Quality Of Parent-child Interactions Research Articles

Maternal behaviors mediate the relationship between socioeconomic status and joint attention

Socioeconomic status (SES) is strongly related to parental behaviors and the quality of parent-child interactions. We examined whether through maternal behaviors, SES is linked to joint attention (JA), an important form of parent-child interactions predicting language development. At 12 months, 50 mother-infant dyads were video-recorded during 5-min free play. We coded for maternal behaviors (sensitivity, cognitive stimulation, positive affect, negative affect, control) and JA characteristics (frequency, duration, initiated by maternal following/directing, passive/coordinated, terminated by mother/infant). Mediation analyses showed that higher-SES mothers were more sensitive, less controlling, provided more cognitive stimulation, and displayed more positive affect resulting in JA interactions of higher quality (e.g., initiated by maternal following rather than directing infant's attention) and quantity (i.e., more time spent in JA). These findings contribute to current literature by revealing maternal behaviors as a mediator between SES and mother-infant JA interactions.

Parent-child bonding and attachment during pregnancy and early childhood following congenital heart disease diagnosis

ABSTRACT Diagnosis and treatment of congenital heart disease (CHD) can present challenges to the developing parent-child relationship due to periods of infant hospitalization and intensive medical care, parent-infant separations, child neurodevelopmental delay and feeding problems, and significant parent and child distress and trauma. Yet, the ways in which CHD may affect the parent-child relationship are not well-understood. We systematically reviewed the evidence on parental bonding, parent-child interaction, and child attachment following CHD diagnosis, according to a pre-registered protocol (CRD42019135687). Six electronic databases were searched for English-language studies comparing a cardiac sample (i.e., expectant parents or parents and their child aged 0–5 years with CHD) with a healthy comparison group on relational outcomes. Of 22 unique studies, most used parent-report measures (73%) and yielded mixed results for parental bonding and parent-child interaction quality. Observational results also varied, although most studies (4 of 6) found difficulties in parent-child interaction on one or more affective or behavioural domains (e.g., lower maternal sensitivity, lower infant responsiveness). Research on parental-fetal bonding, father-child relationships, and child attachment behaviour was lacking. Stronger evidence is needed to determine the nature, prevalence, and predictors of relational disruptions following CHD diagnosis, and to inform targeted screening, prevention, and early intervention programs for at-risk dyads.

International Adoption: A Review and Update.

1. Judith Kim Eckerle, MD*,† 2. Megan Marie Bresnahan, OTR/L† 3. Maria Kroupina, PhD, LP*,† 4. Dana Ernest Johnson, MD, PhD*,† 5. Cynthia Ruth Howard, MD, MPHTM*,† 1. *Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 2. †MHealth Fairview University of Minnesota Masonic Children’s Hospital, Minneapolis, MN * Abbreviations: Ab : : antibody ACE : : adverse childhood experience CDC : : Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CXR : : chest radiography IA : : international adoptee TB : : tuberculosis 1. Key information for accurate assessment of the preadoption referral. 2. Determining immunization status and planning catch-up strategy. 3. Updated screening protocol for and treatment of latent tuberculosis infection. 4. Evaluation of developmental delays in the context of international adoption. 5. Screening for risk factors indicating the need for referral to child mental health and developmental specialists. After completing this article, readers should be able to: 1. Review the basic components of an adoption referral file and know when to consult an international adoption medicine expert. 2. Perform the initial medical assessment of a newly arrived international adoptee, including evaluation of the efficacy of previous immunizations and planning of catch-up immunization based on new recommendations. 3. Screen for tuberculosis and treat latent tuberculosis infection based on recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines. 4. Understand the multiple areas of a developmental baseline of adopted children and assess for catch-up needs. 5. Identify the child with multiple risk factors and/or parental or family stressors who needs a referral to an adoption-competent mental health specialist. Although interest in intercountry adoption continues to be high, the numbers of international adoptions have changed dramatically since the peak in 2004 when 45,483 international adoptees (IAs) were placed in families worldwide. By 2017, the number dropped 79% to 9,387. In the United …

Parent-Child Relationship Quality in the Family of Origin and Later Romantic Relationship Functioning: A Systematic Review.

