Not only bottles. Glass baby's bottles in between the second half of XIXth century and the first decades of the XXth]

Mother's milk is the best food for the baby. The need to use foods other than mother's milk has always represented a challenging problem to be solved. The author warns that the high mortality during the first year of life during the early years of the XXth century (20%) peaked at an amazing 80% in children artificially fed at orphanages. In the considered years, the usage of baby's bottle spread among babies that could not be fed by mothers or wet-nurses. The idea of rubber teat 1845 and of automatic devices for the production of glass bottle - 1903 - contributed to the diffusion of the baby's bottle. First baby's bottles were variously shaped. However, the finding of severe gastroenteritis caused by a long rubber tube attached to the rubber teat (the so-called death-bottle), together with the necessity of a careful cleaning and the diffusion of Soxhket's system (sterilization of many bottles in the same container) will lead to the choice of large mouthed cylindrical bottles, very similar to the plastic bottles used nowadays.     

Acoustic analysis of cries from "normal" and "irritable" infants

Infant irritability or colic is characterized by recurrent episodes of persistent, unexplained crying. The lack of a precise definition of the type and amount of cry that distinguishes an infant as colicky has hampered research and intervention efforts. The primary aims of this study are to describe the acoustic characteristics of cries of irritable infants and compare these to those of normal infants. Tape recorded cries of 11 irritable and 11 non-irritable infants were compared. The average age for infants of both groups was 8 weeks. The cries of irritable infants were higher in jitter, shimmer, proportion of noise, and tenseness than were the cries of control infants. Findings suggest that colic or infant irritability is more than just excessive crying. Acoustic characteristics of the cries of irritable infants reveal an increase in stress-arousal that supports the thesis of a state regulation disorder. Characterizing the nature and origin of the cries of irritable infants is essential to an understanding that will eventually guide appropriate diagnosis and management of these infants.     

Paediatric communications with the post-partum patient

Discussions with mothers during their puerperium allows the introduction of thoughts on child care and management to a captive audience at a highly receptive stage. Many mothers lack an understanding of the problems they are likely to face in the first months after delivery and are desperately afraid of "spoiling" their child. They are generally quite ignorant of the problems of feeding, "colic" and others. Discussion group counselling of the parents of babies treated in an intensive care nursery is of value for the parents and for the hospital staff. The mothers have problems of guilt and anxiety over their possible aetiological role, doubts about their ability to cope with an "abnormal" baby, and problems due to lack of contact with their baby.     

Early stage vocal cord cancer: results after external beam radiotherapy

Much has been written about suck confusion due to a baby's oral experience with objects other than the breast--but how much difference is there in the relative impacts on a baby's ineffective suck if a teat is used instead of other currently accepted techniques such as cup and finger feeding? Mothers who seek the help of a lactation consultant will commonly already be using bottles and teats as part of their management regime for a difficult situation. Especially if the problems are well developed and complex, many mothers will not be able to accept unfamiliar alternatives such as cup and finger feeding and prefer to wean rather than do so. Current teat designs have evolved with no reference to Woolridge's landmark research published over ten years ago which clearly demonstrated how normal breastfeeding works. Rather, manufacturers offer consumers an array of teats which have been shortened in length and distorted in conformation when compared with teats available thirty years ago which coincidentally were a closer physiological match with the positioning of the nipple and breast tissues in the mouth of a breastfeeding baby than teats designed and produced since then. Fortunately one UK manufacturer still markets this thirty year old style of teat in a flow rate suitable for very young babies. Over a three year period, we at first hesitantly, but with increasing confidence asked mothers to use this teat when suck retraining and supplementation were indicated. We are able to report that use of these teats has resulted in a success rate in excess of 90% converting babies with significant sucking problems into fully effective breastfeeders.     

A review of beta-haemolytic streptococcal infection in babies

The incidence of beta-haemolytic group B streptococcal infection in babies at or shortly after birth appears to have risen during the last 20 years. About 30% of women could be colonized at any one time, and because of the transient nature of this organism research has failed to find a way of identifying women who will be colonized at the end of pregnancy. The baby is at risk of early-onset disease from mother-to-baby transmission during the birth process. If identified early enough, those mothers who present a risk can be treated in time to protect the baby during the birth. Late-onset disease can be the result of cross-infection from carers, and the education of midwives, nurses and mothers could reduce the risk. Education could also aid identification of the early signs of disease, and therefore increase the likelihood of a successful outcome of treatment.     

