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Biomedical subjects

K F Pridham

Publications and source records attributed to K F Pridham.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Transition to being the mother of a new infant in the first 3 months: maternal problem solving and self-appraisals.

This study explored components of a model of transition to being the mother of a new infant during an infant's first 3 months. Personal and situational conditions and maternal problem-solving factors (issue formulating and the use of help with issues) that may influence transition markers (maternal appraisal of problem-solving competence and evaluation of parenting) were examined for two study periods: the first 30 days postpartum and the next 60 days. For the second study period, variables contributing to maternal attention to infant growth, development and temperament (knowing issues) were also explored. Questionnaires and a daily log kept by 62 mothers of healthy term infants were data sources. Everyday supports (situational condition) contributed to use of lay help for the second period. Caretaking issues positively influenced use of clinician help throughout the study. The number of knowing issues a mother formulated contributed positively to problem-solving competence and to parenting evaluation; the use of problem-solving help had no effect. More clinician help received during the first month meant higher need for maternal action for both knowing and caretaking issues in the second and third months. Further study of the mechanisms of these relationships and examination of factors contributing to shifts in the transition process are needed.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Early postpartum transition: progress in maternal identity and role attainment.

Sets of early postpartum transition variables and relationships among them examined in this study were: (a) Maternal attributes (parity, age, education); (b) infant feeding plan (extent of breast-feeding); (c) birthing conditions (supports and stressors during labor and delivery); (d) birthing experience (how well labor and delivery went, usefulness of postpartum learning resources, adequacy of hospital stay); and (e) transition markers (evaluation of parenting and of infant- and self-care capability). Infant feeding plan was related to supports but not to how well labor and delivery went. Whereas preparation for birthing was positively related to how well labor and delivery went, stressors were negatively related. The direct contribution of preparation for birthing to both parenting evaluation and infant- and self-care capability and of supports and usefulness of postpartum resources to self-care capability merits clinical attention to these variables. Research concerning types of birthing experience that may contribute to evaluation of parenting is needed.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1990

Feeding behavior of 6- to 12-month-old infants: assessment and sources of parental information.

Both the infant's development of feeding skill and self-regulatory competence during the second 6 months of life have implications for weaning and for a weaning diet. This article examines four categories of feeding skills: taking food from a spoon; handling thicker, lumpy foods and foods that require chewing; self-feeding with fingers or a spoon; and drinking from a cup and managing the bottle. These skills are fundamental for the development of self-regulatory competence through the phases of sensorimotor modulation (from 3 months of age to approximately 9 to 12 months) and control (9 to 12 months of age). Available instruments to assess feeding skill and self-regulatory competence are described. Questions concerning feeding practices in relation to the infant's development of feeding skill and self-regulatory competence are raised. Potential conflicts between professional and lay sources, informational methods used and preferred, and the types of problems for which help is sought are discussed.

Feeding Behavior↗
PubMed1989

What being the parent of a new baby is like: revision of an instrument.

Revision of the self-report instrument, What Being the Parent of a New Baby Is Like (WPL), is reported. The WPL, developed to examine parents' perceptions of themselves as parents and of the parenting experience with young infants, was revised by improving its two subscales, Success (renamed Evaluation) and Centrality, and adding a third subscale, Life Change. With a sample of mothers of healthy infants, all three subscales of the revised instrument, WPL-R, had acceptable levels of internal consistency at 7, 30, and 90 days postpartum, and stability across administrations. Parity differences were demonstrated for all three subscales at 7 days and for Centrality at 30 days. Factor analysis identified item clusters consistent with the three subscales. With improved subscales affording a more comprehensive assessment of maternal experience, the WPL-R is a better instrument for evaluation of maternal adaptation than the WPL.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1989

Mothers' working models of infant feeding: description and influencing factors.

This study examined four aspects of mothers' working models of infant feeding: (1) infant behaviour that cues feeding decisions; (2) infant self-regulative behaviour; (3) importance of infant self-regulative behaviour and maternal effort directed to it; and (4) maternal effort and value given to task-oriented and efficient feeding. The relation of these aspects to maternal experience, age, formal education, family income, and feeding method was also explored. Subjects were 122 mothers of healthy, term infants between 14 and 60 days old. A telephone interview obtained demographic and attribute data and assessed the four aspects with 30 scaled items. Crying before and sleepiness during feeding were relatively compelling cues for maternal action. Most mothers gave only moderate ratings to the importance of infant self-regulative behaviour and to task-oriented and efficient feeding. Parity and feeding method affected response to specific items, with primiparae more concerned about length and regularity of feedings. Mothers who bottle-fed their infants were more concerned about maintaining a feeding once initiated than mothers who breast-fed their infants. Four-factor analysis yielded two item clusters with good internal consistency: Cluster a. Maternal Effort to Accomplish Feeding Goals; and Cluster b. Importance of Infant Self-Regulative Behaviour. Cluster a. and b. were strongly correlated. Feeding method influenced both clusters, and the interaction of parity and feeding method had an effect on Cluster a. Mothers with lower family income had higher scores on Cluster b; multiparae with lower family income on Cluster a. How and when infant self-regulation develops as a goal is a question in need of study.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Parental issues in feeding young children with bronchopulmonary dysplasia.