A large and diverse literature has shown that parent-child relationship quality shapes development to affect later romantic relationship functioning. Guided by the developmental psychopathology framework, the current systematic review aimed to characterize the links between two major subtypes of parent-child relationship quality (parent-child attachment security and interaction quality) and several romantic relationship outcomes (i.e., adjustment, attachment security, aggression, and observed interaction quality), as well as to identify mechanisms accounting for these associations. We focused on studies that included both members of a couple/partnership for dyadic assessment of romantic relationship functioning, to more accurately and fully capture both partners' perspectives. A total of 40 articles met inclusion criteria, most of which sampled early/emerging adult couples between the ages of 18 and 26 years. Findings suggest that parent-child attachment security and interaction quality have similar associations with dyadic romantic relationship functioning, with the strongest evidence of effects on romantic relationship adjustment and observed interactions between romantic partners. Many studies found gender differences in effects, as well as cascading effects across development and over the course of a relationship. We argue that it is important for future studies to explore effects of one partner's parent-child relationship quality history on the other partner's romantic relationship adjustment and behavior, and to evaluate the extent to which parent-child attachment security mediates associations between parent-child interaction quality and romantic relationship functioning.

Improved Parent-Child Interactions Predict Reduced Internalizing Symptoms Among the Offspring of Parents with Bipolar Disorder Undergoing a Prevention Program: A Proof-of-Concept Study.

The offspring of parents with bipolar disorder (OBD) exhibit elevated rates of psychopathology. However, preventative interventions are lacking. Using a quasi-experimental design with an assessment-only control group, we examined if a 12-week program (entitled Reducing Unwanted Stress in the Home, RUSH) decreases internalizing and externalizing symptoms in the OBD (aged 6-11years) via intervention-related gains in parent-child interaction quality. Participants consisted of 55 offspring (26 OBD; 29 controls) and their parents. Assessments were conducted at four time points up to six months following the end of the RUSH program, during which parent and teacher ratings of child symptoms, and parent-child interaction quality (parental positivity and negativity, and dyadic mutuality) were measured. Multilevel modelling showed improved parental positivity and negativity, and dyadic mutuality among target dyads immediately and six months post-intervention. For the bootstrapping mediation analyses, intervention-related change in parental negativity fully mediated the relations between having participated in the RUSH program and lower parent-reported internalizing problems among the OBD six months later. These data provide evidence of the efficacy of the RUSH program for OBD who exhibited improved interactions with their parents post-intervention. Further investigation via a randomized controlled trial is warranted.

Associations between maternal technology use, perceptions of infant temperament, and indicators of mother-to-infant attachment quality

BackgroundPrevious research suggests parents' use of technological devices, such as TV and mobile devices, within family contexts may decrease the quality of parent-child interactions. During early infancy, mothers report engaging with technological devices during infant feeding and care interactions, however, few studies have explored potential associations between maternal technology use and the quality of mother-to-infant attachment. AimTo examine associations between maternal technology use during mother-infant interactions and indicators of mother-to-infant attachment during early infancy. Study designCross-sectional survey. MethodsMothers (n = 332) of infants aged 2 to 6 months were recruited via MTurk, a crowdsourcing platform, to participate in an online survey. Participants responded to a series of validated questionnaires that assessed maternal technology use during mother-infant interactions (Maternal Distraction Questionnaire), infant temperament (Infant Behavior Questionnaire-Revised Very Short Form), and indicators of mother-to-infant attachment, including quality of attachment, absence of hostility toward motherhood, and pleasure in mother-infant interactions (Maternal Postnatal Attachment Questionnaire). ResultsGreater technology use during mother-infant interactions was significantly associated with greater infant negative affectivity (β = 0.26, p < .0001). Greater technology use was also significantly associated with lower mother-to-infant attachment quality (β = −0.21, p = .0001), and greater hostility toward motherhood (β = −0.39, p < .0001). Associations between technology use and indicators of mother-to-infant attachment were not mediated by infant negative affectivity. ConclusionsMaternal technology use was associated with greater perceptions of infant negative affectivity and poorer mother-to-infant attachment quality; further research is needed to understand mechanisms underlying these associations.

