Italian Mothers Research Articles

Parental practices of Italian mothers and fathers during early infancy: The role of knowledge about parenting and child development

Our contribution aims to verify whether parental knowledge about child development and parenting constitutes a protective factor in the application of dysfunctional educational practices. Numerous studies have found that parental knowledge has a great influence on parenting, however it remains unclear whether both are casually linked in a direct and linear way. Data currently available on parental knowledge almost exclusively refers to mothers and subjects at risk. Furthermore, there are almost no studies which take into consideration subjects who are Italian citizens.In contrast our work takes into consideration a normative sample of 157 Italian couples who are the parents of children aged between 16 and 36 months and who completed the Knowledge of Infant Development Inventory (KIDI; MacPhee, 1981) and the Parenting Scale (Arnold, O’Leary, Wolff, & Acker, 1993). The results highlight differences between mothers and fathers, both in terms of knowledge levels (higher for mothers) and educational practices (maternal practices are more frequently dysfunctional); knowledge influences educational practices above all in the case of fathers, although said effect is slight, which supports the idea that interaction between knowledge and parental practices is not linear but rather mediated by other factors.

‘It's a bit too much fathering this seed’: the meaning-making of the sperm donor in Italian lesbian mother families

How do female-partnered mothers deal with the third-party involved in their reproductive arrangement? The aim of this study is to identify the meaning-making of the sperm donor, exploring different patterns between genetic and non-genetic mothers, as well as between open-identity and anonymous donation. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 24 Italian female-partnered mothers, who at the time of data collection had at least one donor-conceived child. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was performed to identify emergent themes. None of the mothers considered the donor as the father of their child. Three patterns of thoughts and feelings recurred: ‘donor as an entity’, ‘donor as a medical process’, ‘donor as a person’. Genetic and non-genetic mothers constructed shared meanings regarding the donor. Mothers who opted for anonymous donors were more likely to describe the donor as an entity and as a medical process compared with mothers who opted for open-identity donors. Different images of the donor lay beneath each meaning: respectively, donor as a ghost, donor as a place, donor as a kind man. Findings offer important insights for healthcare providers working in fertility clinics. They further suggest the most appropriate terms for third-party reproduction and specific psychological counselling needs of prospective female-partnered mothers.

Early Evidence of the Italian Parent-Report Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ-P).

The parent-report Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ-P) is a widely used scale that assesses children's and adolescents' strengths and difficulties. The present study applied this scale to Italian adolescents and compared the current results with previous Chinese findings and the United Kingdom norm. Participants were 422 Italian parents and their adolescent children. Parents and adolescents answered the parent-report and the self-report SDQ, respectively. Results showed that the five-factor first-order model was better than other competing models. Cronbach's alpha of emotional problems, conduct problems, hyperactivity, peer problems, prosocial behavior, and total difficulties was .63, .52, .69, .51, .59, and .77 respectively for mother-report measure, and .67, .48, .67, .46, .55, and .79 respectively for father-report measure. Parent-adolescent agreements ranged from low to medium, whereas mother-father agreements were large. Parents did not rate boys and girls as well as early-adolescence and mid-adolescence differently. Italian parents rated their adolescent children to have lower levels of hyperactivity, peer problems, total difficulties, and higher levels of prosocial behavior than Chinese parents; and Italian mothers rated their adolescent children to have lower levels of hyperactivity than United Kingdom parents. In conclusion, the current findings suggest both strengths and inadequacies of the SDQ-P for Italian adolescents.

