Biomedical subjects

Linda G Leonard

Publications and source records attributed to Linda G Leonard.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Preparation for parenting multiple birth children.

The experience of expecting and parenting multiples is decidedly different from that of a singleton pregnancy and parenthood. Multiple births are associated with substantial medical, health care, socio-emotional, developmental, educational and economic consequences for both families and society. This paper aims to advise health professionals on how best to help families prepare for and successfully respond to the demands of multiple pregnancy and the first 5 years of parenthood after the births of twins, triplets or more. Four inter-related principles of good practice are vital to the care of multiple birth families: the involvement of a range of disciplines, of the family and of the multiple birth community; the provision of specialised care; coordinated services; and the building of family competency including the capacity to make informed decisions. Preparation should include education on the special aspects of multiple pregnancy and parenting using multiples-focused resources, health promotion and risk modification strategies, infant care and feeding, child development and advice on securing help and support while ensuring family participation in all care decisions.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

Breastfeeding rights of multiple birth families and guidelines for health professionals.

Increasing numbers of women wish to breastfeed their multiple birth children. Breastfeeding of preterm and fullterm multiple birth infants is complex and demanding for the families and presents distinct challenges for health professionals. Families require sustained assistance from health care providers who are encouraging, knowledgeable, skilled, and committed to the breastfeeding of multiple birth children. Seven breastfeeding rights of multiple birth families are presented for the continuum of pregnancy to early childhood and are in accordance with the Declaration of Rights and Statement of Needs of Twins and Higher Order Multiples (Council of Multiple Birth Organizations of the International Society for Twin Studies, 1995). Guidelines for each of the rights have been developed to assist health professionals provide "best practices" in community and hospital settings. The guidelines are based on the existing body of breastfeeding of multiples' research, empirical findings, and consultations with parents and care providers with experience and/or expertise in breastfeeding multiples. The rights and guidelines suggest direction for providing assistance, implementing programs and services, conducting research, and evaluating the effectiveness of multiples-specific breastfeeding care during the prenatal, infancy, and toddlerhood periods.

Breast Feeding↗

PubMed2002

Breastfeeding higher order multiples: enhancing support during the postpartum hospitalization period.

Higher order multiple birth (HOM) families require genuine and effective support in their quest to breastfeed their infants during the postdelivery hospitalization period. Evidence suggests that the impact of current policies and care practices on HOM breastfeeding requires careful examination. Recommendations for enhanced support include evidence-based breastfeeding of multiples practices, multiples-specific breastfeeding education for HOM families and health professionals, and establishment of an HOM breastfeeding consultation network. Equally important are coordinated breastfeeding care, development of a breastfeeding plan in partnership with parents, avoidance or minimization of maternal-infants and infant-infants separations, and added assistance to parents when the infants' discharges are staggered. The recommendations are based on the author's extensive professional experience with HOM breastfeeding and the HOM literature.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Prenatal behavior of multiples: implications for families and nurses.

Each twin and higher order multiple leads an extraordinary life before birth. The literature has revealed that the intrauterine environment differs for every multiple fetus and helps to shape the individuality of each multiple-birth child. From early in pregnancy, it appears that a multiple develops his or her own temperament and each set of multiples establishes an individualized pattern of tactile communication between or among themselves. The same behaviors, traits, and intermultiple interactions seen in pregnancy also have been observed in infancy and beyond. Intermultiple communication continues after birth, and preliminary evidence suggests that co-bedding assists the majority of newborns to make the transition from intrauterine to extrauterine life. The response of a multiple to the death of a co-multiple during pregnancy or after birth may be influenced by the relationship they shared in utero. Nurses and other health care providers have a role to play in informing multiple-birth parents about the latest knowledge, thereby assisting parents with the attachment process and specific parenting issues. In addition, nurses now have a solid foundation on which to create and implement care strategies that promote the healthy development of each multiple-birth infant and the intermultiple relationship.

Family Relations↗