Parental training in groups: a brief health promotion program.

ObjectiveTo propose a brief parenting program offered in the context of health promotion and evaluate the immediate results relating to use of appropriate parenting practices and quality of parent-child interaction.MethodsForty-five parents of school-age children from two non-governmental institutions located in a medium-sized city in the state of Sao Paulo participated in the study. The following assessment tools were used in the pre and post-tests: the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), Quality of Family Interaction Scales (EQIFs), and the Brazilian Economic Classification Criteria (CCEB). Only scores of parents who attended 75% of the program were included in the analysis (25 participants).ResultsMost of the participants who completed the program were grouped in socioeconomic levels B and C (72%) and the complaints reported in the pre-test centered on disobedience and stubbornness (29.6%, each). Regarding parents’ perceptions of their educational practices and interaction with the children, improvements were detected in several of the aspects measured: affective relationship, involvement, model, communication, rules and monitoring, and children’s feelings, besides reduction in use of physical punishment and negative marital atmosphere (p < 0.03). Reductions were detected in aggressive behavior (p = 0.02) and externalizing problems (p = 0.04).ConclusionDespite the small sample and application in a specific community, this quick and affordable intervention seems to have yielded improvements in parent’s monitoring and their affective relationships with their children, in addition to reductions in punishments and children’s aggressive behavior, contributing to better parent-child interaction in the community.

Recognizing children's emotions in child abuse and neglect.

Past research has suggested that parents' ability to recognize their children's emotions is associated with an enhanced quality of parent-child interactions and appropriateness of parental caregiving behavior. Although this association has also been examined in abusive and neglectful parents, the results are mixed and do not adequately address child neglect. Based on the Social Information Processing model of child abuse and neglect, we examined the association between mothers' ability to recognize children's emotions and self- and professionals-reported child abuse and neglect. The ability to recognize children's emotions was assessed with an implicit valence classification task and an emotion labeling task. A convenience sample of 166 mothers (78 with at least one child referred to Child Protection Services) completed the tasks. Child abuse and neglect were measured with self-report and professionals-report instruments. The moderating role of mothers' intellectual functioning and socioeconomic status were also examined. Results revealed that abusive mothers performed more poorly on the negative emotions recognition task, while neglectful mothers demonstrated a lower overall ability in recognizing children's emotions. When classifying the valence of emotions, mothers who obtained higher scores on child neglect presented a higher positivity bias particularly when their scores in measures of intellectual functioning were low. There was no moderation effect for socioeconomic status. Moreover, the results for child abuse were mainly observed with self-report measures, while for child neglect, they predominantly emerged with professionals-report. Our findings highlight the important contribution of the social information processing model in the context of child maltreatment, with implications for prevention and intervention addressed.

An Attachment-Based Parental Capacity Assessment to Orient Decision-Making in Child Protection Cases: A Randomized Control Trial.

Two parenting capacity assessment (PCA) protocols, with a short parent-child intervention embedded in each protocol, evaluated the potential for enhanced parenting to orient child placement decision. Parents (n = 69), with substantiated reports of maltreatment by child protective services, and their children (0–6) were randomly assigned to one of two PCAs with either the Attachment Video-feedback (PCA-AVI) or a psychoeducational intervention (PCA-PI) as the embedded intervention component. The PCA-AVI group showed the highest increases in parent-child interaction quality at post-test. Also, at PCA completion, evaluators’ conclusions about the parents’ capacity to care for both PCA groups were associated with parent-child interactive improvements at post-test, the court’s placement decision at post-test, and child placement one year later. However, only conclusions drawn by PCA-AVI evaluators were predictive of child re-reports of maltreatment in the year following PCA. PCAs, relying on short attachment interventions to assess the potential for enhanced parenting, are promising tools to orient child placement decisions.

