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BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth Jul 2023Medicalised Conception (MAC) assists many couples to achieve pregnancy worldwide. As the impact of MAC has been linked to increased pregnancy-specific anxiety and... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
BACKGROUND
Medicalised Conception (MAC) assists many couples to achieve pregnancy worldwide. As the impact of MAC has been linked to increased pregnancy-specific anxiety and parenting difficulties, this review aimed to explore parental experiences of pregnancy and early parenting following MAC, identifying parents' psychological, social and health needs.
METHOD
Five databases were searched systematically from inception to March 2023. Identified articles were screened for eligibility against the inclusion criteria and the results were analysed using thematic synthesis. The Critical Appraisal Skills checklist was employed to appraise methodological quality.
RESULTS
Twenty qualitative studies, drawing on a total of 19 participant samples, were included in this review, most with samples with history of subfertility. The findings were synthesised into three main themes (consisting of seven subthemes): 1) The vulnerable parent: fear, doubt, uncertainty, 2) the stark realisation of the parental dream, 3) psychosocial needs and support. Parents lacked a sense of safety during pregnancy and reported acting protectively both antenatally and postnatally. Furthermore, their identity transition was complex and non-linear, influenced by sociocultural context.
CONCLUSIONS
Considerable unmet psychosocial needs were identified including the potential for anxiety in pregnancy, the possibility of feeling excluded and marginalised, and a reluctance to share distress and experiences with healthcare professionals. These findings suggest a need for consistent, holistic care, integrating psychological services.
Topics: Female; Humans; Pregnancy; Emotions; Health Personnel; Parenting; Parents; Qualitative Research; Reproductive Techniques, Assisted
PubMed: 37460955
DOI: 10.1186/s12884-023-05727-x -
Acta Paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992) Oct 2023Cohesive families and stimulating and caring environments promoting attachment to caregivers is fundamental for a child's physical and psychosocial growth and... (Review)
Review
Cohesive families and stimulating and caring environments promoting attachment to caregivers is fundamental for a child's physical and psychosocial growth and development. Parental care, supporting early years development, presupposes the presence and involvement of parents in children's daily life with activities that include breastfeeding, playing, reading and storytelling. However, parents have to balance their child's well-being against employment, career progression and gender equality. Universally accessible and equitably available parental leave addresses this challenge. CONCLUSION: Distinct from compulsory maternity leave, leave at full or nearly full pay for both parents benefits not only families but also societal well-being and prosperity.
Topics: Child; Humans; Female; Pregnancy; Parenting; Parental Leave; Employment; Parents; Breast Feeding
PubMed: 37531082
DOI: 10.1111/apa.16929 -
Western Journal of Nursing Research Jul 2024Postpartum depression (PPD) is highly prevalent and plagues a significant proportion of parents. Postpartum depression also exerts various negative consequences on...
BACKGROUND
Postpartum depression (PPD) is highly prevalent and plagues a significant proportion of parents. Postpartum depression also exerts various negative consequences on infant development and parent-infant relationships. Social support is identified as an important factor influencing many parental predictors, and may affect the development of PPD.
OBJECTIVE
This study aimed to investigate how perceived social support can indirectly influence PPD symptoms in parents at 6 months postpartum by influencing postpartum anxiety, parental satisfaction, and parental self-efficacy (PSE).
METHODS
A secondary analysis of data from a randomized controlled trial was used with a cross-sectional exploratory design. A total of 400 Singaporean parents (200 couples) were included, and structural equation modeling was used to analyze the relationships between PPD and potential predictors.
RESULTS
Findings revealed a less adequate fit between the hypothesized model and the data collected. Social support was found to be a significant predictor of postpartum anxiety, PSE, and parental satisfaction. Postpartum anxiety was a significant predictor of PPD, but PSE and parental satisfaction were not.
CONCLUSION
This study provides an overview of how different parental predictors may be associated with PPD among Asian parents. Postpartum anxiety significantly predicted PPD, but social support had negative effects on postpartum anxiety, parenting satisfaction, and PSE. The findings provide further insight into how parents at risk of PPD can be identified and demonstrated how social support might negatively impact parental outcomes. More qualitative research with Asian parents is needed to further explain these findings and inform the development of future interventions.
