Parental Wishes Research Articles

Islamic Schooling in the Cultural West: A Systematic Review of the Issues Concerning School Choice

Increased Muslim immigration and conversion to Islam have influenced the rise of Islamic schools in western nation-states. Islamic schools are both formal and informal. This paper summarizes literature on Islamic schooling in the cultural west with respect to three policy-relevant issues: (1) the purpose and nature of Islamic schooling; (2) parental wishes; and (3) the quality of Islamic schooling. The initial search process resulted in 12,535 articles, 81 of which inform the current review. The review reveals a variation in education policy issues in which some countries fund private Islamic schools and others provide Islamic religious instruction in public schools. The review discusses potential solutions to address parental wishes and improve the quality of Islamic schooling. Based on the reviewed literature, the review suggests guidelines for future research.

Developing a Context-Sensitive Understanding of Infant Toilet Training: Cleanliness Regimes Adjusted for Everyday Life Considerations

This research develops a context-sensitive understanding of infant toilet training that takes account of a diversity of influences on the phenomenon. Data are drawn from a qualitative study of everyday life in families with young children. Parents in 54 families living in Norway were interviewed about the everyday life of the family during their child’s first year of life, and two follow-up interviews were conducted with 15 families in subsequent years. A contrastive–comparative approach to the analyses takes account of the social actions, related to toilet training, in another cultural context in order to better grasp the taken-for-granted assumptions about toilet training evident in one’s own culture. The analyses identify the significance of cleanliness-related regimes in toilet training. The cleanliness regimes were adjusted for parents’ everyday life considerations, which involved parental wishes to relate to the child as an individual subject; take the child out in public spaces; share care between parents; and involve other persons in the child’s care. A developmental perspective on parental practices and everyday life considerations provides a broadened understanding about later toilet training in Western contexts.

Deciding for Others: Compelling Medical Treatment Against Parental Wishes in Diseases with Prognostic Uncertainty

Deciding for Others: Compelling Medical Treatment Against Parental Wishes in Diseases with Prognostic Uncertainty

Perceptions of eating disorder diagnoses and body image issues in four male cases in Singapore

BackgroundDespite the increasing number of patients presenting for treatment, little is still known about male eating disorders cases. The current study presents four male eating disorder cases presented to our specialized treatment facility in Singapore.Case presentationCases 1, 2 and 3 are homosexual males in their twenties and thirties who presented with anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Case 4 is a heterosexual male in his twenties diagnosed with binge eating disorder. All four cases expressed body image dissatisfaction, fat phobia and fear of weight gain. Additionally, all of them sought treatment because of comorbid psychiatric conditions or parental wishes. Premorbid obesity and homosexual orientation may be potential risk factors for males in developing eating disorders.ConclusionsThese findings suggest that more exploration needs to be done for males diagnosed with eating disorders, particularly in the Asian society. A deeper understanding into factors associated with symptom presentation and treatment-seeking behaviors would greatly assist in informing the direction and focus of treatment in the region.

Is There Ever a Role for the Unilateral Do Not Attempt Resuscitation Order in Pediatric Care?

Care for children as they near the end of life is difficult and very complex. More difficult still are the decisions regarding what interventions are and are not indicated during these trying times. Occasionally, families of children who are nearing the end of life disagree with the assessment of the medical team regarding these interventions. In rare cases, the medical team can be moved to enact a do not attempt resuscitation order against the wishes of the patient's parents. This article presents one such illustrative case and discusses the ethical issues relevant to such challenging clinical scenarios. The authors posit that such a unilateral do not attempt resuscitation order is only appropriate in very limited circumstances in pediatric care. Instead, focus should be placed on open discussion between parents and members of the clinical team, shared decision making, and maintenance of the clinician-parent relationship while simultaneously supporting members of the clinical team who express discomfort with parental decisions. The authors propose an alternative framework for approaching such a conflict based on clinician-parent collaboration and open communication.