Synchrony of Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia in Parents and Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Moderation by Interaction Quality and Child Behavior Problems.

Parent-child physiological synchrony, the matching of physiological states between parents and children, is theorized to be important for typically developing (TD) children, but less is known about this process in families of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In a sample of 29 children (M age = 8.00 years, SD = 1.51 years) with ASD and 39 TD-matched children (M age = 7.32 years, SD = 1.36 years) and their primary caregivers (n = 68), we examined whether parent-child dyads showed physiological synchrony indexed by respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) during an interaction, and whether RSA synchrony differed by parent-child interaction quality and child behavior problems. Results indicated that dyads with TD children showed stronger positive RSA synchrony than dyads with children with ASD. Furthermore, for families of children with ASD, RSA synchrony was stronger in families with higher interaction quality and fewer child internalizing problems. These results provide preliminary evidence of parent-child RSA synchrony in families of children with ASD and identify factors that may influence this physiological process. Implications of these findings for social and emotional development in children with ASD are discussed. LAY SUMMARY: Parents and children can get "in tune" with one another at the biological level - a process called physiological synchrony. We studied physiological synchrony in families of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in comparison to same-aged children who had no mental health disorders. We also examined how physiological synchrony might be associated with parent-child interaction quality and child behavior problems. We found that families with a child with ASD showed weaker physiological synchrony than families with a child who was typically developing. Further, we found that physiological synchrony was stronger when parents and children with ASD showed higher interaction quality and when children with ASD had lower internalizing problems. These findings contribute to our understanding of family functioning in the context of ASD and have potential implications for future work.

Early Parenting Acceptance and Commitment Therapy ‘Early PACT’ for parents of infants with cerebral palsy: a study protocol of a randomised controlled trial

IntroductionNew international clinical practice guidelines exist for identifying infants at high risk of cerebral palsy (CP) earlier: between 12 to 24 weeks corrected age, significantly earlier than previous diagnosis windows...

Beliefs about sensitive parenting among mothers of children with disabilities.

The relevance of the quality of parent-child interactions for child development has long been established. Nevertheless, research on beliefs about maternal sensitivity is still scarce, to an even greater extent in the context of child disability. This inquiry aimed to describe beliefs about sensitive parenting among mothers of children with developmental disabilities and to examine how those beliefs relate to sociodemographic factors and perceived stress. Participants included 40 mothers with a child up to 7 years of age with a developmental disability. Mothers reported on sociodemographic factors and daily hassles and sorted an adapted version of the Maternal Behavior Q-Sort. Results revealed a strong convergence between maternal beliefs about the ideal mother and the attachment theory's concept of sensitivity. Daily hassles predicted beliefs about the ideal mother. These results underline the importance of implementing interventions in the context of child disability aimed at reducing parental stress.

Convergence of Parent Report and Child Behavior using the Dyadic Parent-Child Interaction Coding System (DPICS)

The Dyadic Parent-Child Interaction Coding System (DPICS) is an analogue behavioral observation that examines the quality of parent-child interactions as well as child prosocial and disruptive behaviors. With previous research focusing primarily on parent verbal behaviors, there is limited psychometric support and understanding of the DPICS coding categories for child behaviors. As such, the current study investigated associations between child verbal behaviors coded using updated DPICS editions and parent ratings on measures of child functioning for externalizing, internalizing, and adaptive behavior. Participants were 120 parent-child dyads drawn from two samples who participated in a DPICS observation and completed measures. Children were between ages 2 and 11 and exhibited a range of clinical problems (e.g., conduct issues, anxiety, no clinical problems). Results revealed significant associations between child verbalizations coded during the DPICS and parent-reported child functioning for externalizing and adaptive areas but not for internalizing problems. Specifically, children who exhibited more negative talk and who were less compliant during the DPICS were rated higher on parent-report measures of externalizing behaviors, whereas children who asked more questions, engaged in more prosocial talk, and exhibited fewer vocalizations (e.g., yelling, whining) were rated higher on parent-reported measures of adaptive skills and lower on parent-report measures of externalizing behavior. These findings demonstrate convergence between observed child behavior and parent ratings, enhancing clinical interpretation of the DPICS child codes within a broader clinical population. This study provides support for multi-method assessment and highlights the need for future research examining bidirectional effects within parent-child interactions.