Anhedonia, anxiety, and depression components of Edinburgh postnatal depression scale in cesarean delivery

Introduction Previous studies have indicated that cesarean delivery might pose risk factors for post-partum depression (PPD). However, results are conflicting and have failed to clearly distinguish between elective (ElCD) and emergency (EmCD) cesarean delivery. Objective The rate of elective cesarean delivery is rapidly increasing all over the world and it is important to identify whether the mode of delivery has an influence on PPD. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) is a widely used instrument for PPD screening, also capable to detect in subscales anhedonia, anxiety, and depression factors. Methods A cohort of 959 Italian mothers delivering a healthy baby at Policlinico Abano Terme, Italy, completed the EPDS 2 days after delivery. Results EPDS scores were significantly higher in mothers with a cesarean delivery compared to mothers with a vaginal delivery (7.0±4.8 vs 6.1±4.2, P P Conclusions The results of our study indicate that women who had an ElCD have an increased risk of developing early symptoms of post-partum depression, anxiety, and anhedonia. In particular, this study shows that the use of EPDS subscales in the immediate post-partum is a good tool to better understanding the spectrum of maternal post-partum psychological problems related to delivery mode.

A law made by Italian mothers for Italian mothers? Women politicians and the 1950 law on maternity rights

The development of welfare policies aimed at mothers and children has been deeply influenced by women’s agency. This article explores the role played by Italian women politicians in the passing of the 1950 law on maternity rights. It examines the campaigns conducted by both left-wing and Catholic women,1 and discusses the arguments and strategies they used to ensure that this gendered issue was on the political agenda. Particular attention is given to the parliamentary history of this legislation. While the law was being debated antagonism between the parties was at its height, and competition between the opposing women’s organisations was fierce. Despite this, at a parliamentary level cross-party collaboration between women politicians was possible on this specific issue and was a crucial factor in the law being passed.

Immigrant mothers and access to prenatal care: evidence from a regional population study in Italy

ObjectivesWe addressed the question of whether use of adequate prenatal care differs between foreign-born and Italian mothers and estimated the extent to which unobservable characteristics bias results.SettingThis study is on...

Retrospective Paternal and Maternal Parenting Styles in Greece, Italy, and Sweden

Abstract. Discrepancies in perceived parenting and parental roles across European countries could be due to the use of different assessment techniques or due to mean level differences in the authoritative, authoritarian, or permissive parenting styles. The present study aimed to examine the psychometric characteristics of the Parenting Styles and Dimensions Questionnaire (PSDQ; Robinson, Mandleco, Olsen, & Hart, 1995 , 2001 ) in a sample of 225 Greek, 301 Italian, and 279 Swedish adolescents aged 16–19 years, who evaluated their father’s and mother’s parenting styles during their childhood. A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), multigroup CFA, and modified version of the correlated uniqueness model were used to evaluate the structure and invariance of the scale across countries. Measurement and structural invariance was found in the 8-item authoritative scale and 6-item authoritarian scale. A mixed ANOVA (Country × Style × Role) showed that Swedish mothers scored lower than Italian or Greek mothers, and that, in the three countries, mothers were perceived as more authoritative than were fathers.

Emotion socialization practices in Italian and Hong Kong-Chinese mothers.

Background Parents’ emotion socialization practices are their ways of handling their children’s emotional experiences in light of cultural expectations surrounding emotions. Such practices are thought to significantly affect children’s social adjustment. We compared the parenting practices of Italian and Hong Kong Chinese samples in an ethnological validation study of the maternal responses to children’s emotion scale (MRCES). Participants were 71 Italian mothers (M = 39.45) and 71 Hong Kong-Chinese mothers (M = 37.75) with children aged 6–9 years.Findings The results confirmed the two-factor structure identified by the scale’s authors, namely coaching/emotion-encouraging and emotion dismissing approaches, respectively. Each of the two factors displayed satisfactory internal consistency. The Chinese mothers obtained higher scores than the Italian mothers on both subscales.ConclusionsOur findings suggested that parents’ emotion socialization practices for coping with children’s emotions received different degrees of emphasis and were underpinned by different meaning in the Hong Kong and Italian cultural groups. These cultural differences are discussed in relation to their effect on children’s socio-emotional development.

