Biomedical subjects

L Rocissano

Publications and source records attributed to L Rocissano.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1989

Maternal confidence during toddlerhood: comparing preterm and fullterm groups.

The purposes of this study were to explore predictors of maternal confidence during toddlerhood among mothers of children born preterm and fullterm and to determine if mothers of toddlers born preterm were less confident in parenting than mothers of toddlers born fullterm. Mothers of children born preterm (n = 62) and fullterm (n = 70) aged 12 months through 36 months (postnatal age) completed a measure of maternal confidence during toddlerhood, the Toddler Care Questionnaire (TCQ), and a family background form. Major predictor variables included the extent of the mother's prior childcare experience, toddler birth order, and maternal report of toddler handicaps and major health problems. Data on neonatal condition were collected from hospital records. There was no difference in mean TCQ score between the preterm and fullterm groups. In the preterm group, prior childcare experience, birth order, and maternal report of the toddler having cerebral palsy explained 33% of the variance. In the fullterm group, prior childcare experience, maternal age and toddler's birthweight explained 38% of the variance. The findings are discussed in light of Bandura's theory of self-efficacy (1982).

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed1988

Maternal confidence in toddlerhood: its measurement for clinical practice and research.

There are currently no measures of maternal confidence specifically for the developmental issues that arise in children between 12 months and 36 months of age. Yet, maternal confidence has been correlated with indices of maternal and child competence. The purpose of this study was to assess the reliability and validity of the Toddler Care Questionnaire (TCQ), a measure of maternal confidence in toddlerhood, for use in clinical and research settings. The data provide strong evidence that the TCQ is a reliable instrument and has validity among middle-class mothers of toddlers. The data are discussed in terms of their clinical significance and directions for future research.

Adult↗

PubMed1983

Language skill and interactive patterns in prematurely born toddlers.

Developmental outcomes among preterm infants are highly variable. Research has shown that a potent factor in predicting outcome is some quality of the interactions between infants and caregivers. This study explores specific aspects of interaction that may, in part, account for its remedial influence on development. Videotaped interactions between 20 prematurely born toddlers and their mothers were described within a framework having theoretical relevance for language learning--dyadic joint attention to features of the environment. 3 major results are reported. First, the children could be divided into 2 linguistic groups. Children in the Hi group used word combinations productively and talked about relations between objects and events. Children in the Lo language group produced few word combinations and were limited in the relations they talked about. Second, the Lo language pairs did not share common topics as frequently as the Hi pairs. Finally, we found that no single style was used by Lo language dyads in breaking joint attention. Instead, this group was characterized by a broad range of interactive styles. These results are discussed in terms of the facilitating effect interaction may have for the acquisition of language. The findings underscore the need to recognize that poor outcomes can be brought about in many different ways, and that neither single outcomes nor unitary causes for poor outcomes should be expected in preterm populations.

Child Behavior↗