The impact of Theraplay® therapy on parent-child interaction and child psychiatric symptoms: a pilot study

ABSTRACT Theraplay® is a short-term parent–child interaction therapy combining structured, attachment-based, joyful and adult-led playful sessions with reflective guidance work with the parents. This pilot study evaluates the impact of Theraplay® therapy in improving the quality of parent–child interaction and decreasing the internalizing and externalizing symptoms of children diagnosed with emotional and/or behavioral disorders. Participants were eighteen 4–8 year-old children (M = 4.42, SD = 1.54) from two outpatient child psychiatric clinics whose mothers, and in 13 of those cases fathers also participated in the Theraplay® therapy together with the child. Pre- and post-treatment measures included videotaped observations of parent–child interaction quality, and child psychiatric symptoms (CBCL). The results showed improvements in parent–child interaction quality as well as decreases in children's internalizing and externalizing symptoms. The results of this pilot study indicate that Theraplay® therapy may be an effective treatment among children diagnosed with emotional and/or behavioral psychiatric disorders.

How can parental self-efficacy support children’s early language development? Review of preliminary research and future perspectives

ABSTRACT Parental cognitions are considered to have a strong influence on parental behaviours that, in turn, shape children’s development. Among these parental cognitions, parental self-efficacy (PSE) represents the parents’ confidence about their ability to successfully raise their children. Although PSE can explain the quality of parent-child interactions and their impact on the children’s general development, the relations between PSE and children’s development of language has been rarely studied. In this paper, we review the studies that explore some facets of the relationships between parenting (parental cognition, PSE, and parental behaviours) and children’s early language development. Our main objective is to highlight the relevance of considering PSE in relation to children’s early language development. Consequently, we suggest several future research directions to explore the processes relating these two constructs and a model where the PSE is a transactional variable.

The emotional availability in mother-child and father-child interactions in families with children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

BackgroundEmotional availability (EA) is a dyadic relationship construct that can be considered an index of emotional quality of parent-child interaction. Using this construct, some research showed that both parent and child components of EA reflect key aspects of the parent-child relationship, but there are few studies that investigated these aspects in families with children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The present study addresses several specific issues about the emotional availability of parents of children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). MethodWe observed free-play interactions of 40 children with ASD (chronological age = 41.6 months, SD = 12; M mental age = 30.9 months, SD = 13.3) playing separately with their mothers and fathers one by one. We coded each parent-child dyad using the Emotional Availability Scales (EAS, Biringen, 2008). ResultsFindings showed that mothers and fathers were equally emotionally available to their children. There were no differences between the two in parents’ EA scales nor in their associations with child level of functioning and severity of the symptoms. In addition, children showed similar mean levels of Responsiveness and Involvement in mother-child and father-child interactions. However, children’s emotional availability was associated to their cognitive functioning and the severity of their symptoms. ConclusionsThe emotional quality of dyadic interaction is equal in mother-child and father-child dyads in families of children with ASD. We discuss the clinical utility of the EA Scales for assessing relationship between parents and their children with ASD and we speculate the possible relevance of our findings on father-child relationship for future intervention studies involving fathers on par with mothers.

Effect of the Attachment and Child Health Parent Training Program on Parent-Child Interaction Quality and Child Development.

