Italian Mothers Research Articles

The emotional journey of motherhood in migration. The case of Southern European mothers in Norway

Abstract Based on focus group discussions and in-depth interviews with Greek, Italian, and Spanish mothers living in Norway, this article contributes to an emerging body of literature on the role of emotions in migration by exploring migrant motherhood as an emotional journey. Drawing on the work of Arlie Hochschild on emotions and her theoretical concepts of framing rules, feeling rules, and emotion work, the article explores how migrant mothers reflect on their emotions when raising their children in the context of migration. Migrant mothers’ accounts illustrate the ambivalent and contradictory emotional experiences they have when they manage rules about how they should make sense of, and feel about their mothering in both host and origin countries. Emotions of guilt, blame, remorse, pride, satisfaction, confidence, and happiness shaped mothers’ experiences of motherhood and social interactions across countries. Through emotion work, migrant mothers managed interdependent emotions and related to different feeling rules establishing and maintaining relationships across places, and negotiating, in this way, their belonging to multiple contexts. Using an emotions-based sociological perspective, we look at motherhood as a field for studying the functions of emotions and their interactions in the context of migration.

Risk and adverse outcomes of gestational diabetes in migrants: A population cohort study

AimsTo evaluate the risk of gestational diabetes (GDM) and of neonatal/maternal complications (macrosomia, large for gestational age (LGA), cesarean sections, preterm deliveries, neonatal distress and fetal malformations) among women coming from High Migration Pressure Countries (HMPC), compared to native (Italian) mothers. MethodsRisks of GDM and related neonatal/maternal complications were evaluated in a cohort of 581,073 Italian compared with 105,111 HMPC women of age 15–45 yr, resident in Tuscany, Italy along years 2012–2017, delivering 122,652 singleton live births (18,596 from HMPC mothers). ResultsHMPC women, compared to Italian ones, were at higher risk of GDM (OR: 1.586; 1.509–1.666;p < 0.0001), peaking for women originating from South Asia (OR:3.0.49; 2.618–3.553;p < 0.0001). GDM was associated with increased risk of preterm delivery and cesarean sections, while migrants, regardless of GDM, were burdened by a higher risk of all considered complications. The rise in all these risks, including macrosomia or LGA however, disappeared, after addition of interaction term GDM × HMPC ethnicity. ConclusionCompared to Italian mothers, HMPC women had higher risk of GDM and of all considered adverse events. The addiction of the interaction term GDM × HMPC ethnicity in the predictive model, however reversed the rise in risk of all HMPC associated adverse outcomes.

Social Support in Perinatal Grief and Mothers’ Continuing Bonds: A Qualitative Study With Italian Mourners

The grieving process after perinatal loss has unique properties. This qualitative study examines one aspect of the grieving process: continuing bonds experienced by the mothers. We offer an interpretative phenomenological analysis of interviews with 15 Italian mothers. Three main relevant themes emerged: “continuing bonds between externalized and internalized presence,” “a difficult guilt to manage,” and “relationships are crucial support systems.” The first one illustrates the ongoing connections to the deceased on the part of mothers and siblings, the second one explores a fixation on finding the cause of the death and related feelings of guilt, while the third one describes the mothers’ process of elaboration of the event, especially with the support of the husband and the community. The findings highlight unique qualities of continuing bonds after perinatal loss and factors that might influence mother’s griefwork, while also suggesting that psychodrama and art therapy could be useful in the management of this kind of loss.

Neighborhoods, Networks, and Delivery Methods

We investigate potential mechanisms of information transmission among patients when explaining territorial variations in the use of cesarean sections. Defining networks as mothers living in the same Italian municipality (average size approximately 10,000 residents), we show that a one standard deviation increase of the incidence of cesarean sections for the 12 months before the delivery date in the future mother’s municipality of residence increases the probability of her receiving the treatment by 3%. This result captures mainly network effects for Italian mothers, while it captures both network and neighborhood effects for foreign mothers. Both groups adjust for the transmission of complementary information, such as the incidence of complications due to cesarean sections. The selection of mothers across hospitals does not uniquely explain our results, which are robust to alternative sample selections.