Topics: Humans; Female; Depression, Postpartum; Social Support; Cross-Sectional Studies; Adult; Singapore; Parents; Self Efficacy; Surveys and Questionnaires; Male; Parenting; Anxiety
PubMed: 38822693
DOI: 10.1177/01939459241254774 -
Journal of Child Health Care : For... Mar 2024Paediatric chronic health conditions are associated with poorer psychological wellbeing and quality of life for children and families. This study investigated...
Paediatric chronic health conditions are associated with poorer psychological wellbeing and quality of life for children and families. This study investigated differences in child and parent/family quality of life between families of children with asthma only, eczema only, or both asthma and eczema, and tested predictors of child and parent/family quality of life. A convenience sample of 106 families completed parent-report measures of child and parent/family quality of life, child emotional and behavioural difficulties, parent adjustment and parenting practices. Between-groups ANOVAs indicated no differences for child quality of life, whereas parent/family quality of life was worse for those with eczema only compared to asthma only. Multiple linear regression revealed that child emotional difficulties predicted worse child quality of life, whereas worse parent adjustment, child emotional difficulties and eczema only (compared to both asthma and eczema) predicted worse parent quality of life. Results suggest that families of children with eczema may be at particular risk for impaired parent/family quality of life. Interventions that take a family-centred approach to improving child and parent adjustment should be investigated as an adjunct to medical treatment to reduce the impact of chronic health conditions on quality of life for children and families.
Topics: Child; Humans; Quality of Life; Parenting; Asthma; Eczema; Comorbidity; Parents
PubMed: 35570795
DOI: 10.1177/13674935221097213 -
Journal of Medical Internet Research Jul 2023Children's conduct and emotional problems increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
The Effectiveness and Cost-Effectiveness of a Universal Digital Parenting Intervention Designed and Implemented During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Evidence From a Rapid-Implementation Randomized Controlled Trial Within a Cohort.
BACKGROUND
Children's conduct and emotional problems increased during the COVID-19 pandemic.
OBJECTIVE
We tested whether a smartphone parenting support app, Parent Positive, developed specifically for this purpose, reversed these effects in a cost-effective way. Parent Positive includes 3 zones. Parenting Boosters (zone 1) provided content adapted from standard face-to-face parent training programs to tackle 8 specific challenges identified by parents and parenting experts as particularly relevant for parents during the pandemic. The Parenting Exchange (zone 2) was a parent-to-parent and parent-to-expert communication forum. Parenting Resources (zone 3) provided access to existing high-quality web-based resources on a range of additional topics of value to parents (eg, neurodevelopmental problems, diet, and sleep).
METHODS
Supporting Parents And Kids Through Lockdown Experiences (SPARKLE), a randomized controlled trial, was embedded in the UK-wide COVID-19: Supporting Parents, Adolescents and Children during Epidemics (Co-SPACE) longitudinal study on families' mental health during the pandemic. Parents of children aged 4 to 10 years were randomized 1:1 to Parent Positive or follow-up as usual (FAU) between May 19, 2021, and July 26, 2021. Parent Positive provided advice on common parenting challenges and evidence-based web-based resources and facilitated parent-to-parent and expert-to-parent support. Child conduct and emotional problems and family well-being were measured before randomization (T1) and at 1 (T2) and 2 (T3) months after randomization. Service use, costs, and adverse events were measured, along with app use and satisfaction. The primary outcome was T2 parent-reported child conduct problems, which were analyzed using linear mixed regression models.
RESULTS
A total of 320 participants were randomized to Parent Positive, and 326 were randomized to FAU. The primary outcome analysis included 79.3% (512/646) of the participants (dropout: 84/320, 26% on Parent Positive and 50/326, 15% on FAU). There were no statistically significant intervention effects on conduct problems at either T2 (standardized effect=-0.01) or T3 (secondary outcome; standardized effect=-0.09) and no moderation by baseline conduct problems. Significant intervention-related reductions in emotional problems were observed at T2 and T3 (secondary outcomes; standardized effect=-0.13 in both cases). Parent Positive, relative to FAU, was associated with more parental worries at T3 (standardized effect=0.14). Few intervention-attributable adverse events were reported. Parent Positive was cost-effective once 4 outliers with extremely high health care costs were excluded.
CONCLUSIONS
Parent Positive reduced child emotional problems and was cost-effective compared with FAU once outliers were removed. Although small when considered against targeted therapeutic interventions, the size of these effects was in line with trials of nontargeted universal mental health interventions. This highlights the public health potential of Parent Positive if implemented at the community level. Nevertheless, caution is required before making such an interpretation, and the findings need to be replicated in large-scale, whole-community studies.
