Child learning and development: concerns and perceptions of Chinese urban mothers

Child development is deservedly dominant in the discourses on education. In populated communities such as China’s, awareness of the prevalent ideas about child development within families is particularly important. Drawing on a series of conversations between parents and teachers through synchronous online text chat, this paper investigated the perceptions and concerns of Chinese urban parents on child development. The participants were mothers of three to six year old children from Changchun, China. Results were presented in terms of the nature of the questions the mothers raised and what they talked about when discussing their questions. Analyses of the mothers’ texts revealed their concerns on those elements of child development which challenged their roles in parenting, such as inappropriate social behaviours or regulated emotions. Data from the study provided insights into key characteristics of contemporary Chinese preschool children’s learning and development within families that might identify issues and trends of early childhood education on a larger contextual scope.

Higher adherence to the Australian dietary guidelines is associated with better mental health status among Australian adult first-time mothers

Background: Mental health disorders are a leading cause of disability worldwide, including in first-time mothers. Understanding the associations between diet and depressive symptoms could assist in improving mental health status in this group. Objective: Our aim was to determine the association between diet quality, fruit, vegetable, and fish consumption and depressive symptoms in first-time mothers aged 19 to 45 years.

Design: We analyzed cross-sectional, baseline data (3 months postpartum) from the Melbourne InFANT (Infant Feeding, Activity, and Nutrition Trial) Extend Program.

Participants/setting: Participants were first-time Australian mothers aged 19 to 45 years from the Geelong and Melbourne regions of Victoria, Australia (n=457).

Main outcome measures: A self-administered, 137-item food frequency questionnaire assessed dietary intake over the past year. Adherence to the 2013 Australian Dietary Guidelines was assessed using the Dietary Guideline Index as a measure of diet quality. Depressive symptoms were determined using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale.

Statistical analysis performed: Relationships between diet quality, fruit, vegetable, and fish intake and depressive symptoms were investigated using linear regression adjusted for relevant covariates (age, smoking status, sleep quality, education, physical activity status, and body mass index).

Results: Better diet quality, as indicated by a higher score on the Dietary Guideline Index, was associated with lower depressive symptoms after adjusting for relevant covariates (β=-.034; 95% CI -.056 to -0.012). There were no other associations between dietary intake and depressive symptoms.

Conclusions: Adherence to the Australian Dietary Guidelines was associated with better mental health status among first-time mothers. Further research, including longitudinal and intervention studies, are required to determine causality between dietary intake and depressive symptoms, which might help inform future public health nutrition programs for this target group.

The influence of maternal mental health, attachment and hormonal factors on a mother’s attachment to her fetus during pregnancy

 The thesis investigated the role of maternal mental health, maternal attachment and hormones in the development of maternal-fetal attachment during pregnancy. The study found that oxytocin and cortisol were associated with maternal-fetal attachment throughout pregnancy. The study also found that maternal mental health, particularly anxiety, stress and depression during the prenatal period impacted on the development of maternal-fetal attachment across pregnancy. The findings have clinical and research implications with regard to early intervention for attachment and maternal well-being.

A qualitative study of the infant feeding beliefs and behaviours of mothers with low educational attainment

BACKGROUND: Infancy is an important period for the promotion of healthy eating, diet and weight. However little is known about how best to engage caregivers of infants in healthy eating programs. This is particularly true for caregivers, infants and children from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds who experience greater rates of overweight and obesity yet are more challenging to reach in health programs. Behaviour change interventions targeting parent-infant feeding interactions are more likely to be effective if assumptions about what needs to change for the target behaviours to occur are identified. As such we explored the precursors of key obesity promoting infant feeding practices in mothers with low educational attainment.

METHODS: One-on-one semi-structured telephone interviews were developed around the Capability Opportunity Motivation Behaviour (COM-B) framework and applied to parental feeding practices associated with infant excess or healthy weight gain. The target behaviours and their competing alternatives were (a) initiating breastfeeding/formula feeding, (b) prolonging breastfeeding/replacing breast milk with formula, (c) best practice formula preparation/sub-optimal formula preparation, (d) delaying the introduction of solid foods until around six months of age/introducing solids earlier than four months of age, and (e) introducing healthy first foods/introducing unhealthy first foods, and (f) feeding to appetite/use of non-nutritive (i.e., feeding for reasons other than hunger) feeding. The participants' education level was used as the indicator of socioeconomic disadvantage. Two researchers independently undertook thematic analysis.