Key Factors Influencing Italian Mothers’ Intention to Vaccinate Sons against HPV: The Influence of Trust in Health Authorities, Anticipated Regret and Past Behaviour

The Human Papillomavirus (HPV), which is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the world, is associated with different types of cancer, especially cervical cancer. In Italy in 2017 the Italian Ministry of Health introduced a free HPV vaccination programme for 12-years-old boys. In this study we tested an integrated theory of planned behaviour (TPB) model to explain Italian mothers’ intention to vaccinate their sons against HPV. TPB variables plus past behaviour, trust in healthy authorities and anticipated regret were measured by a questionnaire in a sample of 333 Italian mothers of 6–11 years old boys, who were not yet vaccinated against HPV. Results showed that subjective norm was the strongest predictor of mothers’ intention followed by anticipated regret, trust in health authorities, perceived behavioural control and attitude. Mediation analysis found that past behaviour influenced intention via attitude. The discussion considers the relevance of these factors in promoting mothers’ adherence.

Intensive mothering in hard times: Foucauldian ethical self-formation and cruel optimism

Discourses of intensive mothering now seem to dominate European and American parenting cultures. This is a problem for those mothers who do not currently possess the resources to match up. In a study of Italian and British mothers who are experiencing low or reduced incomes, we observe the ways in which they internalize intensive mothering discourses through a process of ethical self-formation. This mode of self-formation involves detailed self-surveillance and self-discipline and abnegation of their own needs in place of other individual family members, and the family as a whole. We find a series of contradictory emotional effects which generate both pride and self-worth but also stress and anxiety. We advance the theory that mothers operate within an optimistic affective regime to make sense of these contradictory effects and retain a sense of agency and control over their lives and those of their families. However, drawing on Berlant’s concept of cruel optimism, we argue that such affective regimes may be very pernicious in their effects, only serving to hold mothers in a relation that is ultimately impassable and often unfulfilling.

Leaving and Losing a Job After Childbearing in Italy: A Comparison Between 2005 and 2012

This article builds on microdata from the Birth Sample Survey (BSS) carried out by Istat in 2005 and 2012 in order to analyse changes in the occupational status of mothers of young children. We aim in particular to broaden the understanding of the individual and contextual characteristics that can affect the probability of women who were employed during pregnancy of not returning to work in the two years following the child&amp;rsquo;s birth. The study contributes to existing literature on mothers&amp;rsquo; employment in two main ways. First, we take into consideration the different nature - voluntary or involuntary &amp;ndash; of the motivations for not returning to work. Second, we attempt to evaluate whether the likelihood of Italian mothers to leave or lose their jobs and the factors affecting these probabilities changed between 2005 and 2012. Our results confirm human capital investments and job characteristics to be among the main determinants of women&amp;rsquo;s employment continuity after childbearing. The probability of losing a job increased significantly for mothers in 2012 compared to 2005, probably as a result of the deterioration of labour market conditions during the recession years. Conversely, the probability of leaving a job was not statistically significantly related to the year; family characteristics - the presence of a couple and features of the partner&amp;rsquo;s job - were key factors in women&amp;rsquo;s deciding not to return to work after childbearing.

Italian Mothers and Italian-Canadian Daughters: Using Language to Negotiate the Politics of Gender

This paper examines how migration redefines family narratives and dynamics. Through a parallel between the mother and the mother tongue, I unravel the emotional, linguistic, social, and ideological connotations of the mother–daughter relationship, which I define as a ‘condensed narrative about origin and identity’. This definition refers to the fact that the daughter’s biological, affective, linguistic, and socio-cultural identity grounds in the mother. The mother–daughter tie also has a gendered dimension, which opens up interesting gateways into the female condition. Taking this assumption as a starting point, I examine how migration, impacting on the mother–daughter relationship, can redefine gender roles and challenge models of femininity, which are culturally, socially, geographically, and linguistically embedded. I investigate this aspect from a linguistic perspective, through a reading of a corpus of narratives written by four Italian-Canadian writers. The movement from Italy to Canada enacts ‘the emergence of alternative family romances’ and draws new routes to femininity. This paper seeks to illustrate how, in the narratives I examine, these new routes are explored through linguistic means. The authors in my corpus use code-switching to highlight contrasting views of femininity and reposition themselves with respect to politics of gender.

