Initial impact of the Fast Track prevention trial for conduct problems: I. The high-risk sample. Conduct Problems Prevention Research Group. (1/208)

Fast Track is a multisite, multicomponent preventive intervention for young children at high risk for long-term antisocial behavior. Based on a comprehensive developmental model, intervention included a universal-level classroom program plus social skills training, academic tutoring, parent training, and home visiting to improve competencies and reduce problems in a high-risk group of children selected in kindergarten. At the end of Grade 1, there were moderate positive effects on children's social, emotional, and academic skills; peer interactions and social status; and conduct problems and special-education use. Parents reported less physical discipline and greater parenting satisfaction/ease of parenting and engaged in more appropriate/consistent discipline, warmth/positive involvement, and involvement with the school. Evidence of differential intervention effects across child gender, race, site, and cohort was minimal.  (+info)

Wechsler subscale IQ and subtest profile in early treated phenylketonuria. (2/208)

AIM: Mildly depressed IQ is common in treated phenylketonuria. This study explored whether a particular intellectual ability profile typifies early and continuously treated phenylketonuria and whether component skills comprising the IQ relate to socioeconomic and treatment factors. METHODS: IQ scores were collected retrospectively from variants of the "Wechsler intelligence scale for children" performed at age 8 on 57 children with early treated, classic phenylketonuria. The mental ability pattern underlying IQ was investigated by analysing subscale and subtest scores and dietary factors, such as historical phenylalanine blood concentrations. RESULTS: The children's mean full scale IQ of 91.11 was significantly below the healthy population norm. There was a significant discrepancy between their mean verbal IQ (94.65) and mean performance IQ (89.42), suggestive of a spatial deficit, but the data did not support a biochemical or sociological explanation. Individual Wechsler subtests had no distinctive pattern. Phenylalanine control at age 2 was predictive of overall IQ. At this age, children with annual median phenylalanine < 360 micromol/litre (recommended UK upper limit) had a mean IQ 10 points higher than those above. CONCLUSIONS: Early and continuous treatment of phenylketonuria does not necessarily lead to normalisation of overall IQ. Verbal intelligence in the primary school years appears to normalise if blood phenylalanine is maintained below 360 micromol/litre in infancy, but spatial intelligence may remain poor. However, the discrepancy in skill development is not the result of social status or treatment variables. Perhaps weak spatial intelligence is an ancillary effect of a protective rearing style occasioned by the dietary treatment regimen.  (+info)

If I shouldn't spank, what should I do? Behavioural techniques for disciplining children. (3/208)

OBJECTIVE: To provide family physicians with a guide for evaluating discipline problems, giving suggestions for parental guidance, and diagnosing problems when discipline guidance fails. QUALITY OF EVIDENCE: A MEDLINE and PsycINFO search from 1990 to the present produced articles reviewing research on aspects of discipline. Case-control studies, expert opinion, and position statements published by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Canadian Paediatric Society were chosen as a basis for this article. In a special supplement in 1996, a pediatric journal reviewed the controversy of spanking as an effective disciplinary method, with comments by noted researchers and clinicians. Other authors reviewed research evaluating discipline techniques. MAIN MESSAGE: Discipline problems require evaluation of children, parents, and parent-child relationships, including assessment of child development and evaluation of parenting skills and parental stressors. Parents can learn techniques more effective than spanking. Physicians can review discipline strategies and guide parents through difficult situations. Monitoring progress is important, and immediate reassessment of the situation if techniques are failing or referral to a specialist will increase the chances of a successful intervention. CONCLUSION: Discipline problems are complex and require careful assessment. Guiding parents during these types of problems requires close follow up and reevaluation when methods do not have the expected effect.  (+info)

Cognitive development of term small for gestational age children at five years of age. (4/208)

AIM: To assess the relative significance for cognitive development of small for gestational age, parental demographic factors, and factors related to the child rearing environment. METHODS: IQ of a population based cohort of 338 term infants who were small for gestational age (SGA) and without major handicap, and a random control sample of 335 appropriate for gestational age (AGA) infants were compared at 5 years of age. RESULTS: The mean non-verbal IQ was four points lower, while the mean verbal IQ was three points lower for the children in the SGA group. The results were not confounded by parental demographic or child rearing factors. However, parental factors, including maternal non-verbal problem solving abilities, and child rearing style, accounted for 20% of the variance in non-verbal IQ, while SGA versus AGA status accounted for only 2%. The comparable numbers for verbal IQ were 30 and 1%. Furthermore, we found no evidence that the cognitive development of SGA children was more sensitive to a non-optimal child rearing environment than that of AGA children. Maternal smoking at conception was associated with a reduction in mean IQ comparable to that found for SGA status, and this effect was the same for SGA and AGA children. The cognitive function of asymmetric SGA was comparable to that of symmetric SGA children. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that child cognitive development is strongly associated with parental factors, but only marginally associated with intrauterine growth retardation.  (+info)