This study examined the feeding issues that parents of 11 children with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) identified and explored the informational bases or criteria for decisions to initiate, continue, and/or terminate the feeding. An oral feeding by the parents was videotaped and replayed to assist in interviewing the parents regarding the decisions they had made during the feeding. Six types of feeding issues were identified. The smoothness or amenability of the child's feeding behavior was most frequently expressed as important, and about half of the parents mentioned the child's dietary intake as an issue. Most parents consistently tried to maintain the child's eating and to achieve a predetermined amount of nutritional intake. Over half the parents were concerned about adequacy of the child's nutrition, and many were concerned about their child's acceptance of or resistance to food. Parents did not express concern about their child's development but were concerned about their child's somatic growth. Parents' concern about feeding behaviors requires joint problem-solving by nurses and parents. Whether use of decision criteria that refer to the child's behavior rather than a predetermined amount of food is possible for parents and likely to contribute to reduced vomiting and resistive behavior and increased dietary intake needs further study.

Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia↗
PubMed1988

Sources of maternal confidence and uncertainty and perceptions of problem-solving competence.

Although a mother's perception of her competence in problem-solving issues of infant care may affect her sensitivity to her infant's cues, little is known about factors that contribute to this perception. This study explored the type of information on which maternal confidence is based and examined its relationship to perceived competence in problem-solving issues of infant care. The 49 mothers of healthy newborns who participated in this study were interviewed 30 and 90 days after the infant's birth to learn about sources of confidence or uncertainty. The interview protocol also included scaled items to assess perceived problem-solving competence. The infant's mood was most frequently reported as either a source of confidence or uncertainty at both 30 and 90 days. The infant's response to care as a source of confidence or uncertainty was positively related to perceived competence, suggesting that strengthening mothers' attention to this source of information about their performance may be clinically useful. Direct study of the type of information used to evaluate competence in problem-solving is recommended, since it may differ from the type of information on which mothers base their confidence in caring for their infants.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Mothers' problem-solving skill and use of help with infant-related issues: the role of importance and need for action.

Examination was made of the relationship of mothers' appraisal of the importance of and need for action around infant-related issues to maternal experience (parity and time since birth), use of help, and perceived problem-solving competence. Sixty-two mothers (38 primiparae and 24 multiparae) kept for 90 days post-birth a daily log of issues, rated for importance and for need for action, and of help used. Mothers also reported perceived problem-solving competence on an 11-item scale. Findings indicated tentativeness in ratings of importance and action. Ratings of importance were associated with action ratings, except for temperament issues. Action ratings for baby care and illness issues decreased significantly with time. Otherwise, maternal experience had no effect on ratings. More of the variance in perceived competence than use of help was explained by action and importance ratings.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1987

The meaning for mothers of a new infant: relationship to maternal experience.

The meaning for mothers of having an infant was explored during the first 3 months using Lewin's life space concept in terms of four aspects: (a) encountered change, (b) desired change, (c) difficult things, and (d) satisfying things. The influence of parental experience (time since the infant's birth and parity of the mother) on these aspects was examined. The 83 mothers of healthy newborns responded to the open-ended items of a questionnaire at approximately 7, 30, and 90 days. Themes or categories of responses were grouped into topical classes for analysis. Initially desired change concerned both reality-bound circumstances and maternal qualities, but later primarily the former. Although some infant care tasks were difficult things and others satisfying, the infant's growth, development, and interaction were clearly satisfying. The effects of both time and parity varied with the aspect and class of meaning assessed. Meaning for primiparous mothers may have more to do with sense of self than it does for multiparous mothers. Other factors that may influence meaning, including social-economic status, should be examined.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

Parents' beliefs about themselves as parents of a new infant: instrument development.

The instrument, What Being the Parent of a New Baby is Like (WPL), was designed to assess parental experiences and self-images which are likely to influence problem-solving concerning their infants. Forty-nine mothers responded to the questionnaire on three separate occasions during the infants' first 3 months. These data were the basis for a preliminary examination of the item characteristics, reliability (internal consistency), and validity. The pattern of responses to the WPL was in the expected direction for a sample of mothers who, on the whole, functioned well as parents. Principal components factor analysis with iteration and varimax orthogonal rotation identified two variables (centrality of the infant and success in parenting) that together accounted for 60.1% of the variance; adequate internal consistency for success and modest internal consistency for centrality were demonstrated. Use of the Neonatal Perception and Degree of Bother Inventories demonstrated divergent validity. Expected parity differences tested the known groups technique of construct validity. The significant relationship between success and a measure of parents' perceptions of their problem-solving skills demonstrated concurrent validity. Further testing of WPL with added items on larger and more heterogeneous samples is warranted.

Adolescent↗