TRIAL REGISTRATION
ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04786080; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04786080.
Topics: Child; Adolescent; Humans; Parenting; Cost-Benefit Analysis; Pandemics; Longitudinal Studies; COVID-19; Communicable Disease Control; Parents
PubMed: 37498669
DOI: 10.2196/44079 -
Brain Imaging and Behavior Aug 2023This randomized controlled study examined neurological changes in socioemotional processing skills through parent training in caregivers of children with... (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
This randomized controlled study examined neurological changes in socioemotional processing skills through parent training in caregivers of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Thirty mothers of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder were stratified into parent training and non-parent training groups. Functional magnetic resonance imaging was performed during the "Reading the Mind in the Eyes" test, and parenting difficulties were evaluated using the Parenting Stress Index and the Parenting Scale, twice (before and after parent training). Only mothers in the parent training group showed a significant decrease in Parenting Stress Index and Parenting Scale scores. They also demonstrated increased activity in the left occipital fusiform gyrus during the task of estimating emotions from facial pictures. We presumed that these changes might reflect the potential impact of enrollment in parent training in reducing stress, which might have increased activation of the fusiform gyrus.
Topics: Female; Humans; Child; Mothers; Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Emotions; Parenting
PubMed: 37079157
DOI: 10.1007/s11682-023-00771-9 -
Journal of Pediatric Nursing 2023Suboptimal breastfeeding rates are a public health priority. Interventions that include both breastfeeding women and their co-parents can increase breastfeeding... (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
BACKGROUND
Suboptimal breastfeeding rates are a public health priority. Interventions that include both breastfeeding women and their co-parents can increase breastfeeding initiation, duration, and exclusivity. eHealth can be an effective means of designing such interventions, as parents increasingly use the internet to access health information. The objective of this study was to determine maternal and co-parent satisfaction with an eHealth intervention.
METHODS
The study was part of a larger randomized controlled trial that took place in Canada between March 2018 and April 2020. Data was collected from mothers (n = 56) and co-parents (n = 47).
INTERVENTION
The eHealth intervention group received: 1) continued access to an eHealth breastfeeding co-parenting resource from the prenatal period to 52 weeks postpartum; 2) a virtual meeting with a research assistant; and 3) 6 weekly emails reminders. Follow-up data were collected via online questionnaires completed at 2 weeks post enrollment and 4, 12, 26, and 52 weeks postpartum to determine use and satisfaction with the intervention components.
FINDINGS
The majority of mothers and co-parents independently reviewed the eHealth resource (95% and 91%, respectively), with higher use in the prenatal period. Participants found the resource to be useful (92%), informative (93%), targeted both parents (90%), and easy to understand (97%). Participants indicated the resource was comprehensive, easily navigated, convenient, and engaging.
APPLICATION TO PRACTICE
Providing mothers and their co-parents with breastfeeding co-parenting support via an eHealth intervention delivers accessible, comprehensive information which may assist them in meeting their breastfeeding goals.
Topics: Female; Humans; Pregnancy; Breast Feeding; Canada; Mothers; Parenting; Parents; Personal Satisfaction; Telemedicine; Infant, Newborn; Infant
PubMed: 37506540
DOI: 10.1016/j.pedn.2023.07.013 -
Palliative Medicine Oct 2023Spirituality refers to the dynamic dimension of human life that relates to the way that persons experience meaning, purpose, and transcendence. The complex task of... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Spirituality refers to the dynamic dimension of human life that relates to the way that persons experience meaning, purpose, and transcendence. The complex task of parenting a child with a life-limiting condition may raise existential questions, which are easily overlooked by healthcare professionals.
AIM
We explored how the spiritual dimension becomes manifest in parents of children in pediatric palliative care.
DESIGN
A mixed-methods systematic review was conducted, registered in Prospero (2021 CRD42021285318).
DATA SOURCES
PubMed, CINAHL, Embase, PsycInfo, and Cochrane were searched for articles published between January 1, 2015 and January 1, 2023. We included original empirical studies that reported on spirituality of parents of seriously ill children, from parents' perspectives.
