Maternal Anxiety (maternal + anxiety)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Prenatal Maternal Anxiety and Depression Predict Negative Behavioral Reactivity in Infancy

INFANCY, Issue 3 2004
Elysia Poggi Davis
The effects of maternal antenatal and postnatal anxiety and depression on infant negative behavioral reactivity were examined in a sample of 22 mother-infant pairs. Maternal anxiety and depression were assessed by standardized measures during the third trimester of pregnancy and postpartum. Infant negative behavioral responses to novelty were assessed using a previously validated measure at 4 months of age. Maternal anxiety and depression during the prenatal, but not the postnatal period, were related to infant negative behavioral reactivity to novelty. These data illustrate that prenatal maternal psychological state can exert persisting influences on human infant behavior. [source]


Anxiety affects the relationship between parents and their very low birth weight infants

INFANT MENTAL HEALTH JOURNAL, Issue 3 2007
Phyllis Zelkowitz
The goal of this study was to examine the medical and sociodemographic factors associated with parental anxiety following the birth of a very low birth weight infant (VLBW, below 1500 g), and to determine the impact of anxiety on the behavior of parents with their VLBW infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). The parents of 88 VLBW infants were recruited through the NICU of a tertiary-care hospital, approximately 2 weeks following delivery. Parents completed self-report questionnaires measuring anxiety, marital quality, and social support. Prior to discharge, each parent was observed twice during a feeding interaction with the infant. Maternal anxiety was greater when their infants were smaller in terms of birth weight and younger in gestational age. Maternal education, marital status, and country of origin, as well as social support and marital quality, were also associated with anxiety. Paternal anxiety was not related to socioeconomic status or infant medical risk, but was associated with country of origin, social support, and marital quality. For both mothers and fathers, anxiety was a better predictor of parental behavior than was infant medical risk. These findings suggest the need to intervene with anxious parents in order to promote satisfactory parent-infant relationships. [source]


Maternal anxiety at amniocentesis and plasma cortisol

PRENATAL DIAGNOSIS, Issue 6 2006
P. Sarkar
Abstract Objectives To assess whether anticipation of amniocentesis is linked with maternal anxiety, and whether this anxiety is associated with increased maternal plasma cortisol. Methods Two hundred and fifty-four women awaiting a morning amniocentesis for karyotyping (gestation range 15,37 weeks, median 17 weeks) completed Spielberger state and trait anxiety inventory (STAI) questionnaires, and provided blood samples immediately before the procedure for cortisol assay. Six hundred and five women at mean gestation of 20 weeks, attending the same hospital for routine ultrasound but not for amniocentesis, also completed Spielberger STAI questionnaires and served as a comparison group for the anxiety ratings. Results Mean state and trait anxiety scores (± SD) in the comparison group of 605 women at mean gestation of 20 weeks were 36.1 ± 10.2 (range 20,70) and 35.6 ± 8.9 (range 20,73), respectively. The mean state anxiety score (±SD) of 49.8 ± 14.0 (range 20,77) of the amniocentesis group was considerably higher than the comparison group (p < 0.001), although the mean trait anxiety score in the amniocentesis group was similar at 36.4 ± 8.6 (range 21,60). The state, but not trait, anxiety correlated with plasma cortisol (r = 0.176, p = 0.005). Maternal cortisol in the amniocentesis group increased with gestational age (r = 0.310, p < 0.001), whereas state anxiety scores showed no significant change with increase in gestational age (r = , 0.042, ns). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that maternal state anxiety was positively correlated with plasma cortisol independent of gestation and time of collection. Conclusion Women awaiting amniocentesis experience a high state anxiety associated with modestly increased plasma cortisol. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Fetal fibronectin test predicts delivery before 30 weeks of gestation in high risk women, but increases anxiety