Reconciliation and healing for mothers through skin-to-skin contact provided in an American tertiary level intensive care nursery

Feasibility and safety of skin-to-skin contact through the Kangaroo method of care in a modern American tertiary intensive care was studied, as well as effects of this innovative care on mother's emotional reactions. Eight mother infant dyads participated in skin-to-skin contact a minimum of 4 hours each day for six days per week during a period of three consecutive weeks. The cognitive adaptation framework was used to identify themes in maternal responses. During the first week, mothers were preoccupied with childbirth events in attempts to understand their sense of loss and victimization. During the second week, maternal emotions intensified and manifested in fears for the baby's well-being and a need to discuss negative and positive emotional reactions to having a premature and sick baby. All mothers requested respite time from skin-to-skin contact, so they could deal with their emotional crises. By the third week, mothers had an increased sense of meaning, mastery, and self-esteem about what had happened to themselves and their infants. Themes of reconciliation and healing occurred when mothers placed their infant skin-to-skin in the Kangaroo position over the three consecutive weeks that this type of nursing care was experienced.     

Hemolytic disease of the newborn caused by anti-M antibody

An unusual case of hemolytic disease of the newborn caused by anti-M antibody is presented. Hyperbilirubinemia was noted in a full-term baby boy at 4 days of age. A total of 160 mL of M-positive packed red blood cells from the baby's father were transfused during the next 9 days and the hemolytic process became aggravated. The baby was referred to our hospital at 14 days of age. Maternal anti-M was detected and the baby was transfused with 50 mL of M-negative packed red blood cells. The baby's condition stabilized and he was discharged uneventfully at 18 days of age.     

Mothers' birth weight and survival of their offspring: population based study

OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that a baby's survival is related to the mother's birth weight. DESIGN: Population based dataset for two generations. SETTING: Population registry in Norway. SUBJECTS: All birth records for women born in Norway since 1967 were linked to births during 1981-94, thereby forming 105104 mother-offspring units. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Perinatal mortality specific for weight for offspring in groups of maternal birth weight (with 500 g categories in both). RESULTS: A mother's birth weight was strongly associated with the weight of her baby. Maternal birth weight was associated with perinatal survival of her baby only for mothers with birth weights under 2000 g. These mothers were more likely to lose a baby in the perinatal period (odds ratio 2.3, 95% confidence interval 1.4 to 3.7). Among mothers with a birth weight over 2000 g there was no overall association between mother's weight and infant survival. There was, however, a strong interaction between mother's birth weight, infant birth weight, and infant survival. Mortality among small babies was much higher for those whose mothers had been large at birth. For example, babies weighing 2500-2999 g had a threefold higher mortality if their mother's birth weight had been high (> or = 4000 g) than if the mother had been small (2500-2999 g). CONCLUSION: Mothers who weighed less than 2000 g at birth have a higher risk of losing their own babies. For mothers who weighed > or = 2000 g their birth weight provides a benchmark for judging the growth of their offspring. Babies who are small relative to their mother's birth weight are at increased risk of mortality.     

What do people ask about a neonate?

60 first-time parents recorded the questions they were asked when they called 273 acquaintances (aged 20–70 yrs) to announce their baby's birth. 80% of the initial questions concerned the baby's gender, most often whether the baby was male. Questions about the health of the mother or baby or about the characteristics of the baby were less frequent. It is suggested that a newborn's sex functions to assign the infant to a gender category with definitive social, evaluative, and normative properties. (2 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Birth order and age differences in early sibling roles.

76 2-child families were assigned to 1 of 3 cohorts that differed in the 2nd-born's age at an initial home visit (5, 11, or 17 mo). The families were seen again 6 mo later. Children were rated by their mothers on 9 sibling role qualities and were videotaped interacting in structured situations. First- and 2nd-borns were seen to fulfill different roles, e.g. mothers rated 1st-borns lower than 2nd-borns on identification but higher on help. The differences between the 2 children on some aspects of sibling roles (e.g., identification) did not change with their ages. Yet other aspects (e.g., help) became increasingly similar, and such changes were attributable to the baby's development. Children's behavior in the structured situations also changed. Some changes were attributable to the baby growing older, whereas others were attributable to the older sibling's or to both children's development. (French abstract) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Perception of cries by parents and nonparents: Relation to cry acoustics.

