Influence Of Maternal Behavior Research Articles

Maternal Behavior in Beef Cattle: The Physiology, Assessment and Future Directions-A Review.

Bovine maternal behavior is known to be influenced by a variety of factors including hormonal mediation, breed, age, parity, host genetics and general management practices. Following centuries of varying levels of domestication processes, the behavior of the bovine cow has altered from that of her original wild ungulate ancestors, although many maternal instincts have remained unchanged. The influence of maternal behavior on calf health and performance is of interest to cow-calf beef production operations, as in most instances, the cow is solely responsible for rearing the calf until weaning. However, investigating the magnitude of this influence is challenging, in part because objective measurement of behavioral traits is difficult, particularly in extensive settings. In recent years, while a number of remote monitoring devices have been developed that afford opportunities for objective measurement of behavioral traits in livestock, characterization of physiological mechanisms that underlie superior maternal behavior, including identification of potential biomarkers remains elusive in cattle. Hormonal profiles during the periparturient period have been shown to influence behavioral patterns in both current and future generations in other mammalian species and may provide insights into the physiology of bovine maternal behavior. Therefore, the aim of this review is to describe general characteristics of bovine maternal behavior and the factors known to influence it, including hormonal drivers, through which cross-reference to other species is made. Current methods of measuring and assessing behavior that may also be applicable to most production settings have also been reviewed. At present, there is no known hormonal assay that can be used to measure and/or reliably predict bovine maternal behavior post-calving or across generations. Being able to objectively assess superior maternal behavior, whether that be through remote monitoring, hormonal profiling or indirectly through measuring calf performance will be beneficial to livestock industries in the future.

Active and passive maternal smoking during pregnancy and risk of having a child with polydactyly: a case-control study

Objective: The number of children with polydactyly is increasing. In addition to genetic factors, an influence of maternal behavior or environmental effects during pregnancy is becoming increasingly apparent. However, epidemiological data on these effects are lacking. Methods: This hospital-based, case-control study enrolled 143 infants with polydactyly and 286 controls without genetic diseases to evaluate the association between active and passive maternal smoking during pregnancy and the likelihood of giving birth to a child with polydactyly. Results: Active and passive maternal smoking during pregnancy was associated with an increased risk of giving birth to a child with polydactyly (active smoking: OR=4.74, 95%CI: 1.43-15.65, P=0.011; passive smoking: OR=2.42, 95%CI: 1.32-4.44, P=0.004). After adjusting for confounders, smoking during pregnancy remained significant influence on polydactyly (active smoking: aOR=7.27, 95%CI: 1.72-30.72, P=0.007; passive smoking: aOR=2.41, 95%CI: 1.11-5.23, P=0.026). Conclusion: Active and passive maternal smoking during pregnancy appears to be a risk factor for polydactyly in newborns.

The association of fathers' parental warmth and parenting stress to child behavior problems

This study examines whether fathers' parental warmth and parenting stress were associated with behavior problems when children were approximately 36-months of age, beyond the influence of maternal behaviors. Study participants were 3342 low-income fathers and mothers who participated in the Building Strong Families (BSF) study. Cross-sectional regression analyses indicated that for unmarried nonresidential families, fathers' parental warmth and parenting stress were associated with child internalizing behavior problems; and fathers' parenting stress only was marginally associated with child externalizing behavior problems. For consistently cohabiting residential fathers, only fathers' parenting stress was marginally associated with child internalizing behavior problems. No associations of fathers' parental warmth and parenting stress on either internalizing or externalizing behavior problems were observed in married families. Overall, study results suggest that fathers' parental warmth and parenting stress may have a modest positive association on the development of child internalizing behavior problems particularly in vulnerable families (i.e., families in which fathers were nonresidential).

Like Mother, Like Child: The Influences of Maternal Attitudes and Behaviors on Weight-Related Health Behaviors in Their Children.

Childhood obesity has become a global health issue, yet little is known about the influence of maternal factors on children's weight-related health behaviors (dietary habits and physical activity), especially in China. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of maternal factors on children's eating behaviors and physical activity in Chinese preschool-age children. A cross-sectional study was utilized to describe weight-related health behaviors among preschool-aged children and identify maternal factors that are associated with children's weight-related health behaviors in China. Mothers completed questionnaires regarding family eating and activity habits, child feeding practices, and maternal self-efficacy regarding their child's health-related health behaviors. A total of 222 mother-child dyads participated in this study. Maternal health-related behavior and attitudes regarding feeding practices and self-efficacy were associated with children's health-related behaviors, including eating behaviors and physical and sedentary activities. The influence of maternal behaviors and attitudes were domain specific. Improvement of children's health behaviors, promoting a healthy lifestyle of the mother and self-efficacy, and providing health home environment for the child are critical in obesity prevention. Because children's health is critical to the health of the nation and to global development, understanding the factors related to children's health-related behaviors is an important first step toward development of tailored, culturally sensitive interventions for promoting a healthy lifestyle and preventing obesity.