BJOG : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OBSTETRICS & GYNAECOLOGY, Issue 3 2005
Andrew Shennan
Objective To assess efficacy of cervico-vaginal fetal fibronectin as a predictor of spontaneous preterm birth in a high risk antenatal population, and to evaluate the psychological impact of fetal fibronectin testing. Design An observational study. Setting The antenatal clinic at a tertiary referral hospital. Population One hundred and forty-six pregnant women with known risk factors for spontaneous preterm birth. Methods Women designated as ,at risk' for preterm delivery by clinical history were screened for fetal fibronectin at 24 and again at 27 weeks of gestation. Anxiety levels were assessed by questionnaire and compared with anxiety levels of 206 low risk women also tested for fetal fibronectin. Fetal fibronectin results were disclosed to the woman and her clinician. Main outcome measures Maternal anxiety and efficacy of the 24-week fetal fibronectin test to predict delivery before 30, 34 and 37 weeks of gestation. Results Maternal anxiety was higher pretesting in those at high risk compared with low risk women undergoing the test. Among the high risk women, anxiety was raised to clinically significant levels in those receiving a positive fetal fibronectin screening test result. In all women, 5%, 9% and 21% delivered <30, <34 or <37 weeks of gestation, respectively. Nine percent (n= 13) tested positive for fetal fibronectin at 24 weeks. Predictive power for fetal fibronectin (24 weeks) was greatest for delivery <30 weeks of gestation, with a likelihood ratio of 15 for a positive test (6/13 positive women delivered before 30 weeks). Conclusions Fetal fibronectin was most efficient as a predictor of preterm spontaneous delivery <30 weeks of gestation, but was associated with high levels of anxiety. [source]


Sonography and Sociality: Obstetrical Ultrasound Imaging in Urban Vietnam

MEDICAL ANTHROPOLOGY QUARTERLY, Issue 2 2007
Tine Gammeltoft
This article is about new reproductive technologies, maternal anxieties, and existential uncertainties. It explores the question of why pregnant women in Vietnam's capital, Hanoi, have become avid consumers of obstetrical ultrasound scanning even while expressing profound doubts regarding the reliability and safety of this new technology of pregnancy. Through a phenomenological analysis of the social production of women's sense of reproductive risks and uncertainties, the article shows how Hanoian women's paradoxical stances toward ultrasound imaging can be explained through a consideration of embodied and historically generated experiences within everyday local worlds. The article argues that the "scientific stories" of fetal well-being and normality that are produced through ultrasonography are challenged by vivid and continual exchanges in everyday lives of stories of the inherent uncertainties of existence in general and of human reproduction in particular. [source]


Prenatal cocaine exposure and infant sleep at 7 months of age: The influence of the caregiving environment

INFANT MENTAL HEALTH JOURNAL, Issue 4 2006
Pamela Schuetze
The primary goal of this study was to examine sleep problems in a sample of cocaine-exposed 7-month-old infants and to determine if maternal psychopathology mediated any existing association between substance exposure and sleep behaviors. We also examined the differences in sleep behaviors of cocaine-exposed infants in parental custody and cocaine-exposed infants in nonparental custody. Participants were 65 cocaine-exposed and 53 nonexposed infants and their primary caregivers who were recruited at delivery and assessed at 7 months of infant age. As expected, women who used cocaine during pregnancy had more psychiatric symptoms than nonusers. Prenatal exposure to heavier amounts of cocaine was significantly related to more severe sleep difficulties, and maternal anxiety mediated this association. Approximately 28% of cocaine mothers lost custody of their infants by 7 months of age. Nonmaternal caregivers had significantly fewer symptoms of psychopathology than the cocaine-using women who retained custody of their children. Infants who were in nonparental care at 7 months of age also had less severe sleep problems than did infants who remained in parental care. [source]


The influence of prematurity, maternal anxiety, and infants' neurobiological risk on mother,infant interactions

