PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

D Beckmann

Publications and source records attributed to D Beckmann.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2000

Infants with "Colic"-mothers' perspectives on the crying problem.

OBJECTIVES: This study was designed to evaluate relationships between infant crying behavior and fussing behavior and the mother's causal attributions of the crying, her emotional responses to the crying, as well as her later perception of infant temperament. METHODS: Twenty mothers who presented their 3-9-week-old infants in pediatric practices because of excessive crying ("colic complaint group") and 20 mothers who visited for public preventive screening ("control group") were compared. Mothers kept a "baby diary." A highly structured interview with the mothers was conducted. When the babies were 4 months old, mothers completed a temperament questionnaire. The colic complaint group was subdivided using the Wessel criteria. RESULTS: Infants from the colic complaint group who did not meet these criteria did not differ from control subjects in any of the parameters derived from the diaries. However, the mothers of this group described significantly heightened negative affect and cognitions of being rejected in response to the crying. In contrast, mothers of infants who conformed to Wessel's definition, and thereby far exceeded the other subjects in crying duration, did not differ from control mothers in respect of the aforementioned feelings and cognitions. Mothers' "negative affect and feelings of being rejected" were associated with the perception of high negative emotionality 4 months later. CONCLUSION: In regard to the colic problem, attention must be paid not only to the characteristics of the child, but also to aspects of maternal perception and processing of the crying problem.

Affect↗
PubMed1999

Infants with atopic dermatitis: maternal hopelessness, child-rearing attitudes and perceived infant temperament.

BACKGROUND: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common disease of childhood. It frequently starts in the first year of life. There is agreement on the existence of psychological influences on this disease. Although some studies in this field examine aspects of the parent-child relationship, studies concerning early infancy are very rare. The present study was conducted in order to find out whether maternal characteristics relevant to the mother-infant relationship, i.e. depressiveness/hopelessness, child-rearing attitudes and perceived infant behaviour, associated with infant AD. METHODS: Two cohorts (3- to 4-month- and 10- to 12-month-old infants), each with 20 infants suffering from AD, and 20 healthy infants were recruited. AD infants were further divided into subgroups according to the diagnostic criteria: atopic family history, itching and characteristic locations of eczema. After a paediatric examination of the infant, mothers completed standardized questionnaires concerning depressiveness/hopelessness, child-rearing attitudes and perception of infant behaviour. RESULTS: Varying with different diagnostic features of the infants' AD, mothers of AD infants described themselves as more depressive/hopeless, as more anxious/overprotective and characterized their infant as less frequently positive and more frequently negative in its emotional behaviour compared to the control group. CONCLUSION: The results underline the importance of psychological support for mothers of infants with AD.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

[Infantile colic as maternal reason of consulting a pediatrician: characteristics of mother and child].

About 10-20% of infants under four months of age suffer from infantile colic (IC), an excessive screaming behaviour caused by multiple factors. WESSELS et al. (1954) definition is that babies in usually good health and nutritional condition are screaming/whining more than three hours daily, more than three days weekly for no apparent reasons. The question is whether/in what way daily routines of infants concerned differ from normal infants. Mothers of colicky infants (n = 25) and mothers in a control group (n = 25) record characteristics of the mother/child relationship, their assumptions why the child is screaming, care and attention they provide and babies' reactions. For seven days the mothers kept a diary about the babies' behaviour and worked on questionnaires concerning social support received, depressant effects and exhaustion. Interviews about the extent of care provided as well as personal thoughts and emotions were conducted. The "colic group" formed two subgroups: one fulfilling Wessels criteria (Wessel-Koliker; WK), the other more conforming with the "control group" babies though mothers complained about screaming (Non-Wessel-Koliker; NWK). "Colic group"-babies received more attention and care (compared to the "control group" babies), attempts to calm them down frequently failed and mothers in this group reacted less promptly to their babies' screaming. "NWK-group"-mothers strongly tend to attribute the babies' screaming to "meteorism" or "discontent". No differences existed between groups concerning social support, depressant effects and exhaustion. There is a risk that the colic may negatively influence the mother/child interaction beyond three months.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

[The ideal image and sex role norms in the Giessen Test].

