Mother Reports Research Articles

The impact of early surgical ventricular septal defect repair on parenting behavior and mother-child relationship: a prospective longitudinal study.

Many studies have investigated the impact of congenital heart defects (CHD) on child development. However, because CHD not only affects the child and his or her development but, also the entire family, family functioning after pediatric cardiac surgery is of increasing research interest. This prospective childhood-adolescence case-control study aimed to examine differences and changes in parenting behavior and mother-child relationship quality after early surgical repair of an isolated ventricular septum defect (VSD) compared to non-affected controls. 39 affected children (M = 7.3 years) with surgically repaired VSD and their mothers were compared with a matched, non-affected control group of 39 mother-child-dyads (M = 7.3 years) during primary school age (t1). At child early adolescence, 24 affected children (M = 12.4 years) and 24 children of the control group (M = 13.2 years) were examined again (t2). Parenting behavior characteristics (t1: mother report; t2: mother- and child report) and mother-child relationship quality (t2: child report) were measured by standardized questionnaires. The mother-rated parenting behavior dimensions Involvement (p < .001, η2 p = .37), Parental Monitoring (p = .014, η2 p = .17) and Corporal Punishment (p < .001, η2 p = .57) significantly decreased from t1 to t2 in both cohorts. Responsible Parenting Behavior tended to decrease from t1 to t2 in the control group, while remaining stable in the VSD-group (p = .088, η2 p = .09). Independent of the group, higher mother-child relationship quality was associated with more Positive Parenting Behavior (p < .001, η2 p = .34), more Involvement (p = .003, η2 p = .22) and fewer Inconsistency (p < .001, η2 p = .31) in the child-rating; and more Positive Parenting Behavior in the mother-rating (p = .039, η2 p = .10). VSD affected mother-child-dyads were mostly comparable in their parenting behavior characteristics and mother-child relationship quality to non-affected controls. The absence of a decrease in maternal Responsible Parenting Behavior in the VSD group may indicate challenges during the developmental task of autonomy in adolescence. Nevertheless, adaptive family functioning after early pediatric surgical VSD repair seems possible.

Intergenerational transmission of depressive symptoms: Maternal socialization of infant positive affect as a mediator.

Parenting behaviors play an important role in the transmission of depressive symptoms from mothers to children. Although reduced positive affect is a central feature of depression, models of intergenerational transmission have neglected maternal socialization of positive affect as a mediating mechanism. This study investigated whether maternal responses to infant positive affect mediate the link between mothers' and toddlers' depressive symptoms. A community sample of 128 mothers (58% White) and their infants (Mage = 6.65 months, SD = 0.53 at first visit) participated in 3 assessments over a 1-year period. Assessments included self-reports of postpartum depressive symptoms, observational measures of maternal responses to infant positive affect and maternal sensitivity, and mother report of toddlers' depressive problems. Mediation analyses revealed that mothers with elevated postpartum depressive symptoms displayed fewer supportive responses to their infants' positive affect. In turn, infants who received fewer supportive responses had more depressive problems in toddlerhood. The indirect effect of postpartum depressive symptoms on toddlers' depressive problems via maternal supportive responses remained significant after controlling for maternal sensitivity. Findings suggest that maternal responses to infant positive affect play a unique role in the intergenerational transmission of depressive symptoms. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.

Psychometric Properties of the Japanese Translation of the Parent Overprotection Measure for Mother and Father Reports.

The Parent Overprotection Measure (POM) is a promising scale to measure parent overprotection toward a child from the parent's perspective. However, no Japanese translation of the scale has been developed, and whether the POM can be applied to a Japanese population is unknown. This study translated the POM into Japanese and examined its psychometric properties. Parents of 380 children aged 4 to 7years (including 190 mothers and 190 fathers) completed online questionnaires. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) indicated that the Japanese translation of the POM has a bi-factor structure, including one general factor (general overprotection) and two specific factors (care/attention and control/prevention). The measurement invariance of reports from mothers' and fathers' perspectives was confirmed by multiple group CFA. The McDonald's Omega was acceptable for all factors, but the general overprotection factor explained most scale variance. Pearson's correlation coefficients were more than .20 between the control/prevention factor and child anxiety symptoms in both mother and father reports. The correlation between the control/prevention factor and parent anxiety according to fathers' reports also exceeded .20. These results provided the factor structure and supported the reliability of the POM among a Japanese population; however, further investigation of the validity of the scale is needed.