RESULTS: Participants were 29 mothers of infants aged 2-11 months. The COM-B elements of Social and Environmental Opportunity, Psychological Capability, and Reflective Motivation were the key elements identified as determinants of a mother's likelihood to adopt the healthy target behaviours although the relative importance of each of the COM-B factors varied with each of the target feeding behaviours.

CONCLUSIONS: Interventions targeting healthy infant feeding practices should be tailored to the unique factors that may influence mothers' various feeding practices, taking into account motivational and social influences.

Centenary celebrations: reinterpreting acting in mothers of France on-line

How is performance on early film newly legible in the digital archive? What implication does this hold for our understanding of film history, especially for our understanding of the actress and her role in the nascent film industry? Taking Sarah Bernhardt’s 1917 film,Mothers of France, as my case study, I join the Women Film Pioneers Project in exploring the digital archive as a necessary tool in feminist film historiography. I argue that the digital archive reconfigures Sarah Bernhardt as an actress who was important not just to the nineteenth century stage but also to the development of the feature film and to its use as a propaganda tool in the Allied war effort. While digital archives such as The European Film Gateway contain a wealth of material about the Great War, Bernhardt’s film reminds us that the digital archive is also an interpretative and critical tool in the re-reading of acting in silent film.

An exploration of the views of Australian mothers on promoting child oral health

Background: An important role for parents and caregivers in the prevention of dental caries in children is the early establishment of health promoting behaviours. This study aimed to examine mothers' views on barriers and facilitators to promoting child and family oral health. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with a purposive sample of mothers (n = 32) of young children. Inductive thematic analysis was conducted. Results: Parental knowledge and beliefs, past experiences and child behaviour emerged as major influences on children's oral health. Child temperament and parental time pressures were identified as barriers to good oral health with various strategies reported for dealing with uncooperative children at toothbrushing time. Parental oral health knowledge and beliefs emerged as positive influences on child oral health; however, while most mothers were aware of the common causes of dental caries, very few knew of other risk factors such as bedtime feeding. Parents' own oral health experiences were also seen to positively influence child oral health, regardless of whether these were positive or negative experiences. Conclusions: Understanding parental oral health beliefs is essential to overcoming barriers and promoting enablers for good child oral health. Improving child oral health also requires consideration of child behaviour, family influences, and increasing awareness of lesser-known influencing factors.

Choosing foods for infants: a qualitative study of the factors that influence mothers

BACKGROUND: Examining the experiences of parents making food choices for infants is important because ultimately this influences what infants eat. Infancy is a critical period when food preferences and eating behaviour begin to develop, shaping dietary patterns, growth and health outcomes. There is limited evidence regarding what or why foods are chosen for infants. OBJECTIVE: To describe the experiences of mothers making food choices for their infant children. METHODS: Semi-structured interviews with 32 Australian mothers of infants aged four to 15 months from a range of socioeconomic backgrounds. An inductive thematic analysis through a process of constant comparison was conducted on transcribed interviews. RESULTS: Mothers described many ideas and circumstances which influenced food choices they made for infants. Themes were developed which encapsulate how the wider environment and individual circumstances combine to result in the food choices made for infants. Beliefs, values, norms and knowledge were a central influence on choices. Cost, quality and availabilities of various foods were also key factors. Related to this, and combined with inherent factors such as perishability and infant acceptability, fresh fruits and vegetables were often singled out as an easy or difficult choice. Influences of time, parents' capacities, social connections and different information sources were clearly apparent. Finally infants' own preferences and how parents helped infants with learning to eat were also key influences on food choices. CONCLUSIONS: Choosing foods for infants is a complex social practice. An ecological framework depicting the multiple influences on what people eat and sociological theory on food choice regarding the role of 'social structure' and 'human agency' are both applicable to the process of choosing foods for infants. Equity issues may be key regarding the degree to which mothers can choose particular foods for infants (e.g. choosing foods which promote health).

Mothers' perceptions of the influences on their child feeding practices - a qualitative study

Children's diets are important determinants of their health, but typically do not meet recommendations. Parents' feeding practices, such as pressure or restriction, are important influences on child diets, but reasons why parents use particular feeding practices, and malleability of such practices, are not well understood. This qualitative study aimed to explore mothers' perceptions of influences on their feeding practices, and assess whether an intervention promoting recommended feeding practices was perceived as influential. The Melbourne Infant Feeding, Activity and Nutrition Trial (InFANT) Program was a cluster-randomised controlled trial involving 542 families aiming to improve child diets. Following the trial, when children were two years old, 81 intervention arm mothers were invited to participate in qualitative interviews, and 26 accepted (32%). Thematic analysis of interview transcripts used a tabular thematic framework. Eight major themes were identified regarding perceived influences on child feeding practices. Broadly these encompassed: practical considerations, family setting, formal information sources, parents' own upbringing, learning from friends and family, learning from child and experiences, and parents' beliefs about food and feeding. Additionally, the Melbourne InFANT Program was perceived by most respondents as influential. In particular, many mothers reported being previously unaware of some recommended feeding practices, and that learning and adopting those practices made child feeding easier. These findings suggest that a variety of influences impact mothers' child feeding practices. Health practitioners should consider these factors in providing feeding advice to parents, and researchers should consider these factors in planning interventions.

