Preschool Period (preschool + period)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Cumulative parenting stress across the preschool period: relations to maternal parenting and child behaviour at age 5

INFANT AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT, Issue 2 2005
Keith A. Crnic
Abstract Despite increasing interest in the effects of parenting stress on children and families, many questions remain regarding the nature of parenting stress and the mechanism through which stress exerts its influence across time. In this study, cumulative parenting stress was assessed across the preschool period in a sample of 125 typically developing children and their mothers. Indices of parenting stress included both major life events stress-assessed annually from age 3 to 5, and parenting daily hassles assessed every 6 months across the same period. Naturalistic home observations were conducted when children were age 5, during which measures of parent and child interactive behaviour as well as dyadic pleasure and dyadic conflict were obtained. Mothers also completed the CBCL to assess children's behaviour problems. Results indicated that parenting daily hassles and major life stress are relatively stable across the preschool period. Both cumulative stress indices also proved to be important predictors of parent and child behaviour and dyadic interaction, although the predictions were somewhat differential. Despite meaningful relations between the stress factors and child well being, no evidence was found to support the premise that parent behaviour mediates the association between parenting stress and child outcomes. Results are discussed within a developmental framework to understand the stability and complexity of cumulative stress associations to early parent,child relationships. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Parental perspectives on preterm children's oral health behaviour and experience of dental care during preschool and early school years

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PAEDIATRIC DENTISTRY, Issue 4 2009
SUSANNE BROGÅRDH-ROTH
Background., Children born preterm (PT) have medical conditions and impairments that may affect their oral health. Hypothesis., Our hypothesis for the study was that PT children display more dental behaviour management problems (BMPs) and less favourable oral health behaviour than controls (C). Methods., Parents of 153 PT children and 153 C children were interviewed regarding the children's oral health behaviour and experience of dental care on two occasions, 2 years apart. The interviews concerned the preschool period and the early school years, respectively. Results., BMPs were more common in PT children of preschool age, but not during the early school years. Regarding oral health behaviour, there were no differences between the groups, except that PT children had more problems with toothbrushing than C children in the preschool period, in spite of the fact that the PT group reported more medical health problems and more anxious behaviour and indications of cognitive problems than the C group. Conclusions., Children born PT exhibit several risk factors for both BMP and impaired oral health. It is essential that this group of patients is identified early and receives special attention from the dental services. [source]


Research Review: ,Ain't misbehavin': Towards a developmentally-specified nosology for preschool disruptive behavior

THE JOURNAL OF CHILD PSYCHOLOGY AND PSYCHIATRY AND ALLIED DISCIPLINES, Issue 1 2010
Lauren S. Wakschlag
There is increasing consensus that disruptive behavior disorders and syndromes (DBDs) are identifiable in preschool children. There is also concomitant recognition of the limitations of the current DBD nosology for distinguishing disruptive behavior symptoms from the normative misbehavior of early childhood. In particular, there appears to be substantial insensitivity to heterotypic manifestations of this developmental period and problems in identifying meaningful heterogeneity. As a result, the developmental basis for much of the current nosology may be called into question. To address these and other critical issues, this paper reviews the foundational elements of clinical and developmental science pertinent to developmental differentiation of disruptive behavior in the preschool period as paradigmatic for developmental specification across the lifespan and generates an agenda for future research. We begin by reviewing evidence of the validity of DBDs in preschool children. This is followed by an outline of key developmental concepts and a review of the corollary evidence from developmental science. These provide a basis for conceptualizing disruptive behavior in reference to developmental deviation in four core dimensions hypothesized to mark the core features of disruptive behavior syndromes. Finally, we propose a program of research to establish an empirical basis for determining the incremental utility of a developmentally specified nosology. Central to this approach is a contention that the benefits of developmental specification are extensive and outweigh any disadvantages. This is because a developmentally specified approach holds substantial promise for increasing sensitivity and specificity for differentiating disruptive behavior from normative misbehavior and from other related syndromes as well as for improving prediction. Further, more precisely defined, developmentally based phenotypes are likely to elucidate distinct mechanisms within translational studies and to serve as a catalyst for the generation of novel treatments. [source]


Mucopolysaccharidosis type III (Sanfilippo disease) in Sweden: clinical presentation of 22 children diagnosed during a 30-year period

ACTA PAEDIATRICA, Issue 8 2010
G Malm
Abstract Aim:, The aim of this study was to present the natural clinical course in children and adolescents with MPS III diagnosed during a 30-year period in Sweden. Methods:, The patients were identified from metabolic laboratory records between 1975 and 2004. Patient data were assessed from interviews of parents and by clinical examination and records from the patients. Results:, A total of 15 children, 68%, with MPS IIIA were diagnosed at a median age of 6.8 years (range 1.2,18.9 years). One boy had MPS IIIB and five children MPS IIIC, diagnosed at ages between 1.9 and 11.6 years. In one child the type was not determined. The median age of children with type IIIA who had deceased was 16.2 years (range 10.4,31.2 years). Ten individuals with MPS III are alive at ages between 5 and 29 years. In four families, two children were affected. Conclusion:, In 22 Swedish children with Sanfilippo disease an early normal development followed by a delay in speech and an appearance of behaviour problems was found in most children during the early preschool period. Mental retardation was diagnosed in almost all individuals before starting school. Early diagnosis is important in this devastating, progressive disorder, not only for genetic counselling but also for participation in future treatments. [source]


Preschool Emotional Competence: Pathway to Social Competence?

CHILD DEVELOPMENT, Issue 1 2003
Susanne A. Denham
Preschoolers' (N = 143) patterns of emotional expressiveness, emotion regulation, and emotion knowledge were assessed. Their contributions to social competence, as evidenced by sociometric likability and teacher ratings, were evaluated via latent variable modeling, both concurrently and across time. Moderation of key results by age and sex was also explored. Emotional competence assessed at 3 to 4 years of age contributed to both concurrent and kindergarten social competence. Even early in the preschool period, contributions of emotional competence to social competence have long,term implications. [source]


Varicella seroprevalence in Turkish population in Cyprus

ACTA PAEDIATRICA, Issue 6 2007
Zafer Kurugol
Abstract Aim: This study was conducted to determine the age-specific seroprevalence of varicella zoster virus (VZV) infection in Turkish population in Cyprus. Methods: A total of 600 unvaccinated individuals aged 1,30 years were selected for the study with cluster sampling. Information on socio-demographic characteristics was gathered for each participant and, anti-VZV antibodies were assayed by using enzyme immune assay. Results: Of the 578 assayed samples, 486 (84.1%) were seropositive. Varicella seroprevalence increased sharply with age from 25% for the 2,3 year olds to 55, 78 and 85% for 4,5, 6,7 and 8,9 year olds, respectively. More than 90% of individuals >16 years of age were seropositive. Varicella seroprevalence was higher in large families with five and more members (91.2%) than in small families with four or fewer members (80.2%). Conclusion: The majority of varicella-zoster virus infections occur during preschool period and at the first years of schooling. Therefore, routine varicella vaccination of children would be logical in Northern Cyprus, as is currently recommended by the European Working Group on Varicella. [source]