Developmental paths from parents' bicultural socialization beliefs to emerging adult depressive symptoms in Chinese American families.

Parents' socialization beliefs have implications for the psychological adjustment of their children through their parenting behaviors; however, such pathways have rarely been established among Chinese American families. The present study examined how Chinese American parents' goals for their children to take on bicultural values and behaviors (i.e., bicultural socialization beliefs) influenced their child's level of depressive symptoms in emerging adulthood through their parenting behaviors and the level of parent-child alienation. Data came from Waves 2 (adolescence) and 3 (emerging adulthood) of a longitudinal study of 444 Chinese American families. Mothers' reports of their bicultural socialization beliefs positively predicted adolescents' reports of mothers' autonomy-supporting behaviors and interdependence-focused shaming behaviors. In addition, there was a significant and negative indirect effect of mothers' bicultural socialization beliefs on emerging adult depressive symptoms through adolescents' reports of mothers' autonomy-supporting behaviors and emerging adults' reports of alienation to their parents. In contrast, there was a significant and positive indirect effect from fathers' reports of their bicultural socialization beliefs to emerging adult depressive symptoms, through emerging adults' reports of alienation only. Findings contribute to our understanding of bicultural processes in Chinese American families and establish that parents' beliefs have significant implications for the psychological adjustment of Chinese American youth. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Concordance of Mother and Father Reports of Intimate Partner Violence and Observed Interactions in Unmarried Black Coparents Expecting Their First Child.

Concordance between partner reports of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is generally low, but self-reporting of IPV and concordance between partners among expectant parents in marginalized communities has not been explored, nor have associations among each partner's reports of IPV and their behaviors in observed conflict discussions. This study will examine these gaps. One hundred and thirty-eight low-income, unmarried, Black, coparenting dyads expecting their first child together (136 mothers and 136 fathers) completed the Revised-Conflict Tactics Scale and a video recorded and coded conflict discussion. There was low concordance between parent's reports of IPV overall with moderate levels of concordance for coparents who were living together and had more harmonious relationships. Linear regression analyses indicated only mothers' reports of fathers' psychological and physical IPV but not fathers' reports of IPV were significantly associated with observed negative communication. Neither coparents' reports of psychological or physical IPV were associated with positive communication during a conflict discussion. These findings suggest that at the time of parenthood transitions, mothers' reports of fathers' IPV behaviors may be more robust in their association with negative/unhealthy couple communication patterns than fathers' reports and should be used when making safety determinations with families.

A longitudinal multi-centric cohort study assessing infant neurodevelopment delay among women with persistent postpartum depression in Nepal

BackgroundInfant neurodevelopment in the first years after birth is determined by multiple factors, including parental care and maternal mental wellbeing. In this study, we aim to assess the impact of persistent maternal depressive symptoms during the first 3 months postpartum on infant neurodevelopment at 6 months.MethodsUsing a longitudinal cohort design, 1253 mother-infant pairs were followed up at 7, 45, and 90 days to assess postpartum depressive symptoms using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS); infants were followed up at 6 months to assess neuro-developmental status using the WHO’s Infant and Young Child Development (IYCD) tool. A generalized linear regression model was used to assess the association between persistent postpartum depressive symptoms and infant neurodevelopmental delay at 6 months. A generalized linear mixed model (GLMM) with a hospital as a random intercept was used to assess the persistent postpartum depressive symptoms with an IYCD score. Linear regression was used to compare the IYCD scores between exposure groups.ResultsIn the study population, 7.5% of mothers had persistent depressive symptoms, and 7.5% of infants had neurodevelopmental delay. Infants born to mothers with persistent depressive symptoms had a higher proportion of neurodevelopmental delay than infants born to women without persistent symptoms (48.6% vs 5.1%; p < 0.001). In the adjusted regression model, infants whose mothers had persistent depressive symptoms at 7, 45, and 90 days had a 5.21-fold increased risk of neurodevelopmental delay (aRR, 5.21; 95% CI, 3.17, 8.55). Mean scores in the motor domain (12.7 vs 15.2; p < 0.001) and language domain (6.4 vs 8.5; p < 0.001) were significant when a mother had persistent depression vs. no depression. Mean scores in the general behavioral domain (5.9 vs 10.4, p < 0.001) and the socio-emotional domain (15.4 vs 17.7; p < 0.001) were significantly different when a mother had persistent depression vs no persistent depression.ConclusionsOur results suggest that 6-month-old infants are at higher risk for neurodevelopment delays if their mother reports persistent symptoms of depression from 7 to 90 days postpartum. The neurodevelopmental delay can be observed in all functional domains. Preventive intervention to reduce maternal postpartum depression may reduce the impact on infant developmental delay.