This study was intended to test the assumption whether the ideal-image measure within the Giessen-Test reflects the specific personality as hypothesized by psychoanalytic theory or a general norm-orientation. To test this assumptions the items of the Giessen-Test were transformed an submitted to random samples of in- and out-patients. The results clearly indicate that the ideal-image as measured by the Giessen-Test is a general norm-orientation and consists of the dimensions "social-acknowledgement" and "capability of binding". Within the second dimension there seems to be a gender difference. Additional analysis of variance and Cronbachs alpha indicate that differences between in- and out-patients are the result of a possible "curative effect".

Adult↗
PubMed1997

[Neuromotor and cognitive development of high-risk newborn infants at 5 years of age].

A group of 5-year-old children bearing a perinatal neurological risk is divided into subgroups according to the specific courses of their neuromotoric development. Then comparison is made between two of the subgroups consisting of children with a favourable neuromotoric development at the age of 5 and a control-group of healthy born children with regard to the neuromotoric as well as the cognitive development. As a result the children of the two subgroups, whose neuromotoric development in the age of five was comparable to that of the control group, showed a significantly lower performance on a concentration test than those of the control group. Additionally there is also a deficiency within the scope of verbal competence, whereas the level of the performance IQ of the children with perinatal neurological risk is quite comparable with that of the children of the control group.

Brain Damage, Chronic↗
PubMed1995

[Ontogenesis of sleep-wakefulness regulation].

In addition to traditional opinions endogenous sleep factors play an important role in modern concepts concerning sleep-wake regulation. The recent development of neurochemical research including experiments with neuropeptides has modified the classical theories of sleeping and waking. Moreover, the influence of hormones as cortisol or prolactin on neurotransmitters involved in sleep-wake regulation, special problems of the endogenous sleep-rhythms, and the conditions of the ontogenetic development are discussed. In addition, a new concept, the so-called Stimulation theory is described.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

[Ontogenesis of affect regulation].

The psychophysiological basis of biological rhythms in human adults and infants is discussed in the present paper. The significance of the influence of hormones on central nervous functions is demonstrated by neurophysiological and psychobiological evidence. Moreover, complex interactions among humoral, immune and central nervous systems referring to biological rhythms, are described.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1994

[Power, status and valency in healthy and ill partners].

Using the degree of identification and projection (self concept/concept of self as perceived by others--Giessen-test) it was possible to develop a new approach to power, status and valency in couple relationships by means of deriving theoretical probabilities from those three core variables. The anticipated scores were validated using a number of reference scores of typical clinical samples and putting them in relationship to the standardized marital couples.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

[Anthropology of the father role].

The anthropological basic characteristics of the "father role" are presented by means of biological and early cultural aspects. The "father role" in its origin arose from mothercentered groups. For them only the "social fatherhood" was of any importance. The female primary groups accepted that man as being "the father" who could provide maximum protection for mother and children. It was not until the post ice-age extinction of many wild animals and the transition to owning of domestic animals--the capital of the shepherds--that patriarchy did develop. Now the "biological fatherhood" as a means of controlling female fertility changed to be the focal point within euroasian cultures.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

[Current empirical data on conditions in relation to death in the hospital].

This survey-study represents the psycho-social conditions of death in West-German hospitals as seen from different occupational groups. The test, developed for this task, has been applied in 70 hospitals of different federal states, medical-departments and supporters. It is shown that following factors have an essential influence on the attitudes of people to the needs of the dying patient: amount of medical engineering at ward, time of professional activity and status of the personnel. In sum, the study gives a dark picture of death situation. Most helpers hold that situation inhumane. This is a burden for the helpers themselves. The results of the study tell against the efficiency of actual engagement in dying patients. The author develops some proposals, how the requests of thanatology that were adequat to improve the actual situation, could better be transferred to the practice.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMed1988

[Metastasis of cervical cancer to the end phalanx of the small finger].

Case report on a diabetic patient aged 68 years, who was operated on a cervical carcinoma by the method of Wertheim-Meigs. 3 weeks later a panaritium of the right little finger developed. X-ray examination resulted an osteoclastic process. The histology of the amputated end limb of this finger demonstrated a metastasis of a squamous cell carcinoma. The patient died 49 days after operation. Autopsy found a massive development of tumor with multiple far metastases.

Aged↗