Japan–US comparison of mothers’ wishes for their children’s futures in the context of attachment

ABSTRACT This study explored cross-cultural similarities and differences between Japanese and U.S. mothers’ wishes for their children’s futures based on their responses to one question asked toward the end of the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI). We also examined empirically whether mothers’ responses to this particular question would be consistent with their attachment representation to confirm the utility of this question in the AAI classification process. Japanese mothers (N = 48) and U.S. mothers (N = 62) reported their wishes for their children’s futures during the AAI. Types of wishes discussed by Japanese mothers and U.S. mothers largely overlapped (Well-being, Achievement, Personal fulfillment, and Relationship), but culture-specific types of wishes were also found (Peace making/Fitting in only for Japanese mothers and Religion only for U.S. mothers). Wishes discussed by secure mothers in both cultures for their children often demonstrated their valuing of affective relationships, consistent with secure states of mind, whereas insecure mothers’ wishes were sometimes unrealistic or more instrumental/materialistic, consistent with insecure states of mind. Future studies on attachment and parental wishes for children are discussed.

Soldiers' Preferences Regarding Sperm Preservation, Posthumous Reproduction, and Attributes of a Potential "Posthumous Mother".

We present study results regarding soldiers' willingness to conduct posthumous reproduction. Two hundred twelve Israeli soldiers filled in a questionnaire designed to examine their willingness to cryopreserve sperm and evaluate in which familial circumstances they would consent to posthumous reproduction. They ranked the desirability of 46 attributes of a potential mother and a life partner. Findings indicate a relatively high predisposition in favor of posthumous-assisted reproduction; the wishes of soldiers' parents had much more influence on soldiers' willingness to pursue this technology than those of a partner. Soldiers preferred "feminine" jobs for a potential mother that would allow her to dedicate herself to child-rearing. The desired traits of such a mother were rated similarly to partner preferences; however, significant differences were found in attributes that are most related to the potential mother's devotion to maternity. Interpretations of these findings are contextualized in relation to ethical and bereavement considerations.

Unexpected ethical dilemmas in sex assignment in 46,XY DSD due to 5-alpha reductase type 2 deficiency.

Sex assignment at birth remains one of the most clinically challenging and controversial topics in 46,XY disorders of sexual development (DSD). This is particularly challenging in deficiency of 5-alpha reductase type 2 given that external genitalia are typically undervirilized at birth but typically virilize at puberty to a variable degree. Historically, most individuals with 5-alpha reductase deficiency were raised females. However, reports that over half of patients who underwent a virilizing puberty adopted an adult male gender identity have challenged this practice. Consensus guidelines on assignment of sex of rearing at birth are equivocal or favor male assignment in the most virilized cases. While a male sex of rearing assignment may avoid lifelong hormonal therapy and/or allow the potential for fertility, female sex assignment may be more consistent with external anatomy in the most severely undervirilized cases. Herein, we describe five patients with 46,XY DSD due 5-alpha-reductase type 2 deficiency, all with a severe phenotype. An inter-disciplinary DSD medical team at one of two academic centers evaluated each patient. This case series illustrates the complicated decision-making process of assignment of sex of rearing at birth in 5-alpha reductase type 2 deficiency and the challenges that arise when the interests of the child, parental wishes, recommendations of the medical team, and state law collide.

Influence of different training mode on the parenting stress in mothers of children with autism

Objective To explore the influence of different training mode on the parenting stress in mothers of children with autism. Methods According to the wishes of parents, 46 children with autism by first diagnosed and their mothers were divided into combination training group (23 cases) and control group (23 cases). The children in combination training group received a family rehabilitation training besides the structured institution-based teaching programme, and the children in control group only received the structured institution-based teaching programme. Comparisons were made between the two groups by the Parenting Stress Index-Short Form score after 1 year teaching. Results Before teaching, the domain score of parental distress, parent-child dysfunctional interaction, difficult child and total score of parenting stress were (37.7±5.6), (35.4±4.1), (38.3±5.4), (111.3±10.5) points in control group, while those were (37.9±5.8), (34.7±4.3), (38.8±4.9), (112.1±9.3) points in combination training group. There was no significant difference between two groups(t=0.155-0.531, all P>0.05). After 1 year teaching, the domain score of parental distress, parent-child dysfunctional interaction, difficult child and total score of parenting stress were (34.0±3.4), (30.7±2.8), (34.3±2.2), (99.0±4.7) points in control group, while those were (34.3±3.7), (28.7±3.1), (31.1±2.4), (94.1±6.8) points in combination training group. The combination training group reported a lower level than control group in the domains score of parent-child dysfunctional interaction, difficult child and total score of parenting stress (t=-2.340, -4.595, -2.890, all P 0.05). Both two groups after 1 year teaching, mothers of children with autism experienced a lower level in all the domains and the total score of parenting stress than before teaching(combination training group: t=3.562-7.925, control group: t=2.534-4.768, all P<0.05). Conclusions Family rehabilitation training combined with institutions could reduce the parenting stress of mothers with autistic children and be worthy of clinical promotion and application. Key words: Children with autism; Parenting stress; Training mode

