Mothers Of Children Research Articles

Prevalence and factors associated with short birth interval in the semi-rural community of Kaya, Burkina Faso: results of a community-based survey

BackgroundA short birth interval adversely affects the health of mothers and children. This study aimed to measure the prevalence of short birth intervals and identify their associated factors in a semi-urban setting in Burkina Faso.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional study in which data were collected in households between May and October 2022. The dependent variable was the short birth interval (SBI), defined by the World Health Organization as the time between two live births. We performed a multilevel mixed-effects Poisson regression with robust variance to determine the factors associated with the SBI by reporting adjusted prevalence ratios (aPR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI).ResultsA total of 5544 birth intervals were recorded from 4067 women. A short birth interval was found in 1503 cases out of 5544, i.e., a frequency of 27.1%. The prevalence of short birth interval (time between two live births less than 33 months) was higher in never users of modern contraceptive users (aPR = 1.24; 95% CI [1.14–1.34] vs. previous users), in younger ages with aPR of 4.21 (95% CI [3.30–5.37]), 2.47 (95% CI [1.96–3.11]), and 1.45 (95% CI [1.16–1.81]), respectively for under 18, 18–24 years old, and 25–34 years old, compared to 35 and over. Childbirths occurring before the implementation of the maternal and infant free health care policy (aPR = 2.13; 95% CI [1.98–2.30]) and also before the free family planning policy (aPR = 1.53; 95% CI [1.28–1.81]) were more likely to have SBI. Women with low socio-economic positions were also more likely to have SBI.ConclusionThis study found a high SBI in Burkina Faso (more than one woman out of four). Our results have programmatic implications, as some factors, such as contraceptive practice and socioeconomic status, are modifiable. These factors need particular attention to lengthen birth intervals and, in turn, improve mother–child couple health by reducing short birth interval consequences.

Neurodevelopmental disorders in children born to mothers involved in maternal motor vehicle crashes.

To evaluate the association between maternal MVCs during pregnancy and neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs, including intellectual disability, ADHD, ASD, and infantile cerebral palsy) in children. This population-based cohort of live births in Taiwan was analyzed, comparing children born to mothers involved in MVCs during pregnancy with those without such exposure. Children were linked to the insurance database to identify the possible diagnosis of NDDs. The Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to estimate the relative hazards. A total of 19,277 children with maternal MVCs and 76,015 children without exposure were included. Children exposed to maternal MVCs during the first two trimesters or whose mothers sustained mild to severe injuries showed a higher risk of intellectual disability. Severe maternal injuries also increased the risk of infantile cerebral palsy (aHR = 3.86; 1.27-11.78). MVCs in the third trimester, or mild maternal injuries, were associated with a higher risk of ASD (third trimester: aHR = 1.40; 1.04-1.87; mild injuries: aHR = 1.38; 1.09-1.74). Children exposed to maternal MVCs with severe injuries had a higher risk of intellectual disability and cerebral palsy. Third-trimester exposure may increase the risk of ASD. However, these findings should be interpreted cautiously as genetic factors may contribute to the observed association. There is some evidence linking maternal MVCs during pregnancy to the development of neurodevelopmental disorders in children. Children of mothers with severely injured were more likely to suffer from infantile cerebral palsy and intellectual disability. The risk of autism spectrum disorder is higher in children whose mothers are involved in MVCs during the late stage of pregnancy, and there is also an increased risk of intellectual disability during the first two trimesters.

Mortality and morbidity of children in KARLAG in 1941: children of prisoner and civilian mothers

Mortality and morbidity of children in KARLAG in 1941: children of prisoner and civilian mothers

Child health and psychosocial wellness in the context of maternal role overload and depression

AbstractObjectiveThe objective of this study was to examine the variability of child health and psychosocial outcomes in the context of maternal role overload and maternal depression.BackgroundRole overload, characterized as time‐based role stress, is commonly linked to depression in mothers. However, it remains uncertain whether maternal role overload poses a risk for negative child health and wellness. Although maternal depression is a known risk factor for poor child health and psychosocial outcomes, the outcomes themselves often reveal variability.MethodThis study aimed to investigate the heterogeneity of child health and psychosocial outcomes using latent profile analyses. Multinomial logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine differences in profile membership based on the child's experiences of maternal role overload and depression. Data were from 1,172 mother–child dyads from the Family Matters study.ResultsThe analyses unveiled four distinct profiles (i.e., moderate health/psychosocial wellness, poor health/moderate psychosocial wellness, struggling health/poor psychosocial wellness, thriving health/psychosocial wellness), each associated with varying levels of health and psychosocial wellness. Both maternal role overload and depression were found to heighten the risk of poor health and psychosocial wellness in children.ConclusionChildren with struggling and poor health and psychosocial outcomes had higher odds of maternal depression and maternal role overload than children in the thriving profile. These findings suggest that maternal role overload is a potential risk to child health and psychosocial outcomes.ImplicationsThese findings emphasize the importance of continuous depression screening in mothers and the implementation of solution‐focused interventions targeting maternal role overload.

