Peruvian Mothers Research Articles

Talking About Past Emotions: Conversations Between Peruvian Mothers and Their Preschool Children

In this study, we examined gender and age variations in the use of emotion words during mother–child conversations about experiences. Thirty-two middle-class, Spanish-speaking, Peruvian mothers and their 3- and 5-year-old children participated in this study. Conversations were audiotaped, transcribed, and coded for number, types of emotions discussed, and conversational contexts in which the emotion word was embedded. Age differences were found only in children's use of emotion words. Gender differences were found only in mothers' use of emotion words. Findings are discussed in relation to socialization practices of emotional expression and gender in middle-class Peruvian society. Our results support and provide a developmental perspective on findings obtained in studies of adult emotional expression across various cultures.

Spanish diminutives in mother–child conversations

The present study examined gender and age patterns of diminutive use in conversations between 32 Spanish-speaking Peruvian mothers and their three- and five-year-old children. Results confirm previous findings concerning both parents' greater use of diminutives with younger children and children's early acquisition of this complex aspect of morphology. However, findings do not support previous studies on gender differences in parental use of diminutives with young children. Results also revealed that mothers' and children's imitations of their interlocutors' diminutized words promoted their interlocutors' overall diminutive use. This finding highlights the acute sensitivity of both speakers to each others' language and the potential role of imitation in older children's language development.

Peruvian mothers' knowledge and recognition of pneumonia in children under 5 years of age.

To assess Peruvian mothers' knowledge and recognition of pneumonia in children under 5 years of age, the mothers' attitude toward seeking medical help if they had a child with signs of pneumonia, and their perception of a Government of Peru pneumonia campaign. In this cross-sectional study, 501 mothers were selected randomly from 20 low-income communities of the metropolitan area of Lima, Peru, and were interviewed between June and August 2000. Using SPSS software, descriptive statistics were applied to summarize the demographic data and the data regarding the mothers' knowledge of pneumonia and recognition of signs of the disease. Cross-tabulations and chi-squares were done to assess relationships between variables and to make comparisons. About 84% of the mothers said that they knew what pneumonia is. Most believed that pneumonia is dangerous. A majority (58.7%) indicated that pneumonia is caused by lack of parental care. Only 28.9% believed that a virus causes the disease. More than 80% correctly picked rapid breathing and/or chest retraction from a list of possible signs and symptoms of pneumonia, and 94.6% said they were ready to take their child to the closest health center if they thought their child had pneumonia. Although 57.1% said they had heard about the Government of Peru pneumonia campaign, 69.3% of these mothers said they could not recall the motto of the campaign. Mothers who reported having heard of the campaign through TV were more likely than other mothers to correctly recognize the two major signs of pneumonia presented in the campaign. Although the percentage of mothers believing they can recognize pneumonia through rapid breathing and chest retraction seems to have increased in recent years, there is still a sizable percentage of mothers who remain uninformed about pneumonia and its possible fatal consequences. Efforts need to continue to educate Peruvian mothers about the causes, recognition of the signs, and treatment of pneumonia. The results suggest that the Government of Peru pneumonia campaign should use television much more, as well as the health centers, where most of the mothers receive medical attention and health information.

Predictors of Intention to Seek Medical Help by Peruvian Mothers for Children Who Have Signs of Pneumonia

The Theory of Planned Behavior was used to assess predictors of Peruvian mothers seeking medical help when they believed their child had signs of pneumonia. Open-ended interviews to identify beliefs were followed by a questionnaire administered to 500 mothers from low-income settlements in Lima in June and July 2000. Subjective norm (what important referents want) was the best predictor of intention, followed by mothers' feelings about how easy it would be to take the child to the clinic. Attitude toward taking the child to a clinic was not a significant predictor of intention. This study indicates a stronger role for subjective norm than attitudes and perceived control in similar studies done with this model in other settings. It, of course, only predicts intention to act and not behavior, important here given social-economic barriers, e.g., cost, to access to care among this study group.

Iron and lactoferrin in milk of anemic mothers given iron supplements

The factors regulating concentrations of iron and iron-binding proteins in milk are incompletely known. Since anemic women usually are given iron supplements, we have evaluated the effect of this practice on iron and lactoferrin levels in milk. Lactating Peruvian mothers (n = 29) were studied during the first month of lactation. Lactoferrin and iron in milk were analyzed at 2 and 30 days post-partum. Mothers who were anemic (Hgb < 110 g/L) (n = 19) received iron treatment starting from the second day after delivery. Hemoglobin concentrations improved in the treated group from a mean of 92 g/L to 105 g/L and hematocrit from 28.2% to 32.6% (p < 0.05). Iron concentration in milk from anemic mothers was 0.90 and 0.38 mg/L at 2 and 30 days post-partum. In the non-anemic group, iron concentration was 0.80 and 0.35 mg/ml. The concentration of lactoferrin in milk from the anemic group was 6.75 mg/ml and 3.67 mg/ml analyzed at the 2nd and 30th day of lactation, respectively, and for the non-anemic group 5.34 mg/mL and 4.34 mg/ml. Milk iron values were within the range previously reported for healthy mothers. Thus, anemia did not affect milk iron or lactoferrin concentrations (day 2). Treatment with iron improved iron status of the anemic women but did not affect iron or lactoferrin levels in their milk (day 30).