Dorota Iwaniec

Early weaning is related to weight and rate of weight gain in infancy

BACKGROUND Evidence relating to the effect of early weaning on infant weight and weight gain is conflicting. The aim of this paper is to compare weight and weight gain in two groups of infants; one group weaned before 4 months (early weaned), the other weaned at 4 months or after. METHODS Feeding practices were assessed through semistructured interviews with mothers of 1-year-old infants. Weight at birth, 8 weeks and 7 months were taken from an administrative database (Child Health System), and an additional measure of weight was taken at 14 months. RESULTS Infants weaned early were heavier at 7 and 14 months, and gained more weight between 8 weeks and 14 months, even after breastfeeding was controlled for. CONCLUSION Early weaning is related to rapid weight gain in infancy. This may have implications for childhood obesity.

The Drug-User Husband and His Wife: Attachment Styles, Family Cohesion, and Adaptability

This study which assesses the association between the attachment styles of drug-user husbands (n = 56) and their wives (n = 56) and their perceptions of family dynamics was conducted in 1998. The population study included heroin (52.9%) and multidrug detoxified outpatients. All subjects completed the Adult Attachment Style Scale and the FACES III. Results indicated that the perceptions of family adaptability and cohesion among the drug-user husbands and their wives did not differ from the Israeli norm. Most of the drug users (60.7%) were characterized by the avoidant attachment style, followed by the secure style (26.8%), and the anxious/ambivalent style (12.5%). Half the wives (53.6%) were characterized by the secure style, followed by the avoidant style (42.9%) and the anxious/ambivalent style (3.6%). A secure style in husband and wife was associated with higher levels of family cohesion and adaptability, and the anxious/ambivalent style with a lower perception of family cohesion and adaptability. These findings have important implications for rehabilitation prospects and for planning intervention programs.

Breast is Best? Reasons Why Mothers Decide to Breastfeed or Bottlefeed their Babies and Factors Influencing the Duration of Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding is known to confer benefits, both in the short term and long term, to the child and also to the mother. Various health-promotion initiatives have aimed to increase breastfeeding rates and duration in the United Kingdom over the past decade. In order to assist in these endeavours, it is essential to understand the reasons why women decide whether to breastfeed and the factors that influence the duration of breastfeeding. This study reports breastfeeding initiation and duration rates of mothers participating in the Growth, Learning and Development study undertaken by the Child Health & Welfare Recognised Research Group. Although this study cannot provide prevalence data for all mothers in Greater Belfast, it can provide useful information on trends within particular groups of the population. In addition, it examines maternally reported reasons for choosing to breastfeed and for breastfeeding cessation. The likelihood of mothers initiating breastfeeding is influenced by factors such as increased age, higher educational attainment and higher socio-economic grouping. The most common reason cited for breastfeeding is that it is “best for baby”. Returning to work is the most important factor in influencing whether mothers continued to breastfeed. Women report different reasons for cessation depending on the age of their child when they stopped breastfeeding. This information should inform health-promotion initiatives and interventions.

Emotionally Harmful Parenting

Emotional maltreatment tends to be overshadowed in research and in practice by other forms of maltreatment that present more obvious and explicit evidence and appear to require a more urgent response. This article aims to explore a growing body of research pointing to: (a) ways in which emotional maltreatment may adversely impact upon a childs development and functioning; (b) factors that practitioners may wish to consider when determining whether significant harm has occurred or is likely to occur in cases of emotional maltreatment; and (c) various levels of intervention that may be usefully applied to build stronger attachment and relationship with parents or carers and to reduce emotionally harmful behaviour of the carers.

The Child in the Family of a Drug-Using Father: Attachment Styles and Family Characteristics

SUMMARY The study examined the impact of family characteristics and parental attachment styles on the children of drug-using (DU) fathers in fifty-six families (n = 168) in Israel. Of the DU fathers, 60.7% were characterized by avoidant attachment style. Among the non-DU mothers, 53.6% were characterized by secure attachment style, 42.9% by avoidant style, and 3.6% by anxious/ambivalent style. Surprisingly, family cohesion and adaptability scores were similar to the Israeli norm, perhaps because the DUs had completed detoxification treatment and participated in rehabilitation programs. Of the children, 61.8% were characterized by secure attachment style, 21.8% by avoidant style, and 16.4% by anxious/ambivalent style. Stepwise regression to predict childrens attachment styles revealed that maternal security of attachment and paternal anxious/ambivalent style predict similar attachment styles among the children. The important combined effects of spousal attachment styles on the children are discussed.

Growth, Learning and Development Study: summary of research, findings and recommendations.

The Growth, Learning and Development (GLAD) study aimed to examine how a broad range of factors influence child weight during the first year of life. Assessments were undertaken within a multidisciplinary team framework. The sample was drawn from the community and data collection was undertaken in the four Greater Belfast Trusts. Twohundred and thirty-four families took part, each receiving a total of five home visits during which physical growth, oral-motor skills and development were assessed. Psychosocial evaluation examined parent-child interaction, feeding and other parental and child characteristics using quantitative and observational techniques. This paper outlines the main findings and recommendations from the GLAD study.

Lessons learnt from a longitudinal study of children who failed-to-thrive in childhood

Abstract Thirty one subjects who were identified as non-organic faiiure-to-thrive children between 1977 and 1980 were investigated, treated and foliowed-up for 20 years. The intervals of follow-up were five years, 10 years and 20 years. Primary analysis revealed that: children referred for psychosocial assessment and intervention during the first year of life have done better on a short and long term basis. On the other hand children with a long history of failure-to-thrive and referred between three to seven years of age, with an already severely disturbed parent-child relationship, did very badly if they remained at home. Children who were adopted were most successful in their personal and professional lives. Multi-disciplinary and multi-dimensional treatment and intervention strategies were most successful.