A Study of Maternal Competence in Preterm Birth Condition, during the Transition from Hospital to Home: An Early Intervention Program’s Proposal

The study was conducted with 104 mothers (average age 32.5 years, SD 6.1) of preterm infants (very and moderately preterm but still healthy) to monitor the perceived maternal role competence from the time of hospitalisation to post-discharge, in order to define an intervention program to support mothers during this transition. A targeted Q-Sort tool (Maternal Competence Q-Sort in preterm birth) was applied at two different times as a self-observation tool for parenting competence in neonatology. A tendency towards dysregulation of the maternal role competence was detected, mainly in terms of low self-assessment and was found to worsen during post-discharge, particularly with regard to caregiving ability. This study suggests the importance of accompanying parenting competence in preterm birth conditions, not only during hospitalisation in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) but also following discharge in order to promote the development of premature infants. This paper reports in the last part a specific integrated psychoeducational intervention program (psychologist and nurses), which we defined precisely in light of the suggestions offered by the study data on perceived maternal competence created with the Q-sort.

Occupational Performance Coaching for Mothers of Children with Disabilities in India

Background. Occupational Performance Coaching (OPC) aims to help mothers plan and manage theirs and their children’s occupational performance. Purpose. To assess the effectiveness of OPC in improving occupational performance and parenting competence of mothers of children with disabilities in an Indian context. Methods. Mixed method design was used. Thirty-six mothers were assigned to intervention or control groups. Occupational performance and parenting competence were measured at three time points. Semi-structured interviews were used. Findings. OPC had significant effects on children’s occupational performance ( p < 0.001), mothers’ occupational performance ( p < 0.001), and self-competence ( p = 0.003). There was also a significant difference between control and intervention groups in occupational performance ( p = 0.001) and satisfaction ( p = 0.003). Interviews revealed three themes: acceptance, self-learning, and challenges during OPC. Implications. OPC is effective in improving the occupational performance and parenting competence of mothers of children with disabilities in varied cultural contexts.

The Effects of Fathers’ Parenting Involvement on Young Children’s Self-Control: The Mediating Effect of Mothers’ Parenting Competence

This study investigated the relationship among fathers’ parenting involvement, mothers’ parenting competence, and young children’s self-control. Participants consisted of 325 mothers and young children (169 boys and 153 girls) from the Seoul area who completed questionnaires on fathers’ parenting involvement, mothers’ parenting competence, and young children’s self-control. Data were statistically analyzed using basic descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlation, and multiple regression analysis. Baron and Kenny’s method was examined. Subsequently, the Sobel test was performed to check the mediating model’s significance and was adapted to SPSS version 21.0 for Windows. The major findings were as follows. First, fathers’ parenting involvement was positively correlated with young children’s self-control and mothers’ parenting competence. Second, mothers’ parenting competence was positively correlated with young children’s self-control. The mothers’ parenting competence indicated a tendency to play a perfectly/partially play a mediating role between fathers’ parenting involvement and young children’s selfcontrol; consequently, a fathers’ parenting involvement had a direct effect as well as an indirect effect through the mothers’ parenting competence on young children’s self-control. The results indicated that a mothers’ parenting competence plays a crucial role in the relationship between a fathers’ parenting involvement and the young children’s self-control.

Household Chaos and Parenting Competence Are Associated with Low-Income Mothers’ Use of Food to Soothe: A Longitudinal Analysis in Early Infancy

Objectives Use of food to soothe (FTS) infant distress has been linked to later obesity risk. Infant characteristics influence mothers’ use of FTS, but less is known about how broader family characteristics, like parenting or the home environment impact FTS. We aimed to examine whether maternal parenting competence and household chaos, factors known to influence responsive parenting, were associated with the use of FTS over time. Methods This secondary analysis includes 288 low-income mothers and their full-term newborns participating in the WEE Baby Care study. The Babies Basic Needs Questionnaire was used to assess emotional FTS (e.g., in response to infant distress, maternal stress) and contextual FTS (e.g., car, church) at infant ages 2, 5, and 7 months. The Confusion, Hubbub and Order Scale (chaos) and the Parenting Sense of Competence Scale (total competence, parenting satisfaction, parenting self-efficacy) were completed at 2 months. Mixed linear models adjusted for study group were used to examine emotional and contextual FTS over time. Results The use of FTS decreased over time from 2 to 7 months of age (P &lt; 0.05). Mean (SD) chaos was 25.7 (5.3) with a possible range from 15 to 60. Mean (SD) competence was 78.8 (9.8) with a possible range of 16 to 96. Lower competence and parenting satisfaction (both P &lt; 0.0001) and higher chaos (P = 0.03) were associated with mothers’ greater use of emotional FTS. Competence (P = 0.46) and chaos (P = 0.29) were not associated with mothers’ use of contextual FTS. Lower parenting satisfaction was marginally associated with mothers’ greater use of contextual FTS (P = 0.06). Parenting self-efficacy was not associated with the use of FTS. Conclusions Results suggest that maternal parenting characteristics and household chaos may be potentially modifiable factors related to mothers’ use of FTS, especially to relieve their personal or their infants’ emotional distress. Interventions that target low-income mothers’ feeding practices may need to address a broad range of maternal and household characteristics. Funding Sources Health Resources and Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Maternal and Child Health Field-initiated Innovative Research Studies Program.