US Immigration Policy Stressors and Latinx Youth Mental Health

The youth mental health crisis is exacerbated for Latinx adolescents, a group whose families are targets of anti-immigrant rhetoric and policy. To investigate how immigration-related stressors are associated with disruptions in parent-child relationships and, in turn, the mental health symptoms of Latinx adolescents. Data for this prospective cohort study of adolescent-mother dyads were derived from surveys completed at 3 time points spanning 4 years (time 1 [T1] in 2018, time 2 [T2] in 2020, and time 3 [T3] in 2022). Mediation analyses estimated paths from immigration-related stressors to parent-child relationship qualities to mental health symptoms from early to late adolescence. Multivariable and multivariate linear models within a structural equation modeling framework regressed mediators and outcome variables on their own T1 values, offering a scientifically rigorous test of mediation. The setting was a school district in suburban Atlanta, Georgia, and included Latinx adolescents (ages 11-16 years) randomly selected from grade and gender strata. Data were analyzed from June 2023 to March 2024. The primary independent variables were T1 mother reports of anti-immigrant worry and behavioral modification and adolescent reports of family member detention or deportation. Mediating variables were the reports of parental support and parent-child conflict of T2 adolescents. T3 adolescent reports of past 6-month internalizing and externalizing symptoms. A total of 547 Latinx adolescents (mean [SD] age, 13.3 [1.0] years; 303 female [55.4%]; 244 male [44.6%]) were included in this study. Response rates were 65.2% (547 of 839) among contacted parents and 95.3% (547 of 574) among contacted adolescents with parental permission. Four-year retention rates were 67% (366 of 547 adolescents) and 65% (177 of 271 mothers). Structural model results showed that T1 anti-immigrant worry and behavioral modification was associated with T3 increases in externalizing symptoms indirectly through T1 to T2 increases in parent-child conflict (β = 0.03; SE = 0.02; 95% CI, 0-0.08). For girls, T1 family member deportation or detention was associated with T1 to T3 increases in internalizing and externalizing symptoms indirectly through T1 to T2 declines in parental support (internalizing: β = 0.04; SE = 0.02; 95% CI, 0-0.08; externalizing: β = 0.03; SE = 0.02; 95% CI, 0-0.07). Sensitivity analyses supported structural model findings. Results of this cohort study suggest that legislative bodies, the health care system, and educational institutions should implement safeguards to mitigate potential harm conferred by anti-immigrant environments for parent-child relationships and, in turn, Latinx adolescents' mental health.

Resilience in the time of crisis: A review of the maternal, perinatal and reproductive health effects of COVID-19 in South Africa.

The COVID-19 pandemic had a profound effect on the health sector globally and in South Africa (SA). To review the effects of COVID-19 on maternal, perinatal and reproductive health outcomes and service utilisation in SA. Three routine national data collection systems were sourced: the District Health Information System, the Saving Mothers reports of the National Committee on Confidential Enquiry into Maternal Deaths and the Saving Babies reports from the National Perinatal Morbidity and Mortality Committee using data from the Perinatal Problem Identification Program. There were 35% and 8% increases in maternal and stillbirth mortality rates, respectively, in 2020 and 2021, which correlated with the COVID-19 waves. However, in 2022, rates returned to pre-COVID levels. Antenatal visits and facility births showed little change, but there was a shift to more rural provinces. The use of oral and injectable contraceptives and termination of pregnancy services decreased markedly in 2020 and 2021, with a sustained shift to long-acting reversible contraceptives. The increase in maternal deaths was predominantly due to COVID-19 respiratory complications, but also an increase in obstetric haemorrhage. Stillbirths increased significantly (10%) for birthweights between 2 000 g and 2 499 g, categorised mostly as unexplained stillbirths or preterm labour, but no increase in neonatal deaths was observed. Administrative avoidable factors increased by 24% in the 2020 - 2022 triennium, but there was no increase in patient/community level or healthcare provider-related avoidable factors during the pandemic years. COVID-19 caused a marked increase in maternal death and stillbirth rates in 2020 and 2021 due to both direct effects of the virus and indirect effects on functioning of the health system. The continued, although modified, health-seeking behaviour of women and the rapid return to pre-COVID-19 mortality rates demonstrates enormous resilience in women and the health system.