INFANT MENTAL HEALTH JOURNAL, Issue 5 2005
Gesine Schmücker
In this study, we investigated how the birth of a very low birth weight preterm (VLBW) infant influences the mother,infant interaction at 3 months. We also focused on the impact of the infant's neurobiological risk and maternal anxiety, and their interaction. The comparison of the VLBW preterm sample (n = 79) with an external full-term sample (n = 35) showed mother,infant interactions of the families with the preterm infant to be more vocally responsive during the interaction, but less facially responsive during the interaction. Additionally, higher levels of maternal anxiety were associated with preterm infants being less facially responsive in interaction with their mother. While neurobiological risk of the infant played a part in this association, with higher risk infants also being less facially responsive, the relationship with maternal anxiety and the mother,child interaction was stronger. How these findings may influence therapeutic interventions is discussed. [source]


A challenging intervention with maternal anxiety: Babies requiring surgical correction of a congenital anomaly after missed prenatal diagnosis

INFANT MENTAL HEALTH JOURNAL, Issue 6 2003
Lucia Aite
The objective of this study is to assess the impact on maternal anxiety of a short-term intervention in a particularly stressful situation, such as a surgical anomaly diagnosed only at birth after repeated negative prenatal ultrasounds. The patients were 30 mothers of babies requiring surgical correction of a congenital anomaly who were randomly assigned to an intervention (N = 16) or control (N = 14) group. The intervention group received standard care plus short-term intervention that included weekly meetings with the psychologist and weekly team meetings. The control group received only standard care available on the Neonatal Surgery Unit. The main outcome measure was maternal anxiety levels, assessed at birth and on discharge with the Spielberger State,Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI,S). Statistical comparisons were made, and no significant differences were found at birth in the STAI,S scores of the two groups. At discharge, the intervention group exhibited a much lower STAI,S score than the group without short-term intervention. The authors concluded that psychological counseling for parents of newborn babies has been shown to be helpful. However, the impact of such assistance was shown to be particularly beneficial for parents facing the emotional stress of their children requiring unexpected surgical corrections of congenital anomalies at birth. Therefore, the presence of a psychologist, as part of the standard care of newborns requiring surgical correction, is recommended. ©2003 Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health. [source]


Affect expression in prenatally psychotropic exposed and nonexposed mother,infant dyads

INFANT MENTAL HEALTH JOURNAL, Issue 4 2002
Pratibha N. Reebye
This prospective study examined infant, maternal, and dyadic affective profiles at three months postpartum in infant,mother dyads that were exposed to psychotropic medications in utero compared with nonexposed control dyads. Control dyads of nondepressed mothers and their infants showed many similarities in affect expression with mother,infant dyads who were exposed to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) alone for treatment of maternal depression. In contrast, mothers who received SSRIs and Rivotril (Benzodiazepine derivative) for treatment of depression and anxiety expressed both positive and negative affect towards their infants. Clinical implications regarding use of psychotropic medications such as SSRIs alone or in combination with other drugs for treatment of maternal anxiety and depression during pregnancy are discussed. Clinicians should be aware of the possible differential response in maternal,infant interaction in a mixed diagnosis group (i.e., depression and anxiety) regarding infant temperament, possibly suggesting latent behavioral teratogenicity with psychotropics. ©2002 Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health. [source]


Relationships between partner's support during labour and maternal outcomes

JOURNAL OF CLINICAL NURSING, Issue 2 2000
MPhil, Wan Yim Ip BN
,,The objective of this study was to measure the relationship between women's ratings of partners' participation during labour and maternal outcomes as measured by anxiety level, pain perception, dosage of pain-relieving drug used and length of labour. ,,A convenience sample of 45 primigravid women was selected from the postpartum unit of a public hospital in Hong Kong. They were all first-time Chinese mothers, aged 18 or over, who had attended antenatal classes and had their partners present during labour. ,,The State Scale of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory was used to measure maternal anxiety during labour. Labour pain was measured by the Visual Analogue Scale. A series of scales were developed to measure partners' participation during labour. ,,Women's ratings of partners' practical support were significantly lower than their ratings of partners' emotional support. There were no significant associations between level of emotional support and maternal outcome measures. However, perceived practical support was positively related to the dosage of pain-relieving drug used and total length of labour. Positive relationships between the duration of partners' presence and women's ratings of perceived support provided by partners during labour were also found. [source]


