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Biomedical subjects

M E Barrera

Publications and source records attributed to M E Barrera.

8 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1999

Mutual concurrent validity of the child health questionnaire and the health utilities index: an exploratory analysis using survivors of childhood cancer.

Mutual concurrent validity of 2 generic measures of health-related quality of life (HRQL), the Child Health Questionnaire (CHQ) and the Health Utilities Index Mark 2 (HUI2) and HUI3, was assessed. Data were from 3 centers participating in a Canadian multi-center retrospective cohort study currently in progress to assess psycho-social and physical late effects in children surviving >/=5 years after cancer diagnosis between 1981 and 1990. Exploratory results are from 244 parent reports on HRQL in children <16 years old when studied. Spearman rank-order correlations between sub-scale scores for the CHQ and single-attribute utility scores for the corresponding attribute from the HUI2 and HUI3 were used. As predicted, the correlation between CHQ bodily pain and HUI2 and HUI3 pain was strong, 0.58 and 0.60, respectively, while correlations between CHQ physical functioning and HUI2 mobility and HUI3 ambulation were moderate, both 0.45. Correlations between CHQ mental health and HUI2 and HUI3 emotion were strong, 0.64 and 0.54, respectively, rather than moderate, as predicted. Both the CHQ general health scale and the general health single item were moderately correlated with the HUI2 and HUI3 global utility scores rather than weakly, as predicted (CHQ general health scale and HUI2 and HUI3 global utility were 0.43 and 0.44, respectively; CHQ general health single item and HUI2 and HUI3 global utility were 0. 38 and 0.42, respectively). The CHQ and HUI, which are based on different methodologies (summative Likert scaling and utility analysis, respectively), appear to capture similar constructs in childhood cancer survivors.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Group treatment program for abusive husbands: long-term evaluation.

Long-term outcomes of a short-term group treatment program for abuse husbands were investigated in a controlled study. Recidivism rates, based on police reports, were found to be lower than those for a control group of untreated abusive husbands; they were also found to be lower for those men initially exhibiting greater depression. Implications for further research are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Disabled and nondisabled infants' interactions with their mothers.

This study investigated social interactions between infants and mothers, comparing dyads with physically disabled infants and dyads with nondisabled infants. The groups were matched on mental and motor development, sex, socioeconomic status, birth order, and maternal education. Each infant-mother dyad was videotaped at home during a 10-minute period of free play, and blind observers subsequently transcribed infants' and mothers' behaviors. In general, the groups were remarkably similar in their interaction patterns. However, a few differences emerged: Mothers of infants with physical disabilities were significantly more commanding than were comparison mothers. Nondisabled infants tended to engage in more eye contact than did infants with physical disabilities. And whereas mothers of nondisabled infants responded to interactive play with interactive play, mothers of infants with physical handicaps tended to respond with commands and verbalizations. These results suggest reciprocal influences between infants and mothers in both groups and highlight emerging maternal behavior patterns that may interfere with the development of communication and independence in handicapped young children.

Persons with Disabilities↗
PubMed1986

Early home intervention with low-birth-weight infants and their parents.

We investigated the effects of a year-long home intervention with a sample of preterm infants randomly assigned to 1 of 3 groups: a developmental intervention, a parent-infant intervention, and a no-treatment control group. A full-term no-treatment control was also used. Both intervention approaches focused on the parent-child unit, providing training for parents to improve observational skills, emotional support, and information about community resources. However, whereas specific tasks to facilitate the child's development were provided in the developmental intervention group, the quality of the parent-infant interaction was the target for treatment in the other group. All infants were assessed at 4, 8, 12, and 16 months of age corrected for prematurity. The results suggest that although both intervention approaches were effective in modifying some aspects of the home environment and, to a lesser degree, in improving infants' cognitive development, the parent-infant interaction approach seemed to have the greater impact. These findings confirm previous observations regarding the cognitive development of preterm and full-term infants during the first 18 months of life and demonstrate changes in behavior and behavior styles in both pre- and full-term infants as they become older.

Child Development↗
PubMed1986

Low birth weight and home intervention strategies: preterm infants.

We investigated the effects of a 1-year home intervention on premature infants with low (less than 1500 g) and higher (1500-2000 g) birth weights. Infants from each weight condition were block randomly assigned to a control or to one of two treatment groups. One treatment group focused on the development of the infant; the other treatment group focused on the parent-infant interaction. The low birth weight infants obtained significantly lower Bayley mental and motor scores, and were more passive and less intense than the higher birth weight infants. However, the low birth weight infants and their parents were more responsive to the home intervention than were the higher birth weight infants, as demonstrated by changes in the Bayley mental scores and the Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment (HOME) inventory. These findings exemplify the reciprocal relationship between the child's characteristics and parental responding. The importance of selecting the most high-risk premature infants for early home intervention is outlined.

Clinical Trials as Topic↗
PubMed1981

The perception of facial expressions by the three-month-old.

We used habituation to investigate 3-month-olds' abilities to discriminate and recognize smiling and frowning expressions posed by the mother or by a female stranger. Infants discriminated between the expressions and recognized which expression they had seen during the habituation trials; they did so whether the expressions were posed by the mother or by the stranger. However, when the expressions were posed by the mother, more infants showed the discrimination, and boys looked at her pictures longer than girls. These differences suggest that infants' previous experiences with faces influence their perceptions of the facial expressions.

Affect↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Development of Down's syndrome infants with and without heart defects and changes in their caretaking environment.

The purpose of this study is two-fold: (1) to describe developmental and family characteristics of infants with Down's syndrome who were enrolled in an intervention programme; and (2) to examine developmental and caretaking patterns related to maternal age and congenital heart defects. Infants and their home environment were assessed at about 3 1/2 months and at 24 months of age. A sample of normal infants of equivalent developmental age were also tested for comparison. We found that while the infants with Down's syndrome showed a significant decline in their developmental quotient compared to the normals, their home environments resembled those of the normal group, particularly at the pretest. Yet, there were more improvements in the homes of the group of normal infants than in the homes of the infants with Down's syndrome, mainly in maternal responsivity. Older mothers restricted their infants with Down's syndrome more than younger mothers, but otherwise they did not seem to differ from each other. Infants with Down's syndrome without heart defects were provided with a better home environment than were infants with Down's syndrome with a heart defect. These results are discussed in the light of the biological limitations placed on the Down's syndrome infants and difficulties in parental adaptation to the diagnosis of Down's syndrome.

Child, Preschool↗