Ethnicity and refractive errors in Peruvian children aged 7–11 years: A five-year analysis of the Demographic and Health Survey

ObjectiveTo assess the association between ethnicity and self-reported refractive errors (REs) among Peruvian children aged 7–11 years. Materials and methodsWe conducted a cross-sectional study incorporating a secondary data analysis of 2017–2021 data from the Peruvian Demographic and Health Survey (DHS). REs and ethnicity were obtained from focal child's mother's report. Four outcomes were assessed: hyperopia, myopia, astigmatism and any RE. We included potential confounders, such as age, sex, wealth index, area of residence, region of origin, frequency of watching TV and watching screens at less than 30 cm distance. Generalised linear models with the Poisson family and log link function were used to calculate crude prevalence ratio and adjusted prevalence ratio (aPR) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). ResultsData from a total of 52,753 children were included. The prevalence of RE in children aged 7–11 years was 10.90% (95% CI 10.49–11.33), of which 5.19% were hyperopia, 3.35% myopia and 2.36% astigmatism. Those of the Aymara ethnicity were less likely to suffer from any RE and astigmatism (aPR = 0.68, 95% CI 0.46–0.99, p = 0.046; aPR = 0.70, 95% CI 0.53–0.92, p = 0.012, respectively), Members of Amazon groups were more likely to have hyperopia (aPR = 1.95, 95% CI 1.14–3.36, p = 0.015) and Quechuas were more likely to have myopia (aPR =1.29, 95% CI 1.02–1.62, p = 0.028), where all were compared to Mestizos. ConclusionAbout 1 in 10 Peruvian children suffer from a RE. The most frequent RE in this study was hyperopia. Ethnic differences were seen in the frequency of RE.

Household chaos and child problem behaviors: A cross-cultural examination of the mediating and moderating role of mindful parenting.

Household chaos has been shown to adversely associate with children's behavioral adjustment. However, the mechanism underlying the relationship between household chaos and children's behaviors is not yet fully understood. The current study proposes mindful parenting as an important mediating and moderating factor in the relationship between household chaos and child problem behaviors. This study also examines cultural influences in this process, comparing the UK and Türkiye, considering both mothers' and children's perspectives on mindful parenting. Cross-sectional questionnaires were administered to mothers and their children aged 11-16 years in the UK (n = 90; 53.3% girl) and Türkiye (n = 154; 54.5% girl) in 2021. Mother reports of the Confusion, Hubbub, and Order Scale and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, as well as mother and child reports of Mindful Parenting Inventories for Parents (MPIP) and Children (MPIC), were used to assess household chaos, child problem behaviors, and mindful parenting, respectively. Multiple-group path analysis revealed that household chaos was a significant indirect predictor of child problem behaviors via mindful parenting in both countries. Furthermore, simple slopes analysis showed that mindful parenting moderated the link between household chaos and child problem behaviors in the UK. Overall, our study sheds light on the importance of micro- and macro-environmental factors and their interactions in children's adjustment.

Impact of sociodemographic factors, stress, and communication on health-related quality of life in survivors of pediatric cancer.