Stability and individual change in depressive symptoms among mothers raising young children with ASD: maternal and child correlates,

JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 12 2009
Alice S. Carter
Abstract Mothers raising children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) evidence elevated depressive symptoms, but symptom stability has not been examined. Mothers (N=143) of toddlers with ASD (77% boys) were enrolled and assessed when their children were 18 to 33 months old and followed annually for 2 years. Multilevel modeling revealed no significant change in group depressive symptom level, which was in the moderately elevated range (Intercept=13.67; SE=.96). In contrast, there was significant individual variation in change over time. Child problem behaviors and delayed competence, maternal anxiety symptoms and angry/hostile mood, low parenting efficacy and social supports, and coping styles were associated with depression severity. Only maternal anxiety and parenting efficacy predicted individual change. Many mothers do not appear to adapt, supporting the need for early intervention for maternal well-being. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Psychol 65: 1,11, 2009. [source]


Maternal anxiety at amniocentesis and plasma cortisol

PRENATAL DIAGNOSIS, Issue 6 2006
P. Sarkar
Abstract Objectives To assess whether anticipation of amniocentesis is linked with maternal anxiety, and whether this anxiety is associated with increased maternal plasma cortisol. Methods Two hundred and fifty-four women awaiting a morning amniocentesis for karyotyping (gestation range 15,37 weeks, median 17 weeks) completed Spielberger state and trait anxiety inventory (STAI) questionnaires, and provided blood samples immediately before the procedure for cortisol assay. Six hundred and five women at mean gestation of 20 weeks, attending the same hospital for routine ultrasound but not for amniocentesis, also completed Spielberger STAI questionnaires and served as a comparison group for the anxiety ratings. Results Mean state and trait anxiety scores (± SD) in the comparison group of 605 women at mean gestation of 20 weeks were 36.1 ± 10.2 (range 20,70) and 35.6 ± 8.9 (range 20,73), respectively. The mean state anxiety score (±SD) of 49.8 ± 14.0 (range 20,77) of the amniocentesis group was considerably higher than the comparison group (p < 0.001), although the mean trait anxiety score in the amniocentesis group was similar at 36.4 ± 8.6 (range 21,60). The state, but not trait, anxiety correlated with plasma cortisol (r = 0.176, p = 0.005). Maternal cortisol in the amniocentesis group increased with gestational age (r = 0.310, p < 0.001), whereas state anxiety scores showed no significant change with increase in gestational age (r = , 0.042, ns). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that maternal state anxiety was positively correlated with plasma cortisol independent of gestation and time of collection. Conclusion Women awaiting amniocentesis experience a high state anxiety associated with modestly increased plasma cortisol. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Psychological impact of the detection of soft markers on routine ultrasound scanning: a pilot study investigating the modifying role of information

PRENATAL DIAGNOSIS, Issue 7 2002
Melanie S. Watson
Abstract Objectives To determine the impact on maternal anxiety of detecting a soft marker, and the association between anxiety and the information given during the scan. Methods Routine 20-week fetal anomaly scans were audiotaped in the obstetric ultrasound unit of a London teaching hospital, across a four month study period. The study sample comprised 28 pregnant women: 14 in whom a soft marker was detected and a comparison group of 14 women in whom no marker was identified. Telephone interviews were conducted within one week of the scan, at 30,weeks' gestation, and one month after the birth of their children. The main outcome was anxiety, assessed using a standardized scale. Information provided during the scan was coded from transcripts. Results In the week following the scan, women with soft markers had clinically significant levels of anxiety. At 30,weeks' gestation and one month post-partum their levels were within the normal range. Women who were told during their scan that their baby would probably be all right, compared with women not told this, were significantly less anxious and worried about their baby. Conclusions Results from this small longitudinal study suggest that the detection of soft markers on routine prenatal ultrasound causes considerable short-term anxiety for women and that providing reassurance during the scan may prevent some of this anxiety. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Identifying predictors of breastfeeding self-efficacy in the immediate postpartum period,