Exposure to chronic stressors (poverty, addiction, family violence) in early life can derail children's development. Interventions focused on parental reflective function may promote parents' abilities to regulate their feelings and behaviors toward their children and buffer the impact of chronic stressors on children's development by nurturing high-quality parent-child interaction. To test the effectiveness of parental reflective function-focused intervention entitled Attachment and Child Health on parent-child interaction and child development. We conducted two pilots with vulnerable mothers and children <36 months. Randomized controlled trial (n = 20) and quasi-experimental (n = 10) methods tested the effect of Attachment and Child Health on parent-child interaction via Parent-Child Interaction Teaching Scale (PCITS) and on child development via Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ-3) and Ages and Stages Questionnaire-Social Emotional (ASQSE). We employed analysis of covariance and t-tests to examine the outcomes. For randomized controlled trial, we found significant improvements in PCITS parent total, combined total, and cognitive growth fostering scores, and ASQ-3 personal-social scores post-intervention. For quasi-experimental study, we found significant improvements in PCITS combined total, sensitivity to cues, response to child's distress, and responsiveness to caregiver scores. Incorporating Attachment and Child Health contributed to effective programming for vulnerable families with young children.

PERANAN FAKTOR-FAKTOR INTERAKSIONAL DALAM PERSPEKTIF TEORI SISTEM KELUARGA TERHADAP KESEJAHTERAAN KELUARGA

This study examined the role of interactional factors on family well-being, such as mother-child interaction, father involvement in parenting and perceived social support in the family. Respondents (N = 219) aged 17-35 years, completed an online survey assessment and answered open questions about family well-being. The results of the study show that the quality of parent-child interaction in the family is considered to play an important role in achieving family well-being, in addition to the perceived social support in the family. Family well-being is the results of the dynamics of interaction within the family which consists of cooperation, acceptance, trust, ritual, family vision and mission, also mutual love. Statistical calculations and theoretical discussions in the perspective of the Family System Theory (FST) are presented in full articles. The results of this study can be an early stage in exploring the parent-child interaction process and the extent of the role of media technology in family well-being in Indonesia.

Thinking about you baby: Expectant parents’ narratives suggest prenatal spillover for fathers.

The coherence of parents' narratives about their children, which is the extent to which descriptions are accepting, consistent and complex, are thought to reflect optimal information processing of interpersonal relations and as such facilitate sensitive and responsive parenting. However, despite recent meta-analytic findings that have demonstrated links between the nature of prenatal thoughts and feelings about the unborn infant and later parenting, studies have yet to examine the narrative coherence of expectant parents' descriptions of their infant and future parent-child relationship. This study reports on the novel use of the 5-minute speech sample to capture variation in the coherence of 400 first-time expectant parents' narratives describing their unborn infant and future relationship with them. On average, both expectant mothers and fathers struggled to provide a coherent description of their unborn infant. Coherence ratings did not show within-couple associations and were not related to either demographic characteristics, depressive symptoms or mode of conception (e.g., use of assisted reproductive technologies). An actor-partner interdependence model did however demonstrate that reduced couple relationship quality and life satisfaction were associated with lower levels of narrative coherence in fathers, but not mothers. Model constraints illustrated the coherence of expectant fathers' narratives about their infant and future parent-child relationship may be particularly vulnerable to the influence of the couple relationship. Future longitudinal work is needed to establish the direction of this effect, to explore the stability of narrative coherence across the transition to parenthood and to study links with postnatal parent-child interaction quality and child outcomes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Early mother-child dyadic pathways to childhood obesity risk: A conceptual model

Understanding the emotional quality of the mother-child dyadic relationship and parent-child feeding interactions may further clarify early developmental pathways to eating behaviours and obesity risk. The quality of parent-child relationships fosters all aspects of child development but has not yet been extensively examined in relation to childhood weight gain. The aim of this paper is to propose a conceptual model, which outlines early mother-child dyadic pathways linking parent-child feeding interactions to child body mass index, where parent-child relationships have a central role. It maps out individual and dyadic mother-child factors (i.e., attachment, child temperament and maternal mental health) that influence the nature and quality of parent-child feeding interactions from infancy to toddlerhood. Our model bridges the gap between research fields by bringing together key maternal and child factors implicated in child development. Understanding early parent-child feeding interactional patterns and their influence on child self-regulation and eating behaviours may be relevant to multidisciplinary approaches toward preventing childhood obesity. High quality quantitative and observational data capturing meaningful parent, child and dyadic level interactions around food contexts, attachment security, maternal mental health, child temperament and self-regulation will help to inform new, aetiologically important, targets for preventative intervention.