Decreased ventricular repolarization variability in one-year-olds of gestational diabetes mothers

BackgroundGestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is currently the most common medical complication in pregnancy, affecting approximately 13 % of all pregnant women. Although long-term effects on the offspring are still unclear, previous studies indicate ventricular myocardial changes. ObjectivesThe aim of our study was to investigate whether early biomarkers such as QT interval variability (QTV) are sensitive enough to predict these structural changes in children of GDM mothers. MethodsWe focused on children of GDM mothers. Healthy children of mothers without GDM served as controls. All of them were examined at the German Heart Center, Munich, Germany. Heart rate variability (HRV) and QTV measures were extracted from 10 to 15 min Einthoven II electrocardiograms, split into 5 min windows, to characterize the effects of possible autonomic nervous system alterations and cellular ventricular mutations. Results75 children were included in this prospective observational case-control study; 42 of them were children of GDM mothers. The median age at the examination was 12 months (11–13 months). We found decreased QTV as a measure of ventricular repolarization variability in one-year-olds of GDM mothers compared to healthy controls (p < 0.05). ConclusionWe have found increased very low frequency HRV in females and decreased QTV in male children of GDM mothers, which suggests diverse responses and could reflect increased sympathetic tone and altered ventricular myocardium at a cellular level, respectively. Further work is required to understand the long-term significance of these findings in terms of providing an easy-to-use and cost-effective technology for early diagnosis of myocardial damage.

Longitudinal interactions between maternal depression symptoms and familial stressful life events on child anxiety symptoms at 5years of age.

In the current study we identified salient parental factors for child anxiety symptoms by considering the role of stressful life events, maternal anxiety symptoms, maternal depressive symptoms, and maternal neuroticism. Families (N=399) in an urban area in the United States were participants in a longitudinal study beginning in infancy. Mothers completed measures of stressful life events (Revised Life Events Questionnaire at all visits), maternal anxiety and depressive symptoms (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and Beck Depression Inventory, respectively, at infancy between 5 and 12months, at 2years, and at 3years), maternal neuroticism (NEO Five-Factor Inventory at infancy), and child anxiety symptoms (Child Behavior Checklist 1.5-5 at 5years). Linear mixed models (LMMs) were used in analyses. Maternal depressive symptoms from infancy through 3years were associated with child anxiety symptoms; other main effects modeled (stressful life events, maternal anxiety symptoms, maternal neuroticism) were not associated with child anxiety symptoms. There was a significant interaction effect between stressful life events and maternal depression. Stressful events from infancy through 5years of age increased risk for child anxiety symptoms at 5years if the child's mother had a mild mood disturbance or depression, but not for children with non-depressed mothers.

Parental migration, socioeconomic deprivation and hospital admissions in preschool children in England: national birth cohort study, 2008 to 2014

BackgroundA third of children born in England have at least one parent born outside the United Kingdom (UK), yet family migration history is infrequently studied as a social determinant of child health. We describe rates of hospital admissions in children aged up to 5 years by parental migration and socioeconomic group.MethodsBirth registrations linked to Hospital Episode Statistics were used to derive a cohort of 4,174,596 children born in state-funded hospitals in England between 2008 and 2014, with follow-up until age 5 years. We looked at eight maternal regions of birth, maternal country of birth for the 6 most populous groups and parental migration status for the mother and second parent (UK-born/non-UK-born). We used Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) quintiles to indicate socioeconomic deprivation. We fitted negative binomial/Poisson regression models to model associations between parental migration groups and the risk of hospital admissions, including interactions with IMD group.ResultsOverall, children whose parents were both born abroad had lower emergency admission rates than children with parents both born in the UK. Children of UK-born (73.6% of the cohort) mothers had the highest rates of emergency admissions (171.6 per 1000 child-years, 95% confidence interval (CI) 171.4–171.9), followed by South Asia-born mothers (155.9 per 1000, 95% CI 155.1–156.7). The high rates estimated in the South Asia group were driven by children of women born in Pakistan (186.8 per 1000, 95% CI 185.4–188.2). A socioeconomic gradient in emergency admissions was present across all maternal regions of birth groups, but most pronounced among children of UK-born mothers (incidence rate ratio 1.43, 95% CI 1.42–1.44, high vs. low IMD group). Patterns of planned admissions followed a similar socioeconomic gradient and were highest among children with mothers born in Middle East and North Africa, and South Asia.ConclusionsOverall, we found the highest emergency admission rates among children of UK-born parents from the most deprived backgrounds. However, patterns differed when decomposing maternal place of birth and admission reason, highlighting the importance of a nuanced approach to research on migration and health.