Adults' perceptions of infants' cries were evaluated by means of multidimensional scaling (MDS). Twenty-four nonparents (12 men and 12 women) and 20 parents (10 married couples) made judgments of the similarity of all possible pairs of 12 cries. Subjects also rated the 12 cries on 29 attributes, including perceived aversiveness, possible caretaking responses, affective responses, and semantic differential items. Nonmetric MDS was performed separately for mothers, fathers, nonparent women, and nonparent men. Four-dimensional configurations were interpretable for all groups except nonparent men, and the configurations exhibited strong overall similarity in spite of subtle differences between groups. The fathers' configuration was most similar to the mothers' configuration, and the nonparent women's configuration was most similar to the nonparent men's configuration. Contours of the fundamental frequency and the frequency with the greatest amplitude played a more important role in parents' perceptions of cries than in the nonparents' perceptions. Differences in the configurations probably reflected the parents' greater experience with infant cries and caregiving. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Protruded lumbar intervertebral nucleus pulposus in a 12-year-old girl who recovered after nonsurgical treatment: a follow-up case report

Restless legs syndrome affects millions, but most healthcare providers don't know it exists. Its sleep-deprived victims are plagued by indescribable crawling sensations in their legs that occur at night and that are only relieved by moving the legs. Many home healthcare clients, already challenged by their primary illness, are also affected by the persistent symptoms of Restless Legs Syndrome. It is important that home care nurses learn about Restless Legs Syndrome-what it is, how to assess it, and what can be done about it.     

Multiple birth defects in a newborn exposed to Mycoplasma pneumoniae in utero

A newborn baby girl with progressive hydrocephalus and congenital defects of the skin and eyes was born to a mother who experienced bilateral bronchopneumonia in her first trimester. At the time of her infection, the mother's serum cold agglutinin titer was 1:128 and at delivery the mother's and baby's serum samples had complement-fixation titers to Mycoplasma pneumoniae of 1:1,024 and 1:256, respectively. At 1 week of age the baby's serum IgM value was 44 mg/100 ml (98% of cord IgM values in normal newborns range from 0 to 20 mg/100 ml). The baby died of progressive hydrocephalus, which may have had an inflammatory basis in view of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) protein level of 192 mg/100 ml. We realize that the significance of this association is questionable, but we believe that it is worthwhile to call the coincidence of events to the attention of others.     

Infantile colic as maternal reason of consulting a pediatrician: characteristics of mother and child

About 10-20% of infants under four months of age suffer from infantile colic (IC), an excessive screaming behaviour caused by multiple factors. WESSELS et al. (1954) definition is that babies in usually good health and nutritional condition are screaming/whining more than three hours daily, more than three days weekly for no apparent reasons. The question is whether/in what way daily routines of infants concerned differ from normal infants. Mothers of colicky infants (n = 25) and mothers in a control group (n = 25) record characteristics of the mother/child relationship, their assumptions why the child is screaming, care and attention they provide and babies' reactions. For seven days the mothers kept a diary about the babies' behaviour and worked on questionnaires concerning social support received, depressant effects and exhaustion. Interviews about the extent of care provided as well as personal thoughts and emotions were conducted. The "colic group" formed two subgroups: one fulfilling Wessels criteria (Wessel-Koliker; WK), the other more conforming with the "control group" babies though mothers complained about screaming (Non-Wessel-Koliker; NWK). "Colic group"-babies received more attention and care (compared to the "control group" babies), attempts to calm them down frequently failed and mothers in this group reacted less promptly to their babies' screaming. "NWK-group"-mothers strongly tend to attribute the babies' screaming to "meteorism" or "discontent". No differences existed between groups concerning social support, depressant effects and exhaustion. There is a risk that the colic may negatively influence the mother/child interaction beyond three months.     

Infantile colic--less common than previously estimated?

