should not cease during adolescence. [source] Extended Mother,Offspring Relationships in Crayfish: The Return Behaviour of Juvenile Procambarus ClarkiiETHOLOGY, Issue 10 2008Laura Aquiloni Crayfish shows a relatively complex parental behaviour compared with other invertebrates, but the literature provides only anecdotal accounts of this phenomenon. In Procambarus clarkii, we described the ,return' behaviour of third-stage juveniles when offered four types of adults: biological mothers, foster mothers, non-brooding females and males. Then, we analysed the posture and behaviour of the adults to understand the role played by the putative mother in attracting the juveniles. Contrary to non-brooding individuals, both biological and foster mothers displayed a relatively rare locomotion, executed few cleaning and feeding acts, and never attempted to prey on juveniles. They often assumed a ,spoon-like telson posture' that seemed to facilitate offspring's approaches. Juveniles increased the frequency of tail-flips away in the presence of non-brooding adults; conversely, they accepted foster mothers, along with biological mothers, but not as fast as the latter. Taken together, these results suggest that mother,offspring relationships in P. clarkii are more refined than previously thought, being possibly a key factor enabling this species to thrive in harsh environmental conditions. [source] West Coast study of childhood brain tumours and maternal use of hair-colouring productsPAEDIATRIC & PERINATAL EPIDEMIOLOGY, Issue 3 2002Elizabeth A Holly Summary The immature nervous system of the fetus is characterised by rapid cell growth and division and is particularly vulnerable to carcinogens and mutagens. Several epidemiological studies have reported an increased risk for childhood brain tumours (CBT) associated with exposure to N-nitroso compounds (NOC). Hair-colouring products (hair ,dyes') that contain NOC-related aromatic amines have shown mutagenicity in vitro and carcinogenic properties in vivo. The potential public health impact of the relationship between hair dye use and carcinogenesis has prompted epidemiological research, given that a large proportion of American women have used hair dyes. A large population-based case,control study was conducted on the west coast of the USA to investigate risk factors for CBT including exposure to NOC. Eligible CBT patients (<20 years of age and diagnosed between 1984 and 1991) were identified from cancer registries in Los Angeles County, the San Francisco Bay Area in California and the Seattle area in Washington state. A total of 540 biological mothers of these children were interviewed, and 801 control subjects who were frequency matched to the CBT patients on birth year and sex were obtained using random digit dialling. Mothers were asked details about personal use of hair dyes during the index pregnancy including frequency of use, trimester of use and type of dye used. Results from age- and sex-adjusted unconditional logistic regression analyses showed no association between risk for CBT and use of hair dyes 1 month before and/or during pregnancy nor during specific trimesters. A nearly twofold increased risk for CBT was associated with single-interval use during the 1 month before pregnancy, but the confidence interval (CI) was imprecise and the estimate was not different from unity (OR = 1.9, 95% CI [0.5, 7.0]). Exclusive use of permanent dye, temporary dye or hair darkeners was not associated with risk for CBT. A twofold increased risk (OR = 2.0, 95% CI [0.83, 4.7]) was observed with exclusive use of semi-permanent dye during the month before or during pregnancy. Exclusive use of semi-permanent dye during the month before pregnancy and/or first trimester also was associated with an elevated risk for CBT, again not different from unity and with an imprecise CI (OR = 2.5, 95% CI = [0.58, 10.3]). There was no evidence of an association between risk for CBT by histological subtypes and use of hair dyes during the index pregnancy or the month before conception. Together with results from previous studies, these results provide no consistent evidence of an association between risk for CBT and use of hair dyes during pregnancy. [source] Predicting Family Reunification, Adoption, and Subsidized Guardianship Among Adolescents in Foster CareAMERICAN JOURNAL OF ORTHOPSYCHIATRY, Issue 3 2010Sonya J. Leathers Although national legislation has attempted to decrease the length of time that children spend in foster care, these policies have been less effective with adolescents than with children, raising questions about how best to promote permanency for adolescents. This study examined factors that predict adolescent adoption, subsidized guardianship, and reunification. The caseworkers and foster parents of 203 randomly selected 12- to 13-year-olds placed in traditional or specialized foster care were interviewed. Permanency outcomes were prospectively tracked for 8 years. By the end of the study, over 40% of the adolescents were placed in permanent homes. As hypothesized, a strong relationship with a biological mother predicted successful reunification, and a high degree of integration into a foster home predicted adoption. Additionally, when compared with adoption, subsidized guardianship with foster parents occurred more frequently for youth with strong relationships with their biological mothers and weaker relationships with their foster families. Unexpectedly, behavior problems were not related to any permanency outcomes. Results suggest that promotion of strong relationships with adults is the key in efforts to find permanent families for foster children. Furthermore, efforts to attain permanency should not cease during adolescence. [source] Association between depression and anxiety in high-functioning children with autism spectrum disorders and maternal mood symptomsAUTISM RESEARCH, Issue 3 2010Carla A. Mazefsky Abstract Research suggests that children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) and their relatives have high rates of depression and anxiety. However, relatively few studies have looked at both factors concurrently. This study examined the potential relationship between maternal mood symptoms and depression and anxiety in their children with ASD. Participants were 31 10- to 17-year-old children with an ASD diagnosis that was supported by gold-standard measures and their biological mothers. Mothers completed the Autism Comorbidity Interview to determine whether the child with ASD met criteria for any depressive or anxiety diagnoses and a questionnaire of their own current mood symptoms. As expected, many children with ASD met criteria for lifetime diagnoses of depressive (32%) and anxiety disorders (39%). Mothers' report of their own current mood symptoms revealed averages within the normal range, though there was significant variability. Approximately 75% of children with ASD could be correctly classified as having a depressive or anxiety disorder history or not based on maternal symptoms of interpersonal sensitivity, hostility, phobic anxiety, depression, and anxiety. The results provide preliminary evidence that maternal mood symptoms may be related to depression and anxiety in their children with ASD. Although the design did not allow for testing of heritability per se, the familial transmission patterns were generally consistent with research in typical populations. While larger follow-up studies are needed, this research has implications for prevention and intervention efforts. [source] In utero exposure to female hormones and germ cell tumors in children,CANCER, Issue 5 2006M.P.H., Sadhna Shankar M.D. Abstract BACKGROUND Maternal exposure to exogenous female hormones during pregnancy has been implicated as a risk factor for malignant germ cell tumors (GCTs) in the offspring in some epidemiologic studies of testicular and ovarian carcinoma in adults. METHODS From 1996 to 2002, 278 children younger than 15 years of age with malignant GCTs and 423 healthy controls, frequency-matched for geographic location, age, and sex were enrolled in a case,control study to investigate whether in utero exposure to female hormones is associated with the risk of malignant GCT in children. Cases were recruited from 84 institutions in the U.S. and controls were enrolled through random digit dialing. Information was obtained through telephone interview with the biological mothers of the subjects and through blinded review of the mothers' medical records. RESULTS Neither self-reported (odds ratio [OR] = 1.15; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.63, 2.12) nor medical chart based (OR = 1.14; 95% CI, 0.75, 1.73) maternal exposure to exogenous female hormones was related to malignant GCT risk. Pregnancy-related conditions that may have altered serum levels of circulating female hormones were also unrelated to the risk of GCT in the offspring. CONCLUSION This study failed to provide strong evidence to support the hypothesis that maternal exposure to exogenous female hormones during pregnancy increases the risk of GCT in the offspring. Cancer 2006. © 2006 American Cancer Society. [source] | ||||||||||