While most research has largely focused on medical risks associated with reduced health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in survivors, sociodemographic and family factors may also play a role. Thus, we longitudinally examined sociodemographic factors and family factors associated with survivor HRQOL, including adolescent's cancer-specific stress, mother's general stress, and mother-adolescent communication. Mothers (N=80) and survivors (ages 10-23, N=50) were assessed 5years following initial diagnosis. Mothers completed measures regarding sociodemographic background adolescent's cancer-specific stress, mother's general stress, mother-adolescent communication, and adolescent HRQOL. Survivors also reported on their own HRQOL. Two hierarchical multiple regressions examined predictors of (a) mother's report of adolescent HRQOL, and (b) survivor's self-report of HRQOL. The final model predicting mother-reported adolescent HRQOL was significant, F(5,74)=21.18, p<.001, and explained 59% of the variance in HRQoL. Significant predictors included adolescent stress (β=-.37, p<.001), mothers' stress (β=-.42, p<.001), and communication (β=.19, p=.03). The final model predicting survivor-reported HRQOL was also significant, F(5,44)=5.16, p<.01 and explained 24% of the variance in HRQOL. Significant predictors included adolescent stress (β=-.37, p=.01) and communication (β=-.31, p=.04). Sociodemographic factors were not a significant predictor of HRQOL in any model. Family stress and communication offer potential points of intervention to improve HRQOL of pediatric cancer survivors from mother and survivor perspectives. While additional research is needed, healthcare professionals should encourage stress management and strong mother-child communication to enhance survivors' long-term HRQOL. Such interventions may be complimentary to efforts targeting the known sociodemographic factors that often affect health.

Development of a dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction method for the evaluation of maternal-fetal exposure to cocaine employing human umbilical cord tissue.

Illicit drug use is a serious and complex public health problem, not only due to the severity of the health damage but also to the social implications, such as marginalization and drug trafficking. Currently, cocaine (COC) is among the most abused drugs worldwide with about 22 million users. Drug abuse has also been found in women during the pregnancy period, which has shed light on a new group for epidemiology. The diagnosis of COC use in these cases usually depends largely on the mother's reports, which in several cases omit or deny consumption. Therefore, considering physical-chemical methods of sample preparation and exposure biomarkers, the development of analytic toxicological methods can help to confirm drug use during pregnancy. Thus, the objective of the present work was to develop an analytical method based on dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction for the determination of COC analytes, using umbilical cord tissue as an alternative biological matrix, and detection by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. Therefore, after optimization, the dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction method was fully validated for quantification of COC, benzoylecgonine, cocaethylene, ecgonine, ecgonine methyl ester and norcocaine. The limits of detection were between 15 and 25 ng/g, the limits of quantification were 30 ng/g for ecgonine and 25 ng/g for the other analytes. Linearity ranged from the limits of quantification to 1,000 ng/g. Coefficients of variation for intra-assay precision were <18.5%, inter-assay was <8.75% and bias was <16.4% for all controls. The developed method was applied in 10 suspected positive samples, based on the mother's report and maternal urine screening and confirmation. COC, benzoylecgonine, ecgonine and ecgonine methyl ester were quantified in four umbilical cords with concentrations that ranged from 39.6 to 420.5 ng/g.

Bartonellosis (Oroya Fever, Peruvian Wart): A Case Report

Bartonellosis (also called Carrión's Disease, Oroya Fever or Peruvian Wart) is caused by the bite of mosquitoes of the Lutzomyia genus belonging to the Psychoid family. They are nocturnal blood-sucking insects, with complete metamorphosis. About 450 species are known, distributed throughout the American continent, mostly in tropical and subtropical areas. In Ecuador, sporadic cases have been reported, with certain characteristics such as, for example, not presenting the blood phase and, in the eruptive phase, not being aggressive. Here, we present a unique case of a 13-year-old boy with a history of congenital heart disease, who presented a clinical picture of one year of evolution suggestive of dermatosis, characterized by papules and nodules that occasionally bleed. The mother reports living in an area of lush vegetation and being in contact with bites. The results of blood count, peripheral blood smear, liver function and coagulation: normal. Blood sample: Negative Bartonella spp. PCR biopsy ribC gene: Positive B. bacilliformis. This case demonstrates the importance of maintaining an entomo-epidemiological surveillance system in patients exposed to arthropod bites that allows for timely detection of cases in order to make a diagnosis and provide timely treatment.

Perspectives of pregnant women on maternal health information handouts at KwaZulu-Natal sub-district.