The Good Parent: Southern Italian Mothers’ Conceptualization of Good Parenting and Parent–Child Relationships

Thirty mothers, ranging in age between 30 and 46 years, participated in seven focus groups aimed at analyzing perceptions and ideas of the characteristics of a good parent and parent–child relationship in southern Italy (Sicily). The discussions were transcribed and analyzed using the constant comparative analysis approach. Two major themes, discipline and affection, emerged from the discussions about the idea of a good parent, with seven further subthemes. In defining good parenting beliefs and practices, Sicilian mothers mostly believed that control, discipline, and demandingness were imperative and prioritized over warmth and responsiveness. Despite the importance given to demandingness, a good parent–child relationship was predominantly described as the result of a balance between love and control, mainly based on communication, confidence, and respect. Our findings were interpreted and discussed with consideration to the collectivistic and familistic nature of Sicilian society.

Personality traits in a sample of Italian filicide mothers.

Several studies focused on mothers' psychopathological and environmental risk factors linked to filicide, to understand the genesis of this violent act. Considering the transition to motherhood a critical period for any woman, requiring the activation of deep personality resources, the aim of this study was to detect, in a sample of 16 filicide women hospitalized in Italian Forensic Psychiatric Hospitals, the recurrent characteristics with a specific focus on personality traits. Women were assessed using Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I Disorders (SCID-I), Big Five Inventory (BFI) and Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI). The BFI and TCI profiles seem to overlap showing a personality profile characterized by a rigid control of aggressive impulses, the avoiding of unconscious fears and the masking of feelings of negativity. Examining the mother's mental state with respect to personality traits, could help clinicians to detect specific temperament patterns that may carry out impulsive violent behaviors, if correlated with other psychopathological and environmental factors.

The Role of Maternal Citizenship on Pediatric Avoidable Hospitalization: A Birth Cohort Study in North-East Italy.

Avoidable hospitalization (AH) has been widely studied as a possible measure of primary health care performance. Since studies evaluating AH in migrant children, particularly in Europe, are lacking, the aim of this study was to investigate the role of maternal citizenship on the risk of AH in children. The cohort study included all live newborns recorded in the Medical Birth Register (MBR) of Friuli-Venezia Giulia Region (Italy) in the years 1989-2012, followed from 30 d after their birth up to the 14th year of life. Cox regression models were used to estimate Hazard Ratios (HRs) for any AH and for specific conditions. Among the 213,635 children included in the cohort, authors identified 23,011 AHs in 16,744 children, most of which occurred between 1 and 4 y of age. Children born to mothers from High Migration Pressure Countries had a higher risk of AH for any condition (HR 1.35; 95% CI = 1.27-1.44) than children born to Italian mothers. The risks were higher concerning gastroenteritis (HR 1.74; 1.57-1.94), upper respiratory tract infections (HR 1.58; 1.35-1.84), asthma (HR 1.53; 1.12-2.06) and bacterial pneumonia (HR 1.18; 1.01-1.37). There were no differences in urinary tract infections, short term complications of diabetes and perforated appendix. Despite the inclusiveness and universality of the Italian healthcare system, children born to immigrant mothers experienced more need of avoidable hospital care than children born to Italian mothers. Access barriers to primary care are plausible causes for the observed disparities.