The Integrated Model: Dynamic Changes in Mother–Child Relationship in the Context of Intimate Partner Violence

The Integrated Model: Dynamic Changes in Mother–Child Relationship in the Context of Intimate Partner Violence

Effect of a targeted health education program on nurses’ awareness about postpartum depression

BackgroundPostpartum depression (PPD) is a prevalent mental health disorder that affects women after giving birth. It seriously harms the mother–child bond. As nurses' expertise can have a significant impact on women after childbirth, this study aimed to compare the knowledge of nurses at the Maternity Hospital of Ain Shams University (ASU) before and after the implementation of an educational program regarding PPD.MethodsA pre-and post-quasi-experimental study was conducted among 63 nurses at ASU Maternity Hospital. A self-administered questionnaire was used to evaluate nurses' knowledge of PPD symptoms, diagnosis, risk factors, treatment, and consequences before and one month following an educational program that comprised PowerPoint, posters, and videos.ResultsThe mean age of nurses was 23.17 ± 1.45. About 76% had previously heard of PPD, and the most frequent sources of their information were nursing studies followed by conferences. After the intervention, there was a significant improvement in the knowledge score regarding PPD symptoms and diagnosis, with a mean score of 7.23 ± 1.32 compared to 6.13 ± 1.97 before the intervention. The knowledge score of PPD risk factors showed a considerable improvement, with a mean score of 11.52 ± 1.49 as compared to 9.69 ± 1.94 previously. There was a significant improvement in the knowledge scores regarding PPD treatment and consequences. Overall, the PPD total knowledge score of nurses improved significantly after the intervention, from 19.56 ± 3.49 to 23.2 ± 2.5 (p-value < 0.001).ConclusionThis study demonstrates the positive impact of a targeted health education program on enhancing nurses’ awareness about PPD. The program effectively increased knowledge levels among participating nurses, empowering them with essential skills to recognize, assess, and respond to PPD in their clinical practice. The improvement in awareness signifies the importance of implementing focused educational interventions to enhance nurses’ ability to identify this critical maternal mental health issue.ImplicationsBeyond the direct effect of this study on nurses' awareness, it has wider implications for patient care, healthcare policies, professional development, interdisciplinary collaboration, and public health awareness related to PPD.Trial registrationIt was registered on clinicaltrials.gov with identifier number NCT06424496.

Perceived Mental Health and Quality of Life in Mothers of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Armed Forces in a Tertiary Care Center of North India: A Cross-Sectional Study

Purpose: To explore the impact on mental health and quality of life among mothers following the diagnosis of mild or moderate autism in their child.Methods: The study included 100 consecutive mothers with a defence background, each having a child aged 3 to 10 years diagnosed with mild to moderate autism. Participants were briefed about the study, and informed consent was obtained. A quantitative experimental design was employed, utilising the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21 Items (DASS-21) and the World Health Organisation Quality of Life Scale-Brief (WHOQOL-Brief) to assess the mothers.Results: The results indicated that mothers experienced moderate levels of anxiety (mean±standard deviation, 10±6.4) and stress (19±6.7), but lower levels of depression (11±7.7), as measured by the DASS-21 questionnaire. The WHOQOL-Brief revealed a moderate decline in psychological health (transformative [T]-score=38) and social relationships (T-score=31). However, satisfaction with their environment (T-score=75) and physical health (T-score=63) was higher, potentially due to their defence background, which may provide easier access to healthcare and improved living conditions.Conclusion: Mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder experience moderate levels of stress and anxiety, and low levels of depression. Additionally, they face a decline in their quality of life.