Father-adolescent engagement in shared activities: Effects on cortisol stress response in young adulthood.

Parent-child relationships can critically affect youth physiological development. Most studies have focused on the influence of maternal behaviors, with little attention to paternal influences. The current study investigated father engagement with their adolescents in household (shopping, cooking) and discretionary leisure activities as a predictor of youth cortisol response to a challenging interpersonal task in young adulthood. The sample (N = 213) was roughly divided between Mexican American (MA; n = 101) and European American (EA; n = 112) families, and included resident biological-father (n = 131) and resident stepfather families (n = 82). Salivary cortisol was collected before, immediately after, and at 20 and 40 min after an interpersonal challenge task; area under the curve (AUCg) was calculated to capture total cortisol output. Results suggested that more frequent father engagement in shared activities with adolescents (ages 11-16), but not mother engagement, predicted lower AUCg cortisol response in young adulthood (ages 19-22). The relation remained significant after adjusting for current mother and father engagement and current mental health. Further, the relation did not differ given family ethnicity, father type (step or biological), or adolescent sex. Future research should consider unique influences of fathers when investigating the effects of parent-child relationships on youth physiological development and health. (PsycINFO Database Record

Paternal and maternal warmth and the development of prosociality among preschoolers.

Although the influence of maternal behavior on child outcomes has been extensively studied, there has not been the same attention to the role of paternal behavior in development. This gap in research stands in contrast to the observable shift in parental roles and responsibilities in contemporary society. The goal of this study was to examine the roles of fathers, mothers, and children in the development of children's prosocial behavior. In the current study we examined the development of reciprocal relations between paternal and maternal behavior and child prosociality over 36 months. Three hundred eighty-one families were assessed when children were 18, 36, and 54 months of age. Fathers and mothers reported on their own warmth and negativity using standardized questionnaires. Child prosociality was measured using averaged parental reports. Actor-partner interdependence models revealed that paternal and maternal warmth predicted subsequent increases in child prosocial behavior, but child prosocial behavior did not predict subsequent parenting. Father and mother parenting practices were reciprocally interrelated. The results point to the important roles paternal and maternal warmth play in the development of children's prosocial behavior.

The Influence of Maternal Behaviors During Childhood on Self-Efficacy in Individuals With Sickle Cell Disease

Little is known about the influence of maternal behaviors during childhood on the self-efficacy of individuals with sickle cell disease (SCD).This study retrospectively investigated the relationship between maternal overprotection and caring during childhood and self-efficacy in adulthood. Using a cross-sectional survey design, 32 adults with SCD completed questionnaires about demographics, maternal parenting behaviors, and self-efficacy. On average, adults with SCD reported moderate levels of SCD self-efficacy, high levels of overprotection, and high levels of caring. Self-efficacy was significantly related to educational level ( r = .39, p = .04), number of SCD crises per year (r = -.41, p = .04), and caring (r = .48, p = .01). Using simultaneous regression modeling, maternal caring was significantly predictive of self-efficacy (β = .44, p = .03). Results suggest that maternal caring during childhood may promote the development of self-efficacy in adults with SCD.

Pleasure Derived from Mastery in Three-Year Olds: Its Function for Persistence and the Influence of Maternal Behavior

The study, conducted in two independent replications, run approximately one year apart, explored the possibility that (a) the actions of three year old children are guided and accompanied by self-evaluations and withdrawal, (b) that self-evaluations and withdrawal have a motivational function for persistence, indicating the beginnings of a self-reward system, and (c) are influenced by the mother's behavior when interacting with her child. Natural observations of mother and child, playing a matching-to-pattern game, revealed that most of the children showed self-evaluations and withdrawal. Both predicted persistence in the task, even when their successes and failures were partialed out. They were mediated by the mother's assistance and interference of her child's striving for mastery, mainly by her physical interruptions of the child's activity.

Sociocultural Factors and the Early Manifestation of Sociability Behavior Among Baranda Infants

Sociocultural Factors and the Early Manifestation of Sociability Behavior Among Baranda Infants

The Psycho-Motor Development of African Children in the First Year, and the Influence of Maternal Behavior

(1958). The Psycho-Motor Development of African Children in the First Year, and the Influence of Maternal Behavior. The Journal of Social Psychology: Vol. 47, No. 2, pp. 185-195.