Daily Family Routines of Italian and Ecuadorian Immigrant Mothers in Everyday Life

This study compares Italian mothers’ and Ecuadorian immigrant mothers’ daily family routines. Thirty mothers took part in this investigation: 15 Italians ( M = 37.5 years, with ages ranging from 30 to 42 years) and 15 Ecuadorians ( M = 36.1 years, with ages ranging from 18 to 46 years and having lived in Italy for an average of 15 years), with children ranging in age from 4 to 8 years. The objective is to highlight the differences and similarities between the daily routines and family relations that characterize the lives of each of the two groups of participants. The instruments employed in service of these aims were in-depth interviews and diaries. The results showed similarities regarding the routines of Italian and Ecuadorian families. However, a relevant difference emerged regarding their perceptions of social support. Specifically, Italians receive more social support from their parents than do Ecuadorians, who are supported more by other relatives or by friends.

Genealogy of breastfeeding.

At any generation, mothers are likely to have daughters repeating their BF experience. Differently from the intergenerational effects of environmental factors responsible for the BF secular trend, this trait is transgenerationally transmitted and reversible, with temporal and clinical features of lactation failure. Accordingly, we speculate that epigenetic mechanisms might alter offspring's oxytocinergic receptor signalling. Several cultural and socio-demographic factors are known to influence breastfeeding outcome. The generational effects of breastfeeding itself have not been investigated so far. Maternal breastfeeding is the most important factor addressing daughters' breastfeeding outcome. This behavior is transmitted transgenerationally, with features suggesting epigenetic mechanisms.

Parenting Practices and Child Misbehavior: A Mixed-Method Study of Italian Mothers and Children

SYNOPSISObjective. The present study uses a mixed qualitative and quantitative method to examine three main research questions: What are the practices that mothers report they use when trying to correct their children’s misbehaviors? Are there common patterns of these practices? Are the patterns that emerge related to children’s well-being? Design. Italian mother–child dyads (N = 103) participated in the study (when children were 8 years of age). At Time 1, mothers answered open-ended questions about discipline; in addition, measures of maternal physical discipline and rejection and child aggression were assessed in mothers and children at Time 1, 1 year later (Time 2), and 2 years later (Time 3). Results. Mothers’ answers to open-ended questions about what they would do in three disciplinary situations were classified in six categories: physical or psychological punishment, control, mix of force and reasoning, reasoning, listening, and permissiveness. Cluster analysis yielded three clusters: Group 1, induction (predominant use of reasoning and listening; 74%); Group 2, punishment (punitive practices and no reasoning; 16%); Group 3, mixed practices (combination of reasoning and punishment, as well as high control and no listening; 10%). Multiple-group latent growth curves of maternal physical discipline, maternal rejection, and child aggression were implemented to evaluate possible differences in the developmental trends from Time 1 to Time 3, as a function of cluster. Conclusions. Qualitative data deepen understanding of parenting because they shed light on what parents think about themselves; their self-descriptions, in turn, help to identify ways of parenting that may have long-lasting consequences for children’s adjustment.

High Prevalence of Vitamin D Deficiency in Native versus Migrant Mothers and Newborns in the North of Italy: A Call to Act with a Stronger Prevention Program.

BackgroundVitamin D status during pregnancy is related to neonatal vitamin D status. Vitamin D deficiency has been associated with an increased risk of rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults. Aim of this study was to investigate 25OHD levels in maternal serum and in neonatal blood spots in native and migrant populations living in Novara (North Italy, 45°N latitude).Methods and FindingsWe carried out a cross sectional study from April 1st 2012 to March 30th 2013, in a tertiary Care Center. Maternal blood samples after delivery and newborns' blood spots were analyzed for 25OHD levels in 533 pairs. Maternal country of origin, skin phototype, vitamin D dietary intake and supplementation during pregnancy were recorded. Multivariate regression analysis, showed a link between neonatal and maternal 25OHD levels (R-square:0.664). Severely deficient 25OHD values (<25 nmol/L) were found in 38% of Italian and in 76.2% of migrant’s newborns (p <0.0001), and in 18% of Italian and 48,4% of migrant mothers (p <0.0001) while 25OHD deficiency (≥25 and <50 nmol/L) was shown in 40.1% of Italian and 21.7% of migrant’s newborns (p <0.0001), and in 43.6% of Italian and 41.3% of migrant mothers (p <0.0001). Italian newborns and mothers had higher 25OHD levels (34.4±19.2 and 44.9±21.2nmol/L) than migrants (17.7±13.7 and 29.7±16.5nmol/L; p<0.0001). A linear decrease of 25OHD levels was found with increasing skin pigmentation (phototype I 42.1 ±18.2 vs phototype VI 17.9±10.1 nmol/l; p<0.0001). Vitamin D supplementation resulted in higher 25OHD values both in mothers and in their newborns (p<0.0001).ConclusionsVitamin D insufficiency in pregnancy and in newborns is frequent especially among migrants. A prevention program in Piedmont should urgently be considered and people identified as being at risk should be closely monitored. Vitamin D supplementation should be taken into account when considering a preventative health care policy.