RESEARCH IN NURSING & HEALTH, Issue 4 2006
Cindy-Lee E. Dennis
Abstract Researchers have found evidence that breastfeeding self-efficacy is an important variable that significantly influences initiation and duration rates. The purpose of this study was to develop a multi-factorial predictive model of breastfeeding self-efficacy in the first week postpartum. As part of a longitudinal study, a population-based sample of 522 breastfeeding mothers in a health region near Vancouver, British Columbia completed mailed questionnaires at 1-week postpartum. Bivariate correlations were used to select variables for the multiple regression analysis. The best-fit regression model revealed eight variables that explained 54% of the variance in Breastfeeding Self Efficacy Scale (BSES) scores at 1-week postpartum: maternal education, support from other women with children, type of delivery, satisfaction with labor pain relief, satisfaction with postpartum care, perceptions of breastfeeding progress, infant feeding method as planned, and maternal anxiety. The BSES may be used to identify risk factors, enabling health professionals to improve quality of care for new breastfeeding mothers. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Res Nurs Health 29: 256,268, 2006 [source]


Antenatal maternal stress and long-term effects on child neurodevelopment: how and why?

THE JOURNAL OF CHILD PSYCHOLOGY AND PSYCHIATRY AND ALLIED DISCIPLINES, Issue 3-4 2007
Nicole M. Talge
We review a significant body of evidence from independent prospective studies that if a mother is stressed while pregnant, her child is substantially more likely to have emotional or cognitive problems, including an increased risk of attentional deficit/hyperactivity, anxiety, and language delay. These findings are independent of effects due to maternal postnatal depression and anxiety. We still do not know what forms of anxiety or stress are most detrimental, but research suggests that the relationship with the partner can be important in this respect. The magnitude of these effects is clinically significant, as the attributable load of emotional/behavioral problems due to antenatal stress and/or anxiety is approximately 15%. Animal models suggest that activity of the stress-responsive hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and its hormonal end-product cortisol are involved in these effects in both mother and offspring. The fetal environment can be altered if stress in the mother changes her hormonal profile, and in humans, there is a strong correlation between maternal and fetal cortisol levels. However, many problems remain in understanding the mechanisms involved in this interaction. For example, maternal cortisol responses to stress decline over the course of pregnancy, and earlier in pregnancy, the link between maternal and fetal cortisol is less robust. It is possible that the effects of maternal anxiety and stress on the developing fetus and child are moderated by other factors such as a maternal diet (e.g., protein load). It is suggested that extra vigilance or anxiety, readily distracted attention, or a hyper-responsive HPA axis may have been adaptive in a stressful environment during evolution, but exists today at the cost of vulnerability to neurodevelopmental disorders. [source]


Influence of Knowledge and Attitudes on Exclusive Breastfeeding Practice Among Rural Jamaican Mothers

