Bindungsbeziehungen zwischen Eltern und Kindern im Kontext von Trennung und Scheidung: Welche Rolle spielen Umfang und Qualität des Eltern-Kind-Kontakts?

Following parental separation, parents face the question of how to develop a suitable parenting plan for their children in the future. While there is a broad consensus that maintaining relationships with both parents is generally beneficial for children, there is great uncertainty about how this should be implemented in individual cases and the importance of different contextual factors. This paper provides an attachment-informed perspective on aspects of children's relationships in the context of separation and divorce that might be relevant when making decisions about parenting plans. The focus is on the amount of time and overnights spent with each parent in early childhood, when attachment relationships are still being formed. In addition to beneficial aspects, factors associated with increased stress and emotional insecurity for children, such as the role of interparental conflict and gatekeeping behavior, are also highlighted. The paper concludes with recommendations on interventions for families experiencing conflict.

Child Care in Times of COVID-19: Predictors of Distress in Dutch Children and Parents When Re-entering Center-Based Child Care After a 2-Month Lockdown

As a consequence of the outbreak of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) child care facilities all over the world were temporarily closed to minimize the spread of the virus. In Netherlands, the first closure lasted for almost 2 months. The return to the child care center after this significant interruption was expected to be challenging, because earlier studies demonstrated that transitions into child care can be stressful for both children and their parents. The current paper retrospectively examined the distress of Dutch children (aged 0–4) and their parents during the first 2 weeks after the reopening of child care centers, and what factors accounted for individual differences in distress. In total, 694 parents filled out an online questionnaire about stress during closure and distress after the reopening of child care centers. Furthermore, questions regarding several demographic variables and child care characteristics were included, as well as questionnaires measuring child temperament, parental separation anxiety, and parental perception of the child care quality. Results showed that younger children and children with parents scoring higher on separation anxiety experienced more distress after the reopening, as reported by parents. Furthermore, children were more distressed upon return when they attended the child care center for less hours per week after the reopening, experienced less stress during closure, and grew up in a one-parent family. With regard to parental distress after the reopening, we found that parents scoring higher on separation anxiety and fear of COVID-19 experienced more distress. Moreover, parents experiencing less stress during closure and mothers were more distressed when the child returned to the child care center. Finally, concurrent child and parental distress after reopening were positively related. The results of the current study may help professional caregivers to identify which children and parents benefit from extra support when children return to the child care center after an interruption. Especially the role that parental separation anxiety played in predicting both child and parental distress deserves attention. More research is required in order to study the underlying mechanisms of these associations and to design appropriate interventions.

Intranasal midazolam versus intranasal dexmedetomidine as premedication in paediatric patients: A comparative study

: Preanesthetic medication is important among the paediatric patients undergoing surgeries. A good preanesthetic medication reduces the anxiety and the post-operative pain among paediatric patients. A randomised controlled trial was done to compare the two groups of Dexmedetomidine, and Midazolam given as preanesthetic medication intranasally.: Both the groups had comparable baseline values before premedication but there was a significant difference in the vital parameters of heart rate and systolic blood pressure after medication. The mean Parental Separation Anxiety Scale was found to be 1.4 ± 0.85 and 2.5 ± 0.98 among Dexmedetomidine and Midazolam group respectively. This was found to be significant (p < 0.001). Dexmedetomidine when given as preanesthetic medication intranasally significantly controls the vitals within the normal range and produces better parental separation anxiety scores and mask acceptance scores as compared to Midazolam.

A comparative look at divorce, laws and the best interests of the child after parental separation in Brazil and England

A preservação dos melhores interesses da criança/adolescente (MICA) nos casos de disputa de guarda e convivência após a separação conjugal é uma tarefa difícil para os atores jurídicos envolvidos nesses casos. Existem alguns fatores que desempenham um papel significativo nesse contexto, ao modificar e/ou moldar o processo legal e o processo de tomada de decisão. Assim, a depender da dinâmica apresentada por esses fatores, o processo de tomada de decisão pode ser mais ou menos difícil. Este artigo apresenta uma revisão narrativa de literatura que teve como objetivo trazer uma visão comparativa entre os processos legais no Brasil e na Inglaterra, bem como questões contextuais envolvidas na disputa de guarda após a separação conjugal. Nesse sentido, são discutidos entendimentos e orientações legais quanto aos MICA, assim como regulações legais relativas à relação parento-filial e divórcio nos dois países. Revela-se que questões legais e culturais podem moldar esses entendimentos e orientações, o que pode levar a diferenças significativas no processo judicial referente à guarda de crianças em ambos os países. Assim, destacam-se e se discutem diferenças culturais e jurídicas relevantes entre o common law inglês e o civil law brasileiro (e.g., concepções sobre ‘guarda’; poder familiar; arranjos de guarda; e o processo judicial em processos de guarda e convivência), as quais podem impactar o processo de tomada de decisão e os melhores interesses da criança.

Mental Health in Schoolchildren in Joint Physical Custody: A Longitudinal Study

This study investigated mental health in schoolchildren in different living arrangements after parental separation. The study population included 31,519 children from the Danish National Birth Cohort, followed-up at age 11 in 2010–2014. Child mental health was measured with a maternal report of the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Associations between living arrangements and mental health were analyzed using logistic and linear regression models, taking into account early childhood indicators of the parents’ relations, income, education and psychiatric care. At age 11, children living in a nuclear family had the lowest rate of total SDQ score, 8.9%. Of the children who had experienced parental separation, children in joint physical custody had the lowest adjusted odds ratio (OR)1.25 (95%-CI 1.09–1.44), for a high SDQ score relative to children living in a nuclear family, with adjusted ORs of 1.63 (1.42–1.86) and OR 1.72 (1.52–1.95) for sole physical custody arrangements with and without a new partner. An analysis of change in SDQ scores between ages 7 and 11 in children showed a similar pattern. This study indicates that joint physical custody is associated with slightly more favorable mental health in schoolchildren after parental separation than sole physical custody arrangements.

Parental separation and offspring morbidity in adulthood: a descriptive study of the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966

Aims: Rates of parental separation have increased dramatically in recent decades. We evaluated the association of individuals’ childhood family structure with their somatic health over 46 years of follow-up. Methods: Data were drawn from the Northern Finland Birth Cohort, an ongoing project in which 12,058 participants born in 1966 have been followed from their 24th gestational week. Based on information supplied at age 14 years, family structure was categorised as ‘single-parent family’ and ‘two-parent family’. The anthropometric information, data from blood samples and medical history were collected from postal questionnaires and clinical examinations routinely performed at the ages of 31 and 46 years. Results: The study population comprised a total of 10,895 individuals; 85% ( n=9253) were offspring of two-parent families and 15% ( n=1642) of single-parent families. Type 2 diabetes ( P=0.032) or prediabetes ( P=0.007), psychoactive drug problems ( P<0.001) and sexually transmitted diseases ( P<0.001) were more common in the single-parent family group than in the participants from two-parent families. In addition, among men back diseases ( P=0.002), and among women hypertension ( P=0.003) and ovary infection ( P=0.024) were more frequent in individuals affected by parental death than in those from two-parent families. Conclusions: Our results indicate the association of childhood family structure with offspring morbidity during 46 years’ follow-up. The lifetime morbidity was observed to be higher among offspring from a single-parent family compared to two-parent family offspring. Public and scientific concern about the consequences of parental separation on the offspring’ health exist, therefore support from healthcare professionals and society is warranted.