Supportive communities for children and families. (5/208)

Starting from the premise that strong families are a key factor in building healthy communities, the author recounts what children need to become productive members of society and what families need to help children succeed. The author describes what communities can do to help families and calls for the public will to support families as they struggle to raise healthy, successful children.  (+info)

Risk factors for severe child discipline practices in rural India. (6/208)

OBJECTIVES: To determine the type and severity of discipline practices in rural India and to identify risk and protective factors related to these practices. METHODS: Five hundred mothers, ages 18-50, participated in face-to-face interviews as part of a cross-sectional, population-based survey. One of the mother's children was randomly selected as the referent child. The interview focused primarily on discipline practices and spousal violence. Sociodemographic characteristics, neighbor support, residential stability, and husband's drinking behavior were also assessed. RESULTS: Nearly half of the mothers reported using severe verbal discipline and 42% reported using severe physical discipline. While common, severe discipline practices occurred less frequently than moderate practices and had different risk factors, notably low maternal education and spousal violence. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that increased formal education for rural women in India may have the added benefit of reducing family violence, including spouse and child abuse.  (+info)

Community Mothers Programme--seven year follow-up of a randomized controlled trial of non-professional intervention in parenting. (7/208)

BACKGROUND: The Community Mothers Programme aims at using experienced volunteer mothers in disadvantaged areas to give support to first-time parents in rearing their children up to 1 year of age. The programme was evaluated by randomized controlled trial in 1990. METHODS: Seven years later, trial participants were interviewed about child health, nutrition, cognitive stimulation, parenting skills, and maternal self-esteem. The aim of this study was to see whether the demonstrated benefits at 1 year of age of this programme could be sustained at age 8. RESULTS: One-third of the original group (38 intervention, 38 control), were contacted and interviewed. The risk for having an accident requiring a hospital visit was lower in the intervention group: relative risk (RR) 0.59, 95 per cent confidence interval (CI) 0.31-1.11. Intervention children were more likely to visit the library weekly: RR 1.58, 95 per cent CI 1.10-2.26. Intervention mothers were more likely to check homework every night: RR 1.23, 95 per cent CI 1.05-1.43 (p=0.006); and to disagree with the statement 'children should be smacked for persistently bad behaviour': RR 2.11, 95 per cent CI 1.10-4.06. They were more likely to disagree with the statement 'I do not have much to be proud of': RR 1.24, 95 per cent CI 1.04-1.40; and to make a positive statement about motherhood than controls: RR 1.53, 95 per cent CI 1.06-2.20. Subsequent children of intervention mothers were more likely to have completed Haemophilus influenzae b: RR 1.26, 95 per cent CI 1.06-1.51; and polio immunization: RR 1.19, 95 per cent CI 1.02-1.40. CONCLUSIONS: The Community Mothers programme had sustained beneficial effects on parenting skills and maternal self-esteem 7 years later with benefit extending to subsequent children.  (+info)

Parenting stress in mothers of very-low-birth-weight (VLBW) and full-term infants: a function of infant behavioral characteristics and child-rearing attitudes. (8/208)

OBJECTIVE: To examine the moderating effects of child-rearing attitudes on the relation between parenting stress and infant behavioral characteristics for mothers of very-low-birth-weight (VLBW) and full-term infants. METHODS: Fifty-six 9-month-old infants (23 VLBW and 33 full-term) and their mothers were the participants. Mothers completed measures of parenting stress, child-rearing attitudes, infant temperament, and infant behavioral problems. RESULTS: The VLBW infants had a higher frequency of behavioral problems, and their mothers reported more child health concerns than the mothers of the full-term infants. Regression analyses showed that the relation between parenting stress and infant distress was moderated at medium and high levels of parental strictness for only the VLBW infants. CONCLUSIONS: The amount of stress the mothers of the VLBW infants experienced was a result of the congruence between their infant's behavioral characteristics and their own child-rearing attitudes.  (+info)

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