Neurobiology of culturally common maternal responses to infant cry

This report coordinates assessments of five types of behavioral responses in new mothers to their own infants' cries with neurobiological responses in new mothers to their own infants' cries and in experienced mothers and inexperienced nonmothers to infant cries and other emotional and control sounds. We found that 684 new primipara mothers in 11 countries (Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Cameroon, France, Kenya, Israel, Italy, Japan, South Korea, and the United States) preferentially responded to their infants' vocalizing distress by picking up and holding and by talking to their infants, as opposed to displaying affection, distracting, or nurturing. Complementary functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) analyses of brain responses to their own infants' cries in 43 new primipara US mothers revealed enhanced activity in concordant brain territories linked to the intention to move and to speak, to process auditory stimulation, and to caregive [supplementary motor area (SMA), inferior frontal regions, superior temporal regions, midbrain, and striatum]. Further, fMRI brain responses to infant cries in 50 Chinese and Italian mothers replicated, extended, and, through parcellation, refined the results. Brains of inexperienced nonmothers activated differently. Culturally common responses to own infant cry coupled with corresponding fMRI findings to own infant and to generic infant cries identified specific, common, and automatic caregiving reactions in mothers to infant vocal expressions of distress and point to their putative neurobiological bases. Candidate behaviors embedded in the nervous systems of human caregivers lie at the intersection of evolutionary biology and developmental cultural psychology.

Women and post-natal care: analysis of a rooming-in facility.

The practice of rooming-in (R-in) is widely but heterogeneously applied in Italian hospitals and consists in keeping babies in the same room with their mothers from the moment of birth through to the discharge. Explore the perception and use of R-in among Italian mothers who gave birth in a context where R-in is offered 24h. We aimed at comparing differences among women who consistently use the R-in practice to those who do not. Sixty-five women in good health (average age=33.8 years old; sd=4.2) were assigned to two different groups: mothers who always kept their baby in the room (n=35) and mothers who referred their babies more than once to the nursery care (n=30). Women completed a questionnaire about their pregnancy, delivery, hospitalization, and R-in. Medical records were also collected. The two groups were compared with regard to medical/obstetrician/socio-demographic factors, as well as their perception of R-in. We observed no differences in terms of maternal age, education, and parity among the two groups. Women who had undergone Caesarean section were more likely to make use of the nursery care up to 72 hours after delivery (χ2=11,11, p<,001). A considerable proportion of the study population (42%) considered the level of information received about R-in unsatisfying; this percentage is higher (55%) among women who referred to the nursery. Women differ in the degree of R-in application use depending on the type of delivery and the subsequent maternal physical condition. It is important to support women by offering them a flexible service that accounts for their possible physical difficulties. Besides, it is crucial to provide an adequate level of information about R-in, so that mothers can feel in control of the situation, especially if they underwent Caesarean section.

Impact of delivery mode on the colostrum microbiota composition

BackgroundBreast milk is a rich nutrient with a temporally dynamic nature. In particular, numerous alterations in the nutritional, immunological and microbiological content occur during the transition from colostrum to mature milk. The objective of our study was to evaluate the potential impact of delivery mode on the microbiota of colostrum, at both the quantitative and qualitative levels (bacterial abundance and microbiota network).MethodsTwenty-nine Italian mothers (15 vaginal deliveries vs 14 Cesarean sections) were enrolled in the study. The microbiota of colostrum samples was analyzed by next generation sequencing (Ion Torrent Personal Genome Machine). The colostrum microbiota network associated with Cesarean section and vaginal delivery was evaluated by means of the Auto Contractive Map (AutoCM), a mathematical methodology based on Artificial Neural Network (ANN) architecture.ResultsNumerous differences between Cesarean section and vaginal delivery colostrum were observed. Vaginal delivery colostrum had a significant lower abundance of Pseudomonas spp., Staphylococcus spp. and Prevotella spp. when compared to Cesarean section colostrum samples. Furthermore, the mode of delivery had a strong influence on the microbiota network, as Cesarean section colostrum showed a higher number of bacterial hubs if compared to vaginal delivery, sharing only 5 hubs. Interestingly, the colostrum of mothers who had a Cesarean section was richer in environmental bacteria than mothers who underwent vaginal delivery. Finally, both Cesarean section and vaginal delivery colostrum contained a greater number of anaerobic bacteria genera.ConclusionsThe mode of delivery had a large impact on the microbiota composition of colostrum. Further studies are needed to better define the meaning of the differences we observed between Cesarean section and vaginal delivery colostrum microbiota.