Gestational diabetes mellitus as a predictor of health disorders and lipid metabolism in newborns and infants (literature review)

Background. Diseases of the endocrine system in their mothers, namely gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), have a significant impact on the increase in morbidity in newborns. The main adverse outcome for children of mothers with GDM is macrosomia, as prenatal exposure to hyperglycemia increases the risk and programs the offspring to develop diabetes and/ or obesity in adulthood.Objective. To summarize modern scientific ideas about the impact of GDM on immediate and long-term disorders of health and lipid metabolism in newborns and young children.Material and methods. An extensive literature review was conducted using the MEDLINE database (PubMed) using keywords and filter: randomized controlled trial, meta-analysis, systematic review.Research results. This review summarizes the main evidence on the impact of maternal hyperglycemia on the health of her child and provides new information on the role of GDM in lipid disorders in newborns and young children.Conclusion. Children born to mothers with GDM have an increased risk of developing obesity and impaired glucose tolerance from a very early age and throughout all periods of child-hood. Maternal hyperglycemia affects both during pregnancy and the rate of physical development of children in early life. These studies are important given that neonatal fat, rather than birth weight, is an important risk factor for the development of obesity later in life.to summarize modern scientific ideas about the effect of GDM on immediate and long-term disorders of health and lipid metabolism in newborns and young children.

Prenatal exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and sex-specific associations with offspring adiposity at 10 years of age: Metabolic perturbation plays a role

BackgroundPer- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been suspected as potential environmental obesogens, with several mechanisms being proposed, including the role of metabolomics. However, current epidemiological studies have yielded inconclusive findings. ObjectivesWe aimed to estimate the associations of prenatal exposure to PFAS with offspring adiposity measures, and to explore the potential metabolic pathways underlying these associations. MethodsA total of 464 mother–child pairs from the Sheyang Mini Birth Cohort Study (SMBCS) were included in this study. Cord serum concentrations of 12 PFAS and urine metabolite profiles at age 10 were obtained from the SMBCS database. Adiposity-related anthropometric measurements and body composition estimates of children aged 10 were used to assess offspring obesity. Multiple linear regression models and quantile g-computation were conducted to estimate the associations of prenatal exposure to individual and multiple PFAS with obesity at 10 years old. Metabolomics analysis was performed to characterize the biological pathways associated with PFAS exposure or obesity, subsequently identifying the overlapping metabolic pathways underlying the PFAS-obesity relationship. ResultsPrenatal exposure to several PFAS was significantly associated with elevated obesity-related markers in 10-year-old children. After stratification by sex, the effects were more pronounced in girls. Quantile g-computation results indicated that exposure to higher levels of PFAS mixtures during pregnancy was associated with increased odds of obesity in girls, with PFNA emerging as the predominant driving compound. Untargeted metabolomics results showed that several amino acid metabolic pathways were characterized as the overlapping pathways underlying the above associations. ConclusionsTaken together, our findings suggested the potential obesogenic effects of prenatal exposure to PFAS and offered insight into the possible metabolic mechanisms underlying PFAS-related offspring obesity.

Daylight duration and time allocation of children and adolescents

This study explores the allocation of time, particularly to sleep, among children and adolescents in response to daily daylight variation. Utilising a dataset of over 50,000 time-use diaries from two Australian cohorts spanning 16 years and employing an individual fixed effects estimator, we uncover a substantial causal impact of daily daylight duration on sleep patterns. Our findings reveal that days with longer daylight hours are associated with a decrease in total sleep duration, primarily driven by a later sleep onset time. Additionally, longer daylight hours correspond to reduced time spent on personal care and media activities, with increased dedication to school and physical activities. Furthermore, we identify socio-demographic factors moderating these effects, such as older age and weekend days exerting a stronger influence on sleep duration, while females and children of unemployed mothers exhibit a subtle impact. These insights contribute to our understanding of how environmental factors shape daily routines and offer implications for designing schedules that promote positive developmental outcomes in young individuals.

Maternal Disability and Early Child Preventive Care.

Preventive health care for children comprises routine well-child visits and immunizations. Women with physical, sensory, or intellectual or developmental disabilities tend to experience more barriers to preventive health care; yet it is unknown whether such barriers are observed among their young children. This population-based study in Ontario, Canada included children born between 2012 and 2019 whose mothers had a physical (n = 74 084), sensory (n = 26 532), or intellectual or developmental (n = 1391) disability, multiple disabilities (n = 5774), or no disability (n = 723 442). Primary outcomes were receipt of the recommended number of well-child visits and routine immunizations in the first 2 years. Secondary outcomes included receipt of the enhanced 18-month developmental assessment and any developmental screen. Relative risks (aRR) were generated using modified Poisson regression and adjusted for maternal sociodemographics and mental health and child sex. Compared with children of mothers without disabilities, those whose mothers had intellectual or developmental disabilities were less likely to receive the recommended number of well-child visits (56.3% vs 63.2%; aRR 0.92, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.88-0.97), routine immunizations (43.8% vs 53.7%; aRR 0.88, 95% CI 0.83-0.94), enhanced 18-month developmental assessment (52.3% vs 60.8%; aRR 0.92, 95% CI 0.88-0.97), or any developmental screen (54.9% vs 62.5%; aRR 0.94, 95% CI 0.90-0.99). Other disability groups did not experience such disparities. There is a need to develop resources to improve access to preventive health care for young children of women with intellectual or developmental disabilities.