A score for measuring health risk perception in environmental surveys

BackgroundIn environmental surveys, risk perception may be a source of bias when information on health outcomes is reported using questionnaires. Using the data from a survey carried out in the largest chipboard industrial district in Italy (Viadana, Mantova), we devised a score of health risk perception and described its determinants in an adult population. MethodsIn 2006, 3697 parents of children were administered a questionnaire that included ratings on 7 environmental issues. Items dimensionality was studied by factor analysis. After testing equidistance across response options by homogeneity analysis, a risk perception score was devised by summing up item ratings. ResultsFactor analysis identified one latent factor, which we interpreted as health risk perception, that explained 65.4% of the variance of five items retained after scaling. The scale (range 0–10, mean±SD 9.3±1.9) had a good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha 0.87). Most subjects (80.6%) expressed maximum risk perception (score=10). Italian mothers showed significantly higher risk perception than foreign fathers. Risk perception was higher for parents of young children, and for older parents with a higher education, than for their counterparts. Actual distance to major roads was not associated with the score, while self-reported intense traffic and frequent air refreshing at home predicted higher risk perception. ConclusionsWhen investigating health effects of environmental hazards using questionnaires, care should be taken to reduce the possibility of awareness bias at the stage of study planning and data analysis. Including appropriate items in study questionnaires can be useful to derive a measure of health risk perception, which can help to identify confounding of association estimates by risk perception.

Childcare and Participation at Work in North-East Italy. Why Do Italian and Foreign Mothers Behave Differently?

This paper examines two of the decision-making processes following the birth of a child: whether a working mother should continue with her job, and whether the couple should provide the child with formal childcare. Focusing on Padova and its district (North-East Italy), differences in the strategies of Italian and foreign mothers are discussed, controlling for socio-economic status, opinions on women's roles, and family structure, according to the Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition. Six to thirty-six months after the birth of a child, the proportion of foreign mothers who are not employed is more than double that of Italian mothers (51% vs. 21%). In addition, 25% of Italian women entrust their children to the care of their parents and in-laws, vs. only 13% of foreign women. Although there are differences in the effects of individual characteristics on participation at work across the two groups, what matters most is the different composition of the Italian and foreign women's groups, especially as regards education, partners’ characteristics and attitudes towards the job market and motherhood. As regards the maximum price a couple is willing to pay for formal childcare, intended to represent parents’ preferences for formal childcare, differences between the two groups are also mainly explained by differences in composition.

Childcare and participation at work in North-East Italy: Why do Italian and foreign mothers behave differently?

This paper examines two of the decision-making processes following the birth of a child: whether a working mother should continue with her job, and whether the couple should provide the child with formal childcare. Focusing on Padova and its district, this paper discusses differences in the strategies used by Italian and foreign mothers, controlling for socio-economic status and opinions on women’s roles, according to the Blinder–Oaxaca decomposition technique. Six to thirty-six months after the birth of a child, the proportion of foreign mothers who are not employed is more than double that of Italian mothers (51 vs. 21 %; pre-birth 40 vs. 12). In addition, 25 % of Italian women entrust their children to the care of their parents and in-laws, versus only 13 % of foreign women. Although there are differences in the effects of individual characteristics on participation at work across the two groups, what matters most is the different composition of the Italian and foreign women’s groups, especially in regard to education, partners’ characteristics and attitudes towards the job market and motherhood. Regarding the maximum price a couple is willing to pay for formal childcare, intended to represent parents’ preferences for formal childcare, the differences between the two groups are also mainly explained by differences in composition.