‘How would you feel …?’: a reflective case study

‘How would you feel …?’: a reflective case study

Care of Preschoolers with Congenital Heart Disease by Kindergarten and Nursery Teachers in Japan

ABSTRACTThe purpose of this study was to elucidate the involvement of kindergarten and nursery school teachers with young children with congenital heart disease. The study was designed as a qualitative descriptive study. Interviews of kindergarten and nursery school teachers with experience in the care and education of young children with congenital heart disease were conducted, during which they described their experience. Verbatim transcripts of the interviews were prepared, and the content was categorized. The study participants were 11 kindergarten and nursery school teachers. Extracted from the content of the interviews of the study participants were 282 codes, 33 subcategories, 6 categories, and 2 major categories. In their responses, the teachers indicated that they had been “Providing care for the children while seeking ways to avoid special treatment in a group setting.” In addition, they established a “Framework for school–parent cooperation in order to promptly accommodate the wishes of parents” of these children. The study showed that the kindergarten and nursery school teachers involved other pupils and monitored the condition of children with congenital heart disease to avoid special treatment of the children in the group setting. In addition, the teachers established a framework for cooperation between the school and parents. In the future, these findings will be used to create a nursing support model for the group life of young children with congenital heart disease.

Youth, family and education: exploring the Greek case of parentocracy

Based on a qualitative study conducted in austerity-stricken Greece, the paper provides a micro-level exploration of the mechanics of intergenerational transmission of (dis)advantage. Utilising the Bourdieusian toolbox, the paper enquires into familial practices through the lens of young people’s perceptions, focusing on the mobilisation of capitals, the inculcation and transformation of habitus taking place in the Greek educational field. In-depth interview material unpacks the pedagogic efforts young people and their families make, indicating that these are contingent on the varied volume and composition of capitals and the distinct distances from necessity that in turn constrain or afford the exercise of agency and the investments in the academic market. Further, the analysis sheds light on young people’s accounts of educational and occupational expectations illustrating how these are tightly interweaved with familial legacies and parental wishes, and underpinned by the projects of distinction, mobility and respectability through education.

Effect of an Educational Presentation about Extremely Preterm Infants on Knowledge and Attitudes of Health Care Providers

Objective To determine healthcare providers' knowledge (HCP) about survival rates of extremely preterm infants (EPI) and attitudes toward resuscitation before and after an educational presentation and, to examine the relationship between knowledge and attitudes toward resuscitation. Study Design Participants completed a survey before and after attending a presentation detailing evidence-based estimates of survival rates and surrounding ethical issues. Respondents included neonatologists, obstetricians, pediatricians, maternal-fetal medicine specialists, trainees in pediatrics, obstetrics, neonatal-perinatal medicine and neonatal and obstetrical nurses. Results In total, 166 participants attended an educational presentation and 130 participants completed both pre- and postsurveys (response rate 78%). Prepresentation, for all gestations, ≤ 50% of respondents correctly identified survival/intact survival rates. Postpresentation, correct responses regarding survival/intact survival rates ranged from 49 to 86% (p < 0.001) and attitudes shifted toward being more likely to resuscitate at all gestations regardless of parental wishes. There was a weak-to-modest relationship (Spearman's coefficient 0.24-0.40, p < 0.001-0.004) between knowledge responses and attitudes. Conclusion Attendance at an educational presentation did improve HCP knowledge about survival and long term outcomes for EPI, but HCP still underestimated survival and were not always willing to resuscitate in accordance with parental wishes. These findings may represent barriers to some experts' recommendation to use shared decision-making with parents when considering the resuscitation options for their EPI.

Prepuce health and childhood circumcision: Choices in Canada.