BIRTH, Issue 4 2004
Leia M. Chatman BS
The impact of knowledge about and attitude toward breastfeeding on the duration of exclusive breastfeeding is also poorly understood. The objective of this study was to gather information about factors that influence exclusive breastfeeding and its duration. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 11 health centers within the parish of Saint Ann, Jamaica. A pretested questionnaire collected information on breastfeeding knowledge and attitudes toward intention to breastfeed and other relevant sociodemographic characteristics. Results: Information was documented for 599 mother-child pairs. The prevalence of breastfeeding initiation was 98.2 percent; of mothers who initiated breastfeeding, 22.2 percent practiced it exclusively (at least 6 months). No difference occurred between exclusive and nonexclusive breastfeeding mothers in terms of knowledge about and attitudes toward breastfeeding. Of potential predictors assessed, the male partner's role as the main source of income for the family was the only significant predictor for exclusive breastfeeding. Women whose male partner was the main source of income for the family were twice as likely to exclusively breastfeed their infants compared with the referent group (mothers as main source of income)(OR = 2.0; 95% CI = 1.4,3.0). In addition, the dominant reason for partial breastfeeding was maternal anxiety that breastmilk alone might not provide sufficient nourishment. Conclusion: The level of exclusive breastfeeding was extremely low at the study site. Formulation of strategies to aggressively promote exclusive breastfeeding practices is urgently needed there. Such interventions should consider involvement of the male partner, especially, with respect to the financial support, as well as alleviating maternal anxiety regarding nutritional adequacy of breastmilk. [source]


A randomised trial of two methods of issuing prenatal test results: the ARIA (Amniocentesis Results: Investigation of Anxiety) trial

BJOG : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OBSTETRICS & GYNAECOLOGY, Issue 4 2007
J Hewison
Background, Many pregnant women experience anxiety while waiting for the results of diagnostic tests. Policies and practices intended to reduce this anxiety require evaluation. Objectives, To test the following two hypotheses: ,,That giving amniocentesis results out on a fixed date alters maternal anxiety during the waiting period, compared with a policy of telling parents that the result will be issued ,when available' (i.e. variable date). ,,That issuing early results from a rapid molecular test alters maternal anxiety during the waiting period, compared with not receiving any results prior to the karyotype. The effects of the two interventions on anxiety 1 month after receiving karyotype results were also examined. Design, A multicentre, randomised, controlled, open fixed sample, 2 × 2 factorial design trial, with equal randomisation. Setting, The prenatal diagnosis clinics in 12 hospitals in England offering amniocentesis as a diagnostic test for Down's syndrome. Sample, Two hundred and twenty-six women who had had an amniocentesis were randomised between June 2002 and July 2004. Eight women with abnormal results or test failure were excluded postrandomisation. Interventions, Issuing karyotype results on a prespecified fixed date, rather than issuing them as soon as they became available. Issuing karyotype results alone, or subsequent to issuing results from a rapid molecular test for the most common chromosomal abnormalities. Main outcome measures, Average anxiety during the waiting period, calculated using daily scores from the short version of the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). Anxiety 1 month after receiving karyotype results, measured using the short form STAI. Results, Issuing early results from a partial but rapid test reduced maternal anxiety by a clinically significant amount during the waiting period (mean daily score 12.5 versus 14.8; scale score difference ,2.36, 95% CI ,1.2, ,3.6), compared with receiving only the full karyotype results. There was no evidence that giving out karyotype results on a fixed or on a variable date altered maternal anxiety during the waiting period (mean daily score 13.2 versus 14.2; scale score difference ,1.02, 95% CI ,2.2, 0.2). One month after receiving normal karyotype results, anxiety was low in all groups, but women who had been given rapid test results tended to be more anxious than those who had not (mean single day score 9.2 versus 8.3; mean scale score difference 0.95, 95% CI ,0.03, 1.9). This small to moderate effect did not reach conventional levels of statistical significance. Conclusions, Rapid testing was a beneficial addition to karyotyping, at least in the short term. This does not necessarily imply that early results would be preferred to comprehensive ones if women had to choose between them. Because there are no clear advantages in anxiety terms of issuing karyotype results as soon as they become available, or on a fixed date, women could be given a choice between them. [source]


The future of prenatal diagnosis: rapid testing or full karyotype?