Maternal health information handouts are used by midwives to facilitate health education of pregnant women during their antenatal care (ANC) period. South Africa's Saving Mothers Report 2014 showed that delay in accessing medical help, as a patient-related avoidable factor, accounted for 27% of maternal and neonatal mortality. To ascertain the perceptions of pregnant women attending ANC in the Msunduzi sub-district in uMgungundlovu District, towards the maternal health information handouts. The study was conducted at three primary health care (PHC) clinics (two PHC and one CHC [Community Health Care]) that provided ANC in the Msunduzi sub-district KwaZulu-Natal, in 2019. Using a qualitative approach, focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted with 10 participants from each clinic. Data were transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis. The themes explored included: availability and access of handouts, usefulness, review of handouts, alternative methods available, and family involvement. The authors concluded that although the maternal information handouts were given to the mothers during their maternal health visits, few of them were aware of these handouts. New strategies should be employed to deliver this vital information, as suggested by mothers.Contribution: The awareness of pregnant mothers about the information handouts contributes to the positive perinatal outcomes at clinic levels.

Better start to better future? Long-term follow-up of a parenting intervention for mothers being released from incarceration

Abstract Objectives This study examined the long-term effects of the Better Start program, an adaptation of Incredible Years parent training enhanced with home visits, for families with mothers being released from incarceration. Methods Participants in this quasi-experimental longitudinal study were 224 mothers, of whom 145 (64.7%) received intervention and the other mothers constituted a no intervention group. Official criminal justice records and mother reports of parenting behaviors and child behavior were collected up to 10 years after intervention. Mixed effects models, Cox regression analyses, and latent linear growth models were used to test potential intervention effects on adolescent delinquency, maternal recidivism, parenting behaviors, and disruptive child behaviors. Results Outcomes favoring participants in the intervention condition were found for adolescent delinquency, maternal recidivism, and the number of disruptive child behaviors. Conclusions Effects on maternal recidivism and delinquency in their children indicate that the Better Start program contributes to preventing the intergenerational transmission of delinquency.

Cultural values, parenting and child adjustment in Thailand.

The purpose of this study was to understand the associations of Thai parents' cultural values (i.e., individualism, collectivism and conformity) with parenting behaviour (i.e., warmth, autonomy granting, rules/limit-setting, knowledge solicitation and expectations regarding children's family obligations) and children's adjustment (i.e., internalising and externalising problems). These data were collected via child, mother and father reports when the children were 10 years old, on average. Mothers' individualism was correlated with more parental autonomy granting. Fathers' individualism was correlated with higher maternal expectations regarding children's family obligations. Parents' higher collectivism was correlated with more with parental warmth. Mothers' higher collectivism was also correlated with more parental knowledge solicitation, and fathers' higher collectivism was also associated with mothers' and fathers' higher expectations regarding children's family obligations. Fathers' higher conformity values were correlated with more parental autonomy granting and with fewer child internalising and externalising behaviours. However, after controlling for child gender, parent education and the other cultural values, mothers' and fathers' collectivism remained the only significant cultural value predicting parenting behaviours. Results advance understanding of relations between cultural values of Thai mothers and fathers and their parenting behaviours and children's adjustment.

Pregnancy Planning and its Association with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Findings from the Study to Explore Early Development.

To examine associations between pregnancy planning and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in offspring. The Study to Explore Early Development (SEED), a multi-site case-control study, enrolled preschool-aged children with ASD, other DDs, and from the general population (POP). Some children with DDs had ASD symptoms but did not meet the ASD case definition. We examined associations between mother's report of trying to get pregnant (pregnancy planning) and (1) ASD and (2) ASD symptomatology (ASD group, plus DD with ASD symptoms group combined) (each vs. POP group). We computed odds ratios adjusted for demographic, maternal, health, and perinatal health factors (aORs) via logistic regression. Due to differential associations by race-ethnicity, final analyses were stratified by race-ethnicity. Pregnancy planning was reported by 66.4%, 64.8%, and 76.6% of non-Hispanic White (NHW) mothers in the ASD, ASD symptomatology, and POP groups, respectively. Among NHW mother-child pairs, pregnancy planning was inversely associated with ASD (aOR = 0.71 [95% confidence interval 0.56-0.91]) and ASD symptomatology (aOR = 0.67 [0.54-0.84]). Pregnancy planning was much less common among non-Hispanic Black mothers (28-32% depending on study group) and Hispanic mothers (49-56%) and was not associated with ASD or ASD symptomatology in these two race-ethnicity groups. Pregnancy planning was inversely associated with ASD and ASD symptomatology in NHW mother-child pairs. The findings were not explained by several adverse maternal or perinatal health factors. The associations observed in NHW mother-child pairs did not extend to other race-ethnicity groups, for whom pregnancy planning was lower overall.