Mothers after gestational diabetes in Australia (MAGDA) : a randomised controlled trial of a postnatal diabetes prevention program

BACKGROUND: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is an increasingly prevalent risk factor for type 2 diabetes. We evaluated the effectiveness of a group-based lifestyle modification program in mothers with prior GDM within their first postnatal year. METHODS AND FINDINGS: In this study, 573 women were randomised to either the intervention (n = 284) or usual care (n = 289). At baseline, 10% had impaired glucose tolerance and 2% impaired fasting glucose. The diabetes prevention intervention comprised one individual session, five group sessions, and two telephone sessions. Primary outcomes were changes in diabetes risk factors (weight, waist circumference, and fasting blood glucose), and secondary outcomes included achievement of lifestyle modification goals and changes in depression score and cardiovascular disease risk factors. The mean changes (intention-to-treat [ITT] analysis) over 12 mo were as follows: -0.23 kg body weight in intervention group (95% CI -0.89, 0.43) compared with +0.72 kg in usual care group (95% CI 0.09, 1.35) (change difference -0.95 kg, 95% CI -1.87, -0.04; group by treatment interaction p = 0.04); -2.24 cm waist measurement in intervention group (95% CI -3.01, -1.42) compared with -1.74 cm in usual care group (95% CI -2.52, -0.96) (change difference -0.50 cm, 95% CI -1.63, 0.63; group by treatment interaction p = 0.389); and +0.18 mmol/l fasting blood glucose in intervention group (95% CI 0.11, 0.24) compared with +0.22 mmol/l in usual care group (95% CI 0.16, 0.29) (change difference -0.05 mmol/l, 95% CI -0.14, 0.05; group by treatment interaction p = 0.331). Only 10% of women attended all sessions, 53% attended one individual and at least one group session, and 34% attended no sessions. Loss to follow-up was 27% and 21% for the intervention and control groups, respectively, primarily due to subsequent pregnancies. Study limitations include low exposure to the full intervention and glucose metabolism profiles being near normal at baseline. CONCLUSIONS: Although a 1-kg weight difference has the potential to be significant for reducing diabetes risk, the level of engagement during the first postnatal year was low. Further research is needed to improve engagement, including participant involvement in study design; it is potentially more effective to implement annual diabetes screening until women develop prediabetes before offering an intervention. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12610000338066.

The infant feeding practices of Chinese immigrant mothers in Australia: A qualitative exploration

BACKGROUND: The Australian Infant Feeding Guidelines recommend exclusive breastfeeding until about six months of age when solid foods should be gradually introduced. Evidence indicates that Chinese immigrant mothers in Australia are more likely to use infant formula in combination with breastfeeding and to introduce solids earlier than the general Australian population. This study aimed to explore Chinese immigrant mother's experiences of feeding their infant to gain an insight into the factors shaping their feeding decisions and perceptions of infant growth. METHODS: Semi structured interviews were conducted with 36 Chinese immigrant mothers with children aged 0-12 months, living in Melbourne, Australia. Interviews were conducted either in Chinese, using an interpreter, or in English. All were audio recorded. Recordings were transcribed verbatim and thematically analysed. RESULTS: Eight themes were identified. Chinese immigrant mothers were supportive of exclusive breastfeeding, however breastfeeding problems and conflicting views about infant feeding and infant growth from grandparents reduced many mothers' confidence to breastfeed exclusively. For many new mothers, anxiety that exclusive breastfeeding provided insufficient nourishment led to the introduction of formula before six months of age. Most mothers delayed introducing solid food to five to six months to prevent development of allergic diseases and gastrointestinal problems. Chinese immigrant mothers obtained information and support related to infant feeding from a combination of health professionals, online resources, friends and grandparents. CONCLUSIONS: Chinese immigrant mothers in Australia need support to breastfeed exclusively. In particular maternal confidence to breastfeed exclusively needs to be increased. To achieve this, culturally sensitive guidance is needed and the contradictions in advice given by Chinese grandparents and health professionals on infant feeding practices and healthy infant growth need to be recognised and addressed.