Knowledge, opinions and attitudes of Italian mothers towards HPV vaccination and Pap test.

This study evaluated the knowledge and attitudes of Italian mothers - whose daughters had been vaccinated in 2012 - towards primary (anti-HPV vaccination) and secondary (Pap test screening) cervical cancer prevention, as well as sources of information and mother-daughter communication on health issues. The survey - part of a multicenter study carried out in 4 Italian cities (Ferrara, Rome, Cassino and Palermo) - was conducted through self-administered questionnaires. The first univariate analysis evaluated differences between mothers of under-18s and over-18s relative to knowledge and attitudes on HPV vaccination and Pap test. The second univariate analysis evaluated differences between the 2 groups of mothers and possible geographical variations regarding the sources of information on HPV and Pap test. The sample proved knowledgeable about the correlation between HPV and cervical cancer (&gt;85%) but less aware of other HPV-related diseases. HPV vaccination should be administered before first sexual intercourse according to mothers of over-18s, and to 14- to 17-year-olds according to mothers of under-18s. Up to 88% of mothers of under-18s and 80% of mothers of over-18s declared that the vaccine should be given free of charge. More mothers of under-18s consulted a general practitioner (GP) or gynecologist before deciding to vaccinate their daughters. Mothers of under-18s received information on HPV vaccination mainly from GPs and gynecologists, while mothers of over-18s were informed through TV and books/journals. Over 80% of the sample declared satisfaction with the information received from their gynecologist during the Pap test. The findings provide useful information for the development of effective public health interventions that may help improve acceptance of HPV vaccination among mothers.

Perinatal stress and food allergy: a preliminary study on maternal reports

Maternal stress in fetal and early life has been associated with the development of respiratory allergies, but no studies exist about food allergy. Stressful events and the quality of caregiving provided, as they affect the emotional and physiologic regulation of the infant, could alter the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal and immune system, facilitating an increased allergic response. This study aimed to investigate the influence of perinatal stress, as perceived by mothers, on developing food allergy in childhood. A survey on pregnancy and the first three months after giving birth was submitted to 59 Italian mothers of at least one child suffering from severe food allergy and one completely healthy child, for a total of 118 children examined. The presence of stressful events and the quality of perinatal period for each child were assessed retrospectively. The food allergic children’s data were compared to siblings’ data through inferential statistics. The results showed a significantly higher number of stressful events occurred during patients’ perinatal period, compared to siblings, in particular bereavements in pregnancy and parenting difficulties in postpartum. Mothers reported harder pregnancies and more stressful, harder, and, in general, worse postpartum when referring to their food-allergic children, in comparison with their siblings (p < .05). Psychological aspects are demonstrated to be involved in the development of allergic diseases. This study constitutes the first step to examine the role of early stress and perinatal psychosocial factors in the pathogenesis of food allergy; further studies are necessary to understand individual psychological impact and its relations with genetic and biological factors.

Risk factors of overweight and obesity among preschool children with different ethnic background.

In this study, we evaluated the risk factors associated with overweight and obesity in 2,640 preschool children in Italy taking into account the ethnic background of the parents. Height and weight were measured and BMI was calculated. Personal and lifestyle data for the children (birth weight, type of breastfeeding, sleep duration, skipping breakfast, snacking, physical activity) and parents (ethnicity, educational level, occupation, weight, height) were collected by means of a questionnaire. Italian and Other European children generally showed the highest percentage of normal weight, while the other ethnic groups presented a greater imbalance. Overweight and obesity were high in African males, who also presented high birth weight. Breastfeeding was most common, although formula feeding was significantly higher in Italians than in immigrants. Immigrants, particularly males, tended to skip breakfast more than Italians. Physical activity was significantly higher in Italians than in immigrants. In the parents, underweight was particularly high in Italian and Other mothers. African parents had high rates of overweight and obesity and a low educational level. The most common profession was worker for the fathers and housewife for the mothers, with the exception of Italians in which clerical work prevailed. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that the BMI of children was closely related to the BMI of the parents and the birth weight. Hence, these are the most informative parameters in preventing obesity.