Persistence of Urachus in A 7-Month-Old Male Patient with Surgical Resolution: Case Report

Introduction: Patent urachus refers to a rare condition called urachus anomaly. These conditions are caused by the failure of the normal fetal tissue used to empty the fetal bladder to degenerate. Some of these urachal abnormalities are obvious at birth, while others are more subtle and are not diagnosed until adulthood or are discovered only incidentally after imaging for other reasons. Urachal anomalies in children with wet umbilical cord, persistent drainage, recurrent urinary tract infections, and recurrent umbilical cord infections require accurate and timely diagnosis to help relieve symptoms, prevent recurrent serious infections, and ensure timely treatment. Clinical case: The case of a 7-month-old male patient is presented. The mother reports umbilical granuloma of several months of evolution. He goes to a doctor where he suggests an ultrasound examination that rules out persistence of urachus. Mass in umbilical region persists, which is why she comes again. Evolution: By laparoscopic vision, umbilical hernia plus persistence of urachus is evident, findings such as the presence of indirect bilateral inguinal hernia are found. After surgery, the patient recovered satisfactorily. Conclusions: Diagnosis of urachal anomalies can be elusive, but continued drainage of the umbilical cord is a concern in the case of urachal anomalies. Although this condition is usually an isolated finding, the possibility of posterior urethral valves in infants with a patent urachus should not be ruled out.

Cultural values, parenting and child adjustment in Italy.

The present study examined the association of mothers' and fathers' individualism, collectivism and conformity values with parenting behaviours and child adjustment during middle childhood in an Italian sample. Children (n = 194; 95 from Naples and 99 from Rome; 49% girls) were 10.93 years old (SD = .61) at the time of data collection. Their mothers (n = 194) and fathers (n = 152) also participated. Mother and father reports were collected about parental individualism and collectivism, conformity values, warmth, family obligations expectations and their children's internalising and externalising problems. Child reports were collected about their parents' warmth, psychological control, rules/limit-setting, family obligations expectations and their own internalising and externalising behaviours. Multiple regressions predicted each of the parenting and child adjustment variables from the value variables, controlling for child gender and parent education. Results showed that maternal collectivism was associated with high psychological control, parental collectivism was associated with high expectations regarding children's family obligations and fathers' conformity values were associated with more child internalising behaviours. Overall, the present study shed light on how parents' cultural values are related to some parenting practices and children's internalising problems in Italy.

Association Between Exclusive Breastfeeding and Acute Respiratory Infections Among Infants Under the Age of 6 Months.

Introduction: Acute respiratory infection (ARI) is the leading cause of childhood morbidity and mortality. Exclusive breastfeeding is considered the cornerstone of child health; however, the rate of exclusive breastfeeding is suboptimal in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). This study aimed to assess the association between exclusive breastfeeding and ARI among infants under the age of 6 months in a LMIC. Methods: A secondary analysis of the 2014 Egypt Demographic Health Survey data was conducted. Mothers of infants under the age of 6 months (n = 1,340) were included. The outcome of interest was ARI symptoms among infants, defined by mother's report of a cough accompanied by fast or difficult breathing in the 2 weeks preceding the survey. The exposure variable was exclusive breastfeeding, defined by giving infants only breast milk during the first 6 months of life. Descriptive statistics and multivariate regression were performed. Results: Forty-one percent of the infants were exclusively breastfed and 9% had ARI symptoms. Exclusive breastfeeding reduced the odds of ARI symptoms (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 0.450, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.243-0.832). Infants of mothers 20-34 years of age (AOR = 0.421, 95% CI: 0.217-0.817) and ≥35 years (AOR = 0.308, 95% CI: 0.123-0.767) at childbirth were less likely to have symptoms of an ARI when compared with adolescent mothers. The likelihood of having ARI symptoms was higher among infants 2-3 months of age (AOR = 2.437, 95% CI: 1.093-5.435), and 4-5 months (AOR = 2.888, 95% CI: 1.193-6.992) compared with infants less than 2 months. Conclusion: Exclusive breastfeeding was protective against ARI symptoms among under-6-month infants, independent of potential confounders.