BJOG : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OBSTETRICS & GYNAECOLOGY, Issue 10 2005
An audit of chromosome abnormalities, pregnancy outcomes for women referred for Down's Syndrome testing
Objective To assess the implications of a change in prenatal diagnosis policy from full karyotype analysis to rapid trisomy testing for women referred primarily for increased risk of Down's Syndrome. Design Retrospective collection and review of data. Setting The four London Regional Genetics Centres. Population Pregnant women (32,674) in the London area having invasive prenatal diagnosis during a six-year three-month period. Methods Abnormal karyotypes and total number of samples referred for raised maternal age, raised risk of Down's Syndrome following serum screening or maternal anxiety were collected. Abnormal karyotypes detected by molecular trisomy detection were removed, leaving cases with residual abnormal karyotypes. These were assessed for their clinical significance. Pregnancy outcomes were ascertained by reviewing patient notes or by contacting obstetricians or general practioners. Main outcome measures Proportion of prenatal samples with abnormal karyotypes that would not have been detected by rapid trisomy testing, and the outcome of those pregnancies with abnormal karyotypes. Results Results from 32,674 samples were identified, of which 24,891 (76.2%) were from women referred primarily for Down's Syndrome testing. There were 118/24,891 (0.47%) abnormal sex chromosome karyotypes. Of the samples with autosomal abnormalities that would not be detected by rapid trisomy testing, 153/24,891 (0.61%) were in pregnancies referred primarily for Down's Syndrome testing. Of these, 98 (0.39%) had a good prognosis (46/98 liveborn, 3/98 terminations, 1/98 intrauterine death, 1/98 miscarriage, 47/98 not ascertained); 37 (0.15%) had an uncertain prognosis (20/37 liveborn, 5/37 terminations; 12/37 not ascertained) and 18 (0.07%) had a poor prognosis (1/18 liveborn, 2/18 miscarriage, 11/18 terminations, 4/18 not ascertained). Conclusions For pregnant women with a raised risk of Down's Syndrome, a change of policy from full karyotype analysis to rapid trisomy testing would result in the failure to detect chromosome abnormalities likely to have serious clinical significance in approximately 0.06% (1 in 1659) cases. However, it should be noted that this figure may be higher (up to 0.12%; 1 in 833) if there were fetal abnormalities in some of the pregnancies in the uncertain prognosis group for which outcome information was not available. [source]


Longitudinal correlates of the persistence of irregular eating from age 5 to 14 years

ACTA PAEDIATRICA, Issue 1 2010
BM McDermott
Abstract Aim:, To report the stability of parent-perceived child irregular eating from 6 months to 14 years of age and to investigate a predictive model inclusive of child and parent factors. Methods:, Of the 7223 singleton children in a birth cohort, 5122 children were re-interviewed at 5 years and 4554 for the 14-year analysis. Information was obtained from structured interviews including questions answered by parents of the child at birth, 6 months, 5 years and 14 years; and by teenagers at age 14 years and from physical measures of the child. The mother's perception that the child was an irregular eater at age 14 years was the major outcome variable of interest. Results:, Approximately 40% of irregular eaters at age 5 will still be irregular eaters at age 14 years. This was not related to maternal education or socio-economic class. Significant at multivariate analysis were infant feeding problems and the children's ability to regulate their sleep and mood. Significant maternal factors were greater age, not feeling positive about the baby and persistent maternal anxiety during the child's early years. Conclusion:, Irregular eating behaviour displays considerable continuity from childhood to mid-adolescence. Independent contributions to this behavioural phenotype include child biological and psychological factors and maternal anxiety during the child's early years. [source]


Early childhood factors influencing health-related quality of life in adolescents at 13 years

