Early nutrition and eczema in infancy

Eczema prevalence rates among Irish infants are unreported, despite eczema being the most common inflammatory condition of infancy. Maternal and infant nutritional status including vitamin D and other fat-soluble vitamins as well as early infant feeding have been linked with eczema initiation and development. Therefore, early nutrition could be a potential modifiable risk factor. The objective of this thesis was to prospectively describe early infant feeding and complementary feeding practices, to evaluate infant vitamin D supplementation practice, to quantify cord serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] and propose reference intervals for vitamin D metabolites, to report eczema prevalence and explore the potential role of infant nutrition and eczema. These research needs were investigated through the Cork BASELINE (Babies After SCOPE: Evaluating the Longitudinal Impact with Neurological and Nutritional Endpoints) Birth Cohort Study (n 2137). This thesis was the first comprehensive report from the birth cohort, therefore it was important to describe the cohort sociodemographic profile. Although socio-demographic characteristics compared well with national data, there was an over-representation of educated mothers which may limit the generalizability of the results. From August 2008 through November 2011, comprehensive postnatal assessments were completed at day 2 and at 2, 6, 12 and 24 months. Breastfeeding rates were low, while complementary feeding practices were broadly compliant with national guidelines. The implementation of a national infant vitamin D supplementation policy had a major impact on supplementation practice. Low levels of serum 25(OH)D were universal among Irish neonates. Eczema is a complex and multifaceted disease, which is increasing globally. This was the first report of eczema prevalence data among Irish infants which compared with international reports. Given the high prevalence and considerable burden eczema has on the lives of sufferers, intensive research efforts to identify a cause and therapeutic strategies to prevent/reduce eczema was re-emphasized in this thesis.

The early years in Irish multigrade classes: trajectories of practice and identity

This study investigates how the experiences of Junior Infants are shaped in multigrade classes. Multigrade classes are composed of two or more grades within the same classroom with one teacher having responsibility for the instruction of all grades in this classroom within a time-tabled period (Little, 2001, Mason and Doepner, 1998). The overall aim of the research is to problematize the issues of early childhood pedagogy in multigrade classes in the context of children negotiating identities, positioning and power relations. A Case Study approach was employed to explore the perspectives of the teachers, children and their parents in eight multigrade schools. Concurrent with this, a nation-wide Questionnaire Survey was also conducted which gave a broader context to the case study findings. Findings from the research study suggest that institutional context is vitally important and finding the space to implement pedagogic practices is a highly complex matter for teachers. While a majority of teachers reported the benefits for younger children being in mixed-age settings alongside older children, only a minority of case study school teachers demonstrated how it is possible to promote classroom climates which were provided multiple opportunities for younger children to engage fully in classrooms. The findings reveal constraints on pedagogical practice which included: time pressures within the job, an increase in diversity in pupil population, meeting special needs, large class sizes, high pupil/teacher ratios, and planning/organisation of tasks which intensified the complexities of addressing the needs of children who differ significantly in age, cognitive, social and emotional levels. An emergent and recurrent theme of this study is the representation of Junior Infants as apprentices in their ‘communities of practice’ who contributed in peripheral ways to the practices of their groups (Lave and Wenger, 1991, Wenger, 1998). Through a continuous process of negotiation of meaning, these pupils learned the knowledge and skills within their communities of practice that empowered some to participate more fully than others. The children in their ‘figured worlds’ (Holland, Lachiotte, Skinner and Caine 1998) occupy identities which are influenced by established arrangements of resources and practices within that community as well as by their own agentive actions. Finally, the findings of the study also demonstrate how the dimension of power is central to the exercise of social relations and pedagogical practices in multigrade classes.

Ontological representation of design science research publications

A search result provided by existing digital library and web search systems typically comprises only a prioritised list of possible publications or web pages that meet the search criteria, possibly with excerpts and possibly with search terms highlighted. The research in progress reported in this poster contributes to a larger research effort to provide a readable summary of search results that synthesise relevant publications or web pages to provide results that meet four C’s: comprehensive, concise, coherent, and correct, as a more useful alternative to un-synthesised result lists. The scope of this research is limited to searching for and synthesising Design Science Research (DSR) publications that present the results of DSR, as an example problem domain.