Psychometric properties of the Postpartum Bonding Questionnaire and correlates of mother–infant bonding impairment in Italian new mothers

Objectiveimpaired maternal bonding is a risk factor for problems with infant well-being and development. The investigation of perinatal variables related to disorders of the mother–infant relationship as well as the administration of reliable and valid screening tools to new mothers in the postpartum can help identify early signs of a disturbed mother–child relationship. The Postpartum Bonding Questionnaire (PBQ) has been shown to be a valid screening instrument, but its dimensional structure is still controversial. An analysis of the literature demonstrated the need for research into the perinatal correlates of the quality of mother-newborn bonding as measured by the PBQ, and for information about the reliability and validity of the Italian version of the questionnaire. Aimto (a) carry out preliminary analysis of the psychometric properties of an Italian version of the PBQ and (b) explore how mother–infant disturbances are related to relevant perinatal psychological variables. Designthe research design consisted of a prenatal and a postnatal phase. Settingprenatal education classes delivered in public and private institutions. Participants123 pregnant Italian women were recruited from prenatal education classes. Measurementsin the prenatal period participants completed a questionnaire measuring maternal-fetal attachment; at the postnatal assessment (3 months postpartum) participants completed the Italian PBQ together with measures of mother–infant attachment, the couple's adjustment and maternal psychological well-being. Exploratory factor analysis was used to investigate the factor structure of the PBQ. Internal consistencies were evaluated using Cronbach's alpha. Nomological validity was assessed via Pearson correlations. Findingsa three-factor model provided the most meaningful representation of the PBQ data, with one factor reflecting annoyance and anger towards the infant, another reflecting detachment and rejection and the third reflecting anxiety about infant care. Internal consistencies were good. Impaired mother-infant bonding was negatively correlated with prenatal and postnatal mother–infant attachment and couple adjustment, as well as being positively correlated with maternal depressive symptoms. Key conclusions and implications for practicethe Italian PBQ is a reliable, valid screening instrument and can be used for research, including transcultural comparisons in perinatal psychiatry. It can also be used clinically to detect signs of a disordered mother–child relationship. Knowledge of the variables generally associated with mother-infant bonding problems combined with data from postpartum administration of the PBQ could be used in midwifery to develop preventive programmes based on the specific needs of new mothers.

Prenatal Attachment Inventory: expanding the reliability and validity evidence using a sample of Italian women

Background: The Prenatal Attachment Inventory (PAI) is a widely used questionnaire to measure prenatal attachment. However, its internal structure is controversial. None of the previous studies have investigated the dimensions of the Italian version of the scale using both an exploratory and a confirmatory approach. There is also a need to explore extensively the external validity of the Italian PAI.Objective: We designed a study aimed at shedding further light on the dimensionality of the questionnaire and expanding the evidence of its reliability and validity.Method: Five-hundred and thirty-five Italian expectant mothers participated in the prenatal phase; a subsample of 100 women participated in the postnatal phase of the study. The PAI was administered together with other scales measuring maternal–fetal attachment, psychological wellbeing and relational variables.Results: The hypothesised relationships with external criteria were substantiated overall. The five dimensions described in the Italian study by Barone, Lionetti, and Dellagiulia also emerged from our factor analyses, with the exception of two items. Internal consistency was adequate for the total scale and for four of the five subscales.Conclusion: As the Fantasy subscale showed poor internal consistency, we advise against its use as an independent measure. However, when used as a global score, the PAI is a reliable and valid measure of prenatal attachment in Italian women. Thus, it can be used for research purposes. The use of the PAI could also be very helpful in clinical settings, in order to identify expectant mothers who have difficulty in establishing an affective bond with their unborn infants. To this end, further research should study the characteristics of the PAI on high-risk groups and clinical samples in order to obtain clinical cut-offs.