Breastfeeding mothers’ experiences of bedsharing: a qualitative study

Many cultures around the world routinely practise bedsharing by the mother-infant dyad. Bedsharing in these cultures is believed to ensure a safe and comfortable night’s sleep for both mother and infant, as well as supporting breastfeeding. Nonetheless, this practice is at odds with dominant Western cultural ideals about child rearing and is recommendedagainst by public health campaigns regarding SIDS. The current qualitative study aimed to explore the lived experiences of breastfeeding mothers who bed-shared with their infants in a Western cultural setting. In-depth interviews were conducted with six multiparous mothers and were analysed using a phenomenological framework. Seven themes wereidentified, including mothers’ increased sleep quality and/or quantity, easier infant settling and a strong relationship with breastfeeding ease and duration. Given that many mothers bed-share, public policies need to be inclusive of this practice in order to lessen the likelihood of unsafe bedsharing practices.

Mothers, monsters, heroes and whores: reinscribing patriarchy in European Holocaust films

This article examines the portrayal of female Gentile rescuers in Holocaust films. We analyze two recent and somewhat unconventional Eastern European films, Agnieszka Holland’s In Darkness (Poland, 2011) and Jan Hrebejk’s Divided We Fall (Czech Republic, 2000), which, to varying degrees, disrupt conventional narratives of selfless heroism and avoid the eroticized objectification of women common in many (particularly American) Holocaust films. Nevertheless, a detailed analysis reveals how these films also marginalize or erase women’s roles as rescuers, either in preference to narratives of dominative masculine heroism or in order to undertake a politico-religious appropriation of the Holocaust, each of which implicitly excludes and exploits the feminine. In both cases, the films trivialize women’s particular and complex historical experiences, including sexual violence, and subordinate them to masculine interests.

Health extension workers' and mothers' attitudes to maternal health service utilization and acceptance in Adwa Woreda, Tigray Region, Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: The maternal health system in Ethiopia links health posts in rural communities (kebeles) with district (woreda) health centres, and health centres with primary hospitals. At each health post two Health Extension Workers (HEWs) assist women with birth preparedness, complication readiness, and mobilize communities to facilitate timely referral to mid-level service providers. This study explored HEWs' and mother's attitudes to maternal health services in Adwa Woreda, Tigray Region. METHODS: In this qualitative study, we trained 16 HEWs to interview 45 women to gain a better understanding of the social context of maternal health related behaviours. Themes included barriers to health services; women's social status and mobility; and women's perceptions of skilled birth attendant's care. All data were analyzed thematically. FINDINGS: There have been substantial efforts to improve maternal health and reduce maternal mortality in Adwa Woreda. Women identified barriers to healthcare including distance and lack of transportation due to geographical factors; the absence of many husbands due to off-woreda farming; traditional factors such as zwar (some pregnant women are afraid of meeting other pregnant women), and discouragement from mothers and mothers-in-law who delivered their children at home. Some women experienced disrespectful care at the hospital. Facilitators to skilled birth attendance included: identification of pregnant women through Women's Development Groups (WDGs), and referral by ambulance to health facilities either before a woman's Expected Due Date (EDD) or if labour started at home. CONCLUSION: With the support of WDGs, HEWs have increased the rate of skilled birth attendance by calling ambulances to transfer women to health centres either before their EDD or when labour starts at home. These findings add to the growing body of evidence that health workers at the community level can work with women's groups to improve maternal health, thus reducing the need for emergency obstetric care in low-income countries.

Motivation, responsibility and anxiety : parenting dispositions of Chinese mothers

One of the key principles in the ideology which underpins education is the value of children’s family experience. Central to this idea is the view of parents as important. Parenting has become a vital dimension in contemporary education. Parenting discourses traditionally focus on such concepts as parenting style, approach, attitude or practice. The main consideration behind these concepts is what parents appear to be doing at a single point of time, referring to parenting per se. This paper takes on the notion of disposition in order to understand urban Chinese mothers’ habitual and characteristic ways of child rearing. It presents evidence to show that a group of Chinese mothers had parenting dispositions of motivation, responsibility and anxiety. Data came from a series of conversations between 50 Chinese mothers of preschool children and five early childhood teachers through a synchronous online text chat. In the process of consulting the early childhood teachers, the parents expressed many concerns, questions and views of childrearing and early childhood education, thereby providing evidence about their thinking and behaviour. Drawing on the concept of ‘disposition’, the study provides insights into the common thinking threads that characterized Chinese parenting and the ways those threads were woven into their disposed approaches to child rearing and early education.