Interpregnancy intervals and behavioural outcomes in children: A population-based longitudinal study

BackgroundWhile the physical health consequence of short interpregnancy intervals (IPIs) is well documented, its mental health impact is not well explored. This study aimed to examine the associations between IPIs and behavioural outcomes in children born following the interval at four developmental time points between ages 7 and 16. MethodsOur study sample comprised participants in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) cohort, an ongoing population-based longitudinal birth cohort in Bristol, Avon, United Kingdom. Behavioural problems, including total behavioural difficulties, hyperactivity, emotional symptoms, conduct problems, peer-problems, and problems of pro-social behaviour, were assessed using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Over 2300 mothers and their singleton children were included in this study. Generalized Estimating Equations (GEE) were used to estimate odds ratios for the associations. ResultsChildren born to mothers with short IPI (<6 months) were 1.54 (95%CI: 1.12–2.11), 1.42 (95% CI: 1.12–1.81) and 1.37 (95%CI: 1.04–1.79) times more likely to have total behavioural difficulties, conduct problems and hyperactivity/inattention problems across the child's age, respectively, compared with children of mothers with IPIs of 18–23 months. We found no evidence of associations between short IPI (<6 months) and emotional symptoms, peer-relationship problems and pro-social behaviour problems. ConclusionShort IPI (<6 months) was associated with externalising (conduct and hyperactivity/inattention) but not internalising (emotional and peer-relationship problems) problems. Further studies are needed to confirm this association and elucidate the underlying mechanisms.

An Analysis of the Portrayals of Mothers in Children’s Picturebooks in China

An Analysis of the Portrayals of Mothers in Children’s Picturebooks in China

Mothers of Children with Stuttering and Their Daily Concerns: A Qualitative Study

Background: Stuttering is one of the most important speech disorders in children, which causes anxiety and worry in parents, especially mothers. The present study sought to investigate and identify the types of anxiety experienced by mothers of children with stuttering. Methods: This qualitative study adopted reflexive thematic analysis (Brown &amp; Clark) to investigate the anxiety and concerns experienced by mothers of children with stuttering. The participants were 15 mothers of children with stuttering who visited speech therapy centers in Isfahan and were selected through homogenous purposive sampling. The data were collected through interviews with the participants for 45 days and analyzed by the thematic analysis method. Results: Data analysis revealed two core categories, four organizing themes, and nineteen subthemes. The two core categories identified in this study were mother-centered anxiety (anxiety about public judgments on the mother and anxiety about the appropriateness of the mother’s behavior with the child who stutters) and child-centered anxiety (concerns about public reactions to the child’s stuttering and the concerns about the child’s future life and treatment). Conclusion: The findings indicated that the mothers of children with stuttering were mostly concerned about public reactions to the stuttering child and their judgments about the mother. Thus, promoting a sense of self-worth in these mothers can reduce such concerns. Moreover, raising public awareness about how to treat children with stuttering and their parents can make social life easier for such children and their mothers.

Reciprocal relationships between a child’s engagement with faces and mother–child interaction at 8, 30, and 60 months.

Reciprocal relationships between a child’s engagement with faces and mother–child interaction at 8, 30, and 60 months.

Manuscript :The Effect Of Self-Compassion Based Nursing Intervention On Self -Criticism And Psychological Flexibility Among Mothers Of Children With Cerebral Palsy

Manuscript :The Effect Of Self-Compassion Based Nursing Intervention On Self -Criticism And Psychological Flexibility Among Mothers Of Children With Cerebral Palsy

Supplemental Material for Reciprocal Relationships Between a Child’s Engagement With Faces and Mother–Child Interaction at 8, 30, and 60 Months

Supplemental Material for Reciprocal Relationships Between a Child’s Engagement With Faces and Mother–Child Interaction at 8, 30, and 60 Months