Comparative study on the occurrence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in breast milk and infant formula and risk assessment

The study compared the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) profile of human milk collected from Italian mothers and different brands of infant formula available on Italian market. Levels of 14 PAHs most frequently occurred in food, PAH markers listed by Commission Regulation (EC) No. 1881/2006, and carcinogenic PAHs classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, were determined by high-pressure liquid chromatography with fluorescence detector.The average concentrations of total PAHs were 114.93 in breast milk and 53.68 μg kg−1 in infant formula. Furthermore, Benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) and the sum of ∑PAH4 markers (BaP, Chrysene, Benzo(a,h)anthracene and Benzo(b)fluoranthene) were higher than the permissible limit of 1 μg kg−1 in 43% and 86% for breast milk and in 10% and 76% for infant formula samples, respectively. Breast milk showed higher levels (P < 0.05) of carcinogenic, and possible carcinogenic hydrocarbons than infant formula samples.Both in human and commercial milk, data showed the occurrence of low and high molecular weight PAHs, respectively from petrogenic and pyrolytic environmental sources, characterizing the infant and mother exposure. Particularly, waste incineration could have represented an important exposure source for infants during breastfeeding, through exposition of mothers resident in some areas of Southern Italy. High PAH levels detected in infant formula enriched with LC-PUFA might be related to the contamination of the vegetable oils added as ingredients. Results showed a high percentage of samples of both breast milk and infant formulas with margin of exposure (MOE) value indicating a potential concern for consumer health.

The Transformation of Motherhood: From a Neglected Mother to The Mother of a Whole Nation

The aim of this article is to explore how the perception of Italian women and their different roles — especially that of a mother — changed from ancient times to the Risorgimento period. In this context, the article seeks in particular to clarify the role played by the image of the Italian mother in forming a unified and common national identity during the Risorgimento. It illustrates how, from this point in time, women started to play a new role in society — a role which until then history had prevented them from enjoying. In an Italy which before 1861 was heavily split and divided into areas of different foreign domination, women, and mothers in particular, began to be used to create, in the minds of the ‘new Italian citizens’, a new unifying symbol that would serve as a measure to keep the nation together. What emerged was a new image of women, and especially of Italian mothers, that was imbued with religious and romantic symbolism. This did not exactly mean emancipation for women — often, in fact, these visions of mothers were full of sexist images — but it nevertheless helped all Italian women to come in from the shadows to which they had been relegated historically and culturally.

Wife, Mother, and Worker: The Decision to Work in Early-Twentieth Century São Paulo

This article examines the degree to which working-class women embodied the roles of wife, mother, and worker in early-industrial São Paulo, Brazil (1900–1930). By juxtaposing employment evidence from the Jafet textile factory with personal stories and anecdotal evidence, the article highlights the complex decisions these women made to return to and remain in the formal labor market. As workers, these women could work toward personal and family goals and gain some degree of personal satisfaction. For middle-class women, formal employment was often mutually exclusive from being a wife and mother. This was not the case for working-class women; nationality, however, impacted the degree to which working-class women entered the formal labor market. Married women in Spanish households sought employment in times of extreme economic necessity. In contrast, Italian mothers were more prominent in textile factories than either women of other nationalities or their single Italian cohort.

Microbiota network and mathematic microbe mutualism in colostrum and mature milk collected in two different geographic areas: Italy versus Burundi

Human milk is essential for the initial development of newborns, as it provides all nutrients and vitamins, such as vitamin D, and represents a great source of commensal bacteria. Here we explore the microbiota network of colostrum and mature milk of Italian and Burundian mothers using the auto contractive map (AutoCM), a new methodology based on artificial neural network (ANN) architecture. We were able to demonstrate the microbiota of human milk to be a dynamic, and complex, ecosystem with different bacterial networks among different populations containing diverse microbial hubs and central nodes, which change during the transition from colostrum to mature milk. Furthermore, a greater abundance of anaerobic intestinal bacteria in mature milk compared with colostrum samples has been observed. The association of complex mathematic systems such as ANN and AutoCM adopted to metagenomics analysis represents an innovative approach to investigate in detail specific bacterial interactions in biological samples.