Worldwide, almost 100% of boys are born with penises with a "hood" called prepuce or foreskin. In the course of the boy's life, the prepuce can be circumcised, can become affected by diseased (e.g., phimosis), or a can become infected and hurt the neonate (and his sexual partner) in adulthood. The objectives of this report are to: 1) review the state, function, fate, and care of the prepuce in childhood, with focus on the neonate, in Canada; 2) understand the current practice of childhood male circumcision in terms of age, indications, performers, techniques, outcomes, and education; and 3) consider ways to sustain a good healthcare professional-parental dialogue for safe practices that are accessible, acceptable, and culturally sensitive in the care of the prepuce. A literature review was carried out in the English language through the major databases: PubMed (MEDLINE), EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, CINAHL, Web of Science (WOS) Core Collection, LILAC, WHO/UNAIDS, Clinical Trials (www.clinicaltrials.gov), Google Scholar, and grey literature. Search words included: prepuce, diseases of prepuce, prepuce in the neonate, prepuce in the neonate in Canada, male circumcision, childhood male circumcision, neonatal circumcision, neonatal circumcision in Canada, complications of neonatal circumcision in Canada, and circumcision adverse events. From 1970-1999, three of 10 Canadian newborn males were circumcised for religious, cultural, and medical reasons. The rest of the neonates, if alive, are living with their prepuce; <4% expected to require treatment for afflictions of the prepuce at some point. There are several providers of circumcision with different levels of training and competencies and using a diversity of devices and techniques. Neonatal and childhood circumcision in Canada is carried out to fulfill parental wishes, as well as for medical, religious, and cultural reasons. Appropriate informed consent and education regarding choices of care of the neonatal prepuce and genitals are vital. Going by current prevalent rate of circumcision in Canada, most Canadian newborn males are likely to live out their lives with an intact prepuce. Despite the age-old debate, childhood circumcision is likely to remain. There is need for careful and proper discussion of the potential risks and benefits, including alternatives, costs, and personal/psychological factors. Acceptance, access, and judicious choices in a culturally sensitive environment will offer the Canadian neonate desirable care of the prepuce for life.

Private Supplementary Tutoring and Parentocracy in Singapore

Drawing on Brown (in Br J Sociol Educ 11(1):65–86, 1990) and Barrett DeWiele and Edgerton (in Interchange 47:189–210, 2016), this article explores the relationship between private supplementary tutoring and parentocracy using Singapore as an illustrative case study. It is argued that the ubiquity and affordability of private supplementary tutoring in Singapore indicate that parentocracy is embraced by the majority of parents who seek to give their children a competitive edge. Among the parents, better-educated parents with higher incomes adopt a more proactive interventionist parenting style by paying more for both academic and non-academic enrichment classes. The phenomenon of parentocracy has contributed to educational inequalities in Singapore as children from more privileged home backgrounds have access to more educational resources and opportunities. But the inequalities engendered by parentocracy are mitigated by high-stakes exams that ensure that admission to elite schools is still largely determined by exam results rather than the wealth and wishes of parents. This study offers a nuanced account of private supplementary tutoring through highlighting its diversity and appropriation by different parents in Singapore. The study also illustrates the co-existence of parentocracy and meritocracy where private supplementary tutoring is strategically utilised by parents in Singapore to give their children an equal opportunity to excel in terminal exams.

Cancer care in Romania: challenges and pitfalls of children's and adolescents' multifaceted involvement

Communication about diagnosis and medical treatment for children suffering from life-threatening illnesses is complex. It is a primary step in involving underage patients and families in care and lays the...

Living with Dying in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit: A Nursing Perspective

Despite reported challenges encountered by nurses who provide palliative care to children, few researchers have examined this phenomenon from the perspective of nurses who care for children with life-threatening illnesses in pediatric intensive care units. To describe and interpret the essence of the experiences of nurses in pediatric intensive care units who provide palliative care to children with life-threatening illnesses and the children's families. A hermeneutic phenomenological study was conducted with 12 pediatric intensive care unit nurses in the northeastern United States. Face-to-face interviews and field notes were used to illuminate the experiences. Five major themes were detected: journey to death; a lifelong burden; and challenges delivering care, maintaining self, and crossing boundaries. These themes were illuminated by 12 subthemes: the emotional impact of the dying child, the emotional impact of the child's death, concurrent grieving, creating a peaceful ending, parental burden of care, maintaining hope for the family, pain, unclear communication by physicians, need to hear the voice of the child, remaining respectful of parental wishes, collegial camaraderie and support, and personal support. Providing palliative care to children with life-threatening illnesses was complex for the nurses. Findings revealed sometimes challenging intricacies involved in caring for dying children and the children's families. However, the nurses voiced professional satisfaction in providing palliative care and in support from colleagues. Although the nurses reported collegial camaraderie, future research is needed to identify additional supportive resources that may help staff process and cope with death and dying.

