Amanda Cooklin

Which mothers wean their babies prematurely from full breastfeeding? An Australian cohort study.

Aim:  To identify the maternal and infant characteristics associated with an early transition from full breastfeeding to complementary or no breastfeeding during the first 2 months of life in a large, representative cohort of Australian infants.

Parental fatigue and parenting practices during early childhood: an Australian community survey

BACKGROUND Parenting behaviours are influenced by a range of factors, including parental functioning. Although common, the influence of parental fatigue on parenting practices is not known. The first aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between fatigue and parenting practices. The second aim was to identify parental psychosocial factors significantly associated with fatigue. METHODS A sample of 1276 Australian parents, of at least one child aged 0-5 years, completed a survey. Demographic, psychosocial (social support, coping responses) and parental sleep and self-care information was collected. Hierarchical regression was performed to assess the contribution of fatigue (modified Fatigue Assessment Scale) to parental practices (warmth, irritability and involvement), and parenting experiences (Parenting Stress Index, Parenting Sense of Competence Scale). Hierarchical multiple regression assessed the contribution of a range of parental sleep, psychosocial (social support, coping responses) and self-care variables to fatigue when demographic characteristics were held constant. RESULTS Higher fatigue was significantly associated with lower parental competence (β=-0.17, P < 0.005), greater parenting stress (β= 0.21, P < 0.005) and more irritability in parent-child interactions (β= 0.11, P < 0.005). Several psychosocial characteristics were associated with higher parental fatigue, including inadequate social support, poorer diet, poorer sleep quality and ineffective coping styles including self-blame and behaviour disengagement. CONCLUSIONS Fatigue is common, and results suggest that fatigue contributes to adverse parental practices and experiences. However, possible risk factors for higher fatigue were identified in this study, indicating opportunities for intervention, management and support for parents.

Maternal employment and breastfeeding: results from the longitudinal study of Australian children

Aim: To investigate the effect of maternal postnatal employment on breastfeeding duration in Australia in the first 6 months after birth.

Assessment of maternal fatigue and depression in the postpartum period: support for two separate constructs

The relationship between fatigue and depression in the postpartum period has been of interest to researchers and clinicians. However, conceptual and measurement issues of how to best assess and clearly distinguish between fatigue and depressive symptoms have plagued this work. The aim of the current study was to assess the discriminant validity between fatigue and depression in a community sample of 228 mothers within 1 year postpartum using two self‐report measures: the Fatigue Assessment Scale and the Depression subscale from the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) revealed that a two‐factor model presenting fatigue and depression as related but distinct constructs was a better fit of the data than a one‐factor model. Implications for further research and clinical practice are discussed, with particular focus on the need to differentiate fatigue and depression for postpartum mothers.

Maternal postnatal mental health and later emotional-behavioural development of children: The mediating role of parenting behaviour

BACKGROUND Maternal postnatal mental health difficulties have been associated with poor outcomes for children. One mechanism by which parent mental health can impact on childrens outcomes is via its effects on parenting behaviour. METHOD The longitudinal relationships between maternal postnatal distress, parenting warmth, hostility and child well-being at age seven were examined for 2200 families participating in a population-based longitudinal study of Australian children. RESULTS The relationship between postnatal distress and childrens later emotional-behavioural development was mediated by parenting hostility, but not parenting warmth, even after accounting for concurrent maternal mental health. Postnatal distress was more strongly associated with lower parenting warmth for mothers without a past history of depression compared with mothers with a past history of depression. CONCLUSIONS These findings underscore the contribution of early maternal well-being to later parenting and child outcomes, highlighting the importance of mental health and parenting support in the early parenting years. Implications for policy and practice are discussed.

Paid parental leave supports breastfeeding and mother-infant relationship: a prospective investigation of maternal postpartum employment

Objective: To investigate the association between the mother‐infant relationship, defined as maternal‐infant emotional attachment, maternal separation anxiety and breastfeeding, and maternal employment status at 10 months following first childbirth.

In survival mode: mothers and fathers’ experiences of fatigue in the early parenting period

Objective: This study aimed to describe mothers’ and fathers’ experiences of fatigue in the early parenting period and the strategies they use to manage it. Background: Fatigue is a common health concern for parents of young children; however, little is also known about how they attempt to manage fatigue, and what does and does not work for them. Even less is known about fathers’ experiences of fatigue and its impact on daily life. Methods: Thirteen mothers and six fathers of children aged 0–6 years participated in semi-structured focus group interviews. Results: Parents described unrelenting physical and cognitive symptoms of fatigue, and its impact on daily functioning, well-being, and parenting. Sleep deprivation was seen to contribute to fatigue for both mothers and fathers, however, mothers also emphasised that daily demands and limited opportunities for a break contributed to their fatigue. Parents identified taking time out for self, exercise and social support as a way of managing fatigue, while fathers saw work as a source of respite and having realistic expectations as being important. Conclusion: Implications for future research and the development of information resources for mothers and fathers are discussed, along with clinical insights for health professionals working with parents of young children.

Employee entitlements during pregnancy and maternal psychological well-being

Background:  Antenatal psychological well‐being is multifactorially determined, including by social circumstances. Evidence suggests that workplace conditions are salient determinants of mental health, but it is not known whether employment conditions influence antenatal psychological well‐being.

Mothers’ work–family conflict and enrichment:associations with parenting quality and couple relationship

Background Employment participation of mothers of young children has steadily increased in developed nations. Combining work and family roles can create conflicts with family life, but can also bring enrichment. Work–family conflict and enrichment experienced by mothers may also impact childrens home environments via parenting behaviour and the couple relationship, particularly in the early years of parenting when the care demands for young children is high. Methods In order to examine these associations, while adjusting for a wide range of known covariates of parenting and relationship quality, regression models using survey data from 2151 working mothers of 4- to 5-year-old children are reported. Results/Conclusion Results provided partial support for the predicted independent relationships between work–family conflict, enrichment and indicators of the quality of parenting and the couple relationship.

Fathers’ Postnatal Mental Health and Child Well-Being at Age Five: The Mediating Role of Parenting Behavior

Fathers’ postnatal mental health is associated with emotional and behavioral outcomes for children in early childhood. The aim of this study was to examine whether parenting behavior mediated the relationship between fathers’ postnatal psychological distress and emotional–behavioral outcomes for children at age 5. The sample consisted of 2,025 fathers participating in Growing Up In Australia: The Longitudinal Study of Australian Children. Data collected when the children were aged 0 to 12 months and 4 to 5 years were used. Results revealed that the relationship between fathers’ postnatal distress and children’s outcomes was mediated by parenting hostility (angry and frustrated reactions toward the child such as yelling), and this remained significant after controlling for fathers’ concurrent mental health and mothers’ postnatal mental health. These findings underscore the important contribution of fathers’ postnatal mental health to later parenting behavior and child outcomes. Implications for policy and practice focused on improving mental health and parenting support to fathers in the early childhood period is discussed.