PO-0816 Temperament In Very Preterm Infants At 2-years Corrected Age: Validation Of The Infant Characteristic Questionnaire In The Italian Action Cohort

Background and aims Temperament in very preterm infants (VPI) has been rarely studied. We used a short version of the Bates Infant Characteristic Questionnaire (ICQ) to explore maternal reported child difficultness in an area-based cohort of Italian VPI. Methods Study population included 1196 infants (response rate 85%). A medical examination was carried out to assess infants’ health and presence of disabilities. A postal maternal questionnaire was used to measure development and temperament. We used the sections corresponding to ‘Fussy-difficult’ and ‘Unadaptable’, with 12 items rated on a 7-point Likert-type scale. Higher scores indicate more problematic temperament. Statistical analysis included factor analysis and calculation of Cronbach alpha. To assess validity, comparisons with sleep and eating problems reported by mothers independently from ICQ were carried out. Results For this study only singletons born from Italian mothers were considered (n. 586); 55% were males, and 21% were below 28 weeks gestation. Forty infants (7%) had at least one severe disability. Mean ICQ score was 34.1 (SD 10.1), and median 33 (range 13–69). Factor loadings were comparable to the original English version, and internal consistency was satisfactory (alpha 0.88 for fussy-difficult and 0.71 for Unadaptable). Infants with difficulties getting to sleep, frequent night awakenings, and ‘picky eaters’ had significantly higher ICQ scores (p values Conclusion The short version of the ICQ may represent a quick and easily administered tool for the identification of difficult temperament traits in clinical and research settings. Acknowledgements Action follow-up study was funded by Italian MoH and Chiesi Spa.

Epidemiology of Toxoplasma and CMV serology and of GBS colonization in pregnancy and neonatal outcome in a Sicilian population

BackgroundAim of our study is to analyze the immunological status in pregnancy for two main TORCH agents, Toxoplasma and Cytomegalovirus (CMV), and the results of group B streptococcus (GBS) screening, assessing the risk for congenital infection in a population from Palermo, Italy.MethodsWe retrospectively analyzed the medical records of all inborn live newborns who were born in our division during 2012, gathering information about the mother, the pregnancy and neonatal hospitalization at birth. Whenever data were available, we categorized the serologic status of the mothers for Toxoplasma and CMV. We also considered the results of rectal and vaginal swabs for GBS. We compared the results in Italian and immigrant mothers. The neonatal outcome was evaluated in all cases at risk.ResultsPrevalence of anti-Toxo IgG antibodies was 17.97%, and was significantly higher in immigrant women (30% vs 16.4% in Italian women; p = 0.0008). Prevalence of anti-CMV IgG antibodies was 65.87%. Again, it was significantly higher in immigrant women (91.4% vs 62.5%, p = 3.31e-08). We compared those data with a previous study performed in our hospital in 2005–2006, and found that the prevalence of anti-Toxoplasma and anti-CMV antibodies in our population has remained stable, both in the immigrant and in the local population. Seroconversion rates and neonatal infections were rare: no seroconversions were observed for Toxoplasma, 4 seroconversions for CMV. One neonatal Toxoplasma infection and two neonatal CMV infections were documented. In some cases with dubious patterns or probable persistence of IgM, we performed additional tests and follow-up. Vaginal and rectal swabs were positive for GBS in 7.98% of cases, with no significant difference between the Italian and the immigrant population. No GBS neonatal sepsis was documented.ConclusionsThe prevalence of Toxoplasma IgG antibodies in pregnant women was low in our population, if compared with European countries and with other parts of Italy, and is significantly higher in immigrant women. The prevalence of CMV IgG antibodies was intermediate if compared to other countries, and it was higher in immigrant women. GBS positivity was low, and comparable in Italian and immigrant mothers. Neonatal infection was rare for all these agents.