CHILD: CARE, HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENT, Issue 4 2004
Elise Maher
Early childhood factors influencing health-related quality of life in adolescents at 13 years . Wilkins, A.J., O'Callaghan, M.J., Najman, J.M., Williams, G.M. & Shuttlewood, G. ( 2004 ) Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health40 , 102 , 109 . Objective To understand the relationship of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) to early life experience. Methodology Eight thousand five hundred and fifty-six women enrolled in a prospective study at their first antenatal clinic visit. At 13 years, of 5345 women remaining, a consecutive sample of 901 mother/child pairs provided data on adolescent HRQOL using the Child Health Questionnaire-Parent Report form (CHQ-PF50) and the Dartmouth COOP Functional Assessment Charts for Adolescents. The CHQ-PF50 yielded physical (PHS) and psychosocial (PSS) summary scores. We examined the relationship between HRQOL and early childhood predictive variables. Results PHS was related to gestation, maternal health symptoms in pregnancy, maternal anxiety at 6 months, child health and hours of childcare at 5 years (P < 0.05). PSS was related to maternal age at index visit, maternal attitude to pregnancy, maternal satisfaction with caregiving and maternal depression at 6 months, and child health and behaviour problems at 5 years (internalizing and social/attentional/thought (SAT) domains) (P < 0.05). Findings from adolescent self-reports were similar. Conclusions This study has identified a number of early childhood determinants of adolescent HRQOL. These findings add to the evidence of the effects of early adversity on the developmental pathways of children and support the need for effective early intervention. [source]


Covert fears and anxiety in asthma and congenital heart disease,

CHILD: CARE, HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENT, Issue 4 2001
S Gupta
Summary Aim To compare anxiety, fears and behavioural problems in children with asthma and children with congenital heart disease, and with the normative population. To also review the influence of maternal anxiety, time since diagnosis and severity of disease. Design Children administered Fear Survey Scale (FSSC-R) and Child Manifest Anxiety Scale (R-CMAS). Mothers given Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL) and State Trait Anxiety Scale (STAI-S and STAI-T). Normative means and SDs compared with means and SDs for both medical groups. The mother's scores on the STAI-S and STAI-T scales were correlated with the child's scores on the FSSC-R and the R-CMAS. Setting Outpatient Asthma and Cardiology multidisciplinary Clinics at a tertiary care paediatric facility, Alberta Children's Hospital. Subjects: Forty children with asthma (aged 6,17 years) were compared with 39 children with congenital heart disease. Intake questionnaires and interviews determined these children to be without obvious psycho-social problems. Results Children with asthma and children with congenital heart disease had more medical fears, and more physiological anxiety than normative samples. Increased maternal anxiety was correlated in both groups with increased child anxiety, medical fears and behavioural problems in the child. Similarly, increased severity of asthma or cardiac problems was associated with more physiological anxiety and more fears. Less time since diagnosis of the disease adversely affected social interactions in both groups of children. Conclusion Physiological anxiety, medical fears and maternal anxiety are important issues requiring attention in asthma and cardiac disease, even in the absence of obvious psychosocial problems. There may be specific problems with a recent diagnosis of a chronic illness. [source]


Treatment of child anxiety: an exploratory study of the role of maternal anxiety and behaviours in treatment outcome

CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY AND PSYCHOTHERAPY (AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF THEORY & PRACTICE), Issue 1 2008
Cathy Creswell
Anxiety disorders are common among parents of anxious children and have been found to impede child treatment outcomes, yet it is unclear whether it is parental anxiety that needs to be targeted in therapy or associated parental behaviours. Twenty-two children (6,12 years) with a current anxiety disorder and their mothers received cognitive,behavioural treatment (CBT) for child anxiety. In addition, of the 12 mothers who met criteria for a current anxiety disorder, 6 received CBT for their own disorder. Assessments were made of the mother,child interaction. The main findings were: (1) children did less well from treatment where their mothers had a current anxiety disorder; (2) treatment of maternal anxiety disorder did not improve child treatment outcome; and (3) maternal overinvolvement and expression of fear was associated with child treatment outcome. The results suggest that in the context of maternal anxiety disorder, child treatment outcome may be improved by specifically targeting parenting behaviours. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]