Trisomy 18: A survey of opinions, attitudes, and practices of neonatologists.

We conducted a survey-based study of the opinions, attitudes, and management practices of neonatologists across the United States regarding prenatally diagnosed Trisomy 18. The survey was designed based on previously validated surveys of severe fetal anomalies and collected demographic information on participants, as well as their attitudes, and management choices given a series of vignettes beginning in the prenatal period. The survey was sent to 3,143 American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine members of which 409 (13%) completed the survey. While the response rate was rather low, our respondent pool was representative of the national neonatologist population. Respondents were predominately white (81%), married (88%), Christian (54%), had children (86%), and were pro-choice in terms of abortion (68%). Eighty-three percent (83%) of respondents thought that trisomy 18 is a lethal condition and 60% thought that treatment is futile. Seventy-five percent (75%) expected that the best neurodevelopmental outcome in the case of infant survival would be profound intellectual disability. Regarding neonatal care, 95% stated that they would recommend palliative care only. Ninety-five percent (95%) would never recommend or recommend only if asked full code resuscitation for a neonate with full trisomy 18, yet, 44% would comply partially or in full with a full code request for resuscitation measures. The demographic features that correlated most significantly with these responses were clinician race and years in practice. The attitudes toward and management of infants affected with trisomy 18 seem to be largely driven by parental attitudes and wishes. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Parents' Experiences and Wishes at End of Life in Children with Spinal Muscular Atrophy Types I and II

To explore experiences and wishes of bereaved parents concerning end-of-life care for their child with severe spinal muscular atrophy. A follow-up survey was conducted in 2013 on parents of deceased Swedish children who were born between 2000 and 2010 and later diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy type I or II (n=48). The questions used in this study covered location of death (LoD), support from health care staff, and parents' wishes and concerns about their child's end-of-life care. One-half of those who had wishes about LoD (16/32) wanted their child to die at home, rather than at the hospital. All of those who wanted the child to die at the hospital had their wishes fulfilled. Among those who wanted the child to die at home, 10 of 16 got their wish. Among parents who talked with a physician about how they wanted their child to pass away (n=26), all but 2 had their wishes fulfilled. Thirty-six parents (75%) reported that their child had siblings: 12 reported that the sibling was too young for professional psychological support, and only 4 of the remaining 24 siblings received such support after the death of their brother or sister. Parents' communication with the physician about their wishes and concerns regarding their child's end-of-life care and preferred LoD contributed to their wishes being fulfilled. The wish of hospital death was fulfilled more often than the wish of home deaths. A vast majority of siblings did not receive psychological support after death of their brother or sister.

Creative Problem Solving Methods in Education Field and Compare Classic and Matrix 2003

TRIZ - is the method enabling stimulation of creative problem solving by way of using the developed knowledge bases, similar system functioning and contradictions removal. The system of education is one of the most complex social systems, burdened with multiple contradictions. The education system’s contradictions comprise wishes of parents versus capabilities of children, wishes of teachers versus educational institution capabilities, etc., so that the need arises for presenting the assembling of educational requirements of the society for improving the level of education, versus writing new educational plans, by way of improved technical resources of the society. Being creative, the TRIZ method is an important part of the technological education program at high schools of professional studies and at faculties in the course of studying. An important link to TRIZ method application in education is envisaging of teachers’ perceptions in the education technology, which is the first step towards introducing TRIZ method into the educational plan and program at lower educational levels as well. By updating the classical contradiction matrix, there originated the 2003 matrix which takes into consideration and envisages frequency of innovative principles occurrence, thus rendering a significant progress in TRIZ method developing and application. The paper offers and develops application of new models of education management by way of TRIZ method, by the relocation innovative principles of classical and 2003 contradiction matrixes, with the special contribution of applying creative principles in the field of education.