RESULTS
Sixty-three studies were included: 22 North-American, 19 Asian, 13 European, 9 other. Studies varied in defining spirituality. We identified five different aspects of spirituality: religion, hope, parental identity, personal development, and feeling connected with others. All aspects could function as source of spirituality or cause of spiritual concern. Sources of spirituality helped parents to give meaning to their experiences and made them feel supported. However, parents also reported struggling with spiritual concerns. Several parents highlighted their need for professional support.
CONCLUSIONS
Although studies vary in defining spirituality, reports on spirituality focus on how parents connect to their faith, others, and themselves as parents. Healthcare professionals can support parents by paying attention to the spiritual process parents are going through. More research is needed into how healthcare professionals can support parents of seriously ill children in this process.
Topics: Child; Humans; Parenting; Religion; Palliative Care; Spirituality; Parents
PubMed: 37461310
DOI: 10.1177/02692163231186173 -
Assessment Sep 2023The Coping with Children's Negative Emotions Scale (CCNES) is a widely used measure of parent emotion socialization; however, it is a lengthy measure and it is unclear...
The Coping with Children's Negative Emotions Scale (CCNES) is a widely used measure of parent emotion socialization; however, it is a lengthy measure and it is unclear whether all items are appropriately aligned with, and fully capture, the underlying constructs. We aimed to examine content validity of the CCNES, evaluate the theoretical alignment between the CCNES and Gottman, Katz and Hooven's meta-emotion theory, and develop two short-forms. Participants were parents of children aged 4 to 10 years ( = 937) from the longitudinal study the Child and Parent Emotion Study (https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/10/10/e038124). Content experts qualitatively evaluated parent-report items of the CCNES and additional items that measured empathy. Nineteen of the 84 items were found to not align with the meta-emotion theory. The latent structures of the CCNES and empathy subscales were quantitatively evaluated via confirmatory factor analysis. Items with poor psychometric properties were subsequently removed. An 18-item short-form (three emotion coaching subscales, three emotion dismissing subscales) and 6-item brief short-form (one emotion coaching subscale, one emotion dismissing subscale) with strong psychometric properties were created using a calibration sample ( = 468, that is, 50% of = 937) and cross-validated with a validation sample. The short-form CCNES measures provide viable, theoretically consistent alternatives to the original CCNES measure.
Topics: Humans; Child; Parent-Child Relations; Longitudinal Studies; Socialization; Emotions; Parents; Adaptation, Psychological; Parenting
PubMed: 36317795
DOI: 10.1177/10731911221126919 -
BMC Public Health Jul 2023Adolescent parents experience worse health and socioeconomic outcomes compared to older parents. Little is known about the factors that can lead to better health and...
BACKGROUND
Adolescent parents experience worse health and socioeconomic outcomes compared to older parents. Little is known about the factors that can lead to better health and well-being among teen-headed families. A city-wide collaborative conducted a comprehensive well-being assessment of expectant and parenting teens in Washington, DC.
METHODS
An online, anonymous survey was conducted with adolescent parents in Washington, DC, using convenience sampling. The survey consisted of 66 questions adapted from validated scales of quality of life and well-being. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the data overall, by subgroups of mother and father, and by subgroups of parent age. Spearman's correlations were utilized to demonstrate associations of social supports with well-being metrics.
RESULTS
A total of 107 adolescent and young adult parents from Washington, DC, completed the survey; 80% of respondents identified as mothers and 20% as fathers. Younger adolescent parents rated their physical health better compared to older adolescent and young adult parents. Adolescent parents reported accessing various governmental and community-based resources in the preceding 6 months. The most used resources were supplemental food programs, with 35% receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits and 24% receiving support from the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children. There was no significant difference in health-related well-being metrics among those who did and did not receive resources. Having higher self-reported social support was positively correlated with higher self-rated physical health, mental health, and well-being, as well as experiencing positive emotions, and was negatively correlated with experiencing negative emotions.
CONCLUSION
This snapshot of the well-being of expectant and parenting teens in Washington, DC, showed overall positive physical, mental, and emotional health. Greater social support was correlated with better outcomes in these areas. Future work will leverage the multidisciplinary collaborative to translate these findings into policies and programs that meet the needs of this population.
Topics: Child; Infant; Young Adult; Humans; Adolescent; Female; Quality of Life; District of Columbia; Parents; Parenting; Social Support; Surveys and Questionnaires
PubMed: 37400757
DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-16185-7