A two-part population-based study investigating the occurrence of infantile colic was undertaken, in which 92% of mothers with newborn healthy infants were reached. In the prospective part 152 mothers ("diary group") registered crying and fussing in their infants during 12 weeks. In the retrospective part 224 mothers ("interview group") were contacted by telephone at an infant age of 5-7 months. The colic occurrence was determined according to four different definitions; the rate varied from 3.3 to 17.1%. The classical "Wessel-type" colic was present in 9.3%. Colic defined as "crying seen as a problem by parent" was present in 12.1% of the "interview group", but in only 3.3% of the "diary group". Some earlier studies may have overestimated colic occurrence. Another possibility is an actual decline. The contributive part of preventive measures is discussed.     

Predictors and correlates of continuing involvement with the baby's father among adolescent mothers.

Predictors and correlates of a stable ongoing relationship with the baby's father among adolescent mothers were examined. A longitudinal study was conducted of 105 adolescent mothers and their infants over an 18- to 24-month period. Fathers were more likely to stay involved with the adolescent mother if the couple had an intimate and supportive relationship 6 weeks after delivery. They were less likely to stay involved if the young mother experienced a large number of stressful life events during pregnancy and in the first 6 weeks after delivery. Among adolescent mothers who remained in a stable relationship with the baby's biological father, higher scores were obtained on the Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment (B. M. Caldwell & R. H. Bradley, 1984), the young mothers were more likely to report continuous custody of their infants, and the infants' physicians were less likely to report infant injuries, accidents, or investigations of child abuse or neglect. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Smoking in pregnancy: a study of psychosocial and reproductive risk factors

In this study relationships between demographic variables and family dynamics of childbearing families in Finland were studied. The sample was 160 urban families expecting their first or second child in the third trimester of pregnancy. One-hundred and eighteen families participated in the study. The Family Dynamics Questionnaire (FDQ) and the Family Dynamics Measure (FDM) were used in this study. Most expectant parents reported their family was well-functioning. Mothers of higher socioeconomic status found more flexibility in their families than mothers of lower socioeconomic status. Fathers in families expecting their first baby reported more mutuality, role reciprocity and more stability than second-time fathers. The findings contribute cues for public health nurses and midwives regarding parity, socioeconomic status and family dynamics to provide more specific family guidance during the transition to parenthood. Realistic information on the changes in family dynamics after childbirth should be given to pregnant parents.     

Postdischarge telephone follow-up program for breastfeeding preterm infants discharged from a special care nursery

There is little research about mothers' concerns and management strategies for breastfeeding preterm infants in the postdischarge period. However, preterm infants have unique needs, and their mothers often face overwhelming challenges when trying to breastfeed in the early postdischarge period. The purpose of this project was to provide support to breastfeeding mothers whose babies had been recently discharged and to help the SCN team to develop a discharge plan. A telephone follow-up form was developed to help identify real or potential problems, plan realistic interventions, and evaluate the effectiveness of the plan. The first part of the form includes information about the baby's stay in the hospital. The second part of the form is used postdischarge. Space is provided to document any identified problems and suggested interventions. Feedback from the mothers who have received the telephone follow-up has been very favorable.     

Adult perception of emotion intensity in human infant cries: effects of infant age and cry acoustics

The relation between adult perception of emotion intensity in the cries of 1- and 6-month-old infants and the acoustic characteristics of the cries was examined. In the first study, adults who were inexperienced in child care rated 40 cries on 3 emotion intensity scales: anger, fear, and distress. The cries of 6-month-olds were rated as being significantly more intense. Different acoustic variables accounted for emotion intensity ratings for the 2 infant ages. Peak amplitude and noisiness of the cry predicted adult judgments of intensity ratings of 1-month-olds' cries; a measure of amplitude ratio (in 2 frequency bands) was the best predictor of intensity ratings of 6-month-olds' cries. In the second study, parents of infants rated the same cries on the same scales. They also rated the older infants' cries as being more intense. The 2 adult groups did not differ on their ratings, and a regression equation derived from one adult group predicted the other adult group's rating of the same infant age better than it predicted its own ratings for the other infant age. Infant age, and its associated acoustic features, seems to be a more important determinant of adults' perception of emotion intensity than are such adult characteristics as gender or infant-care experience.     

Maternal drug histories and congenital abnormalities

We obtained drug histories for the first trimester of pregnancy for 836 mothers of congenitally malformed babies and for an equal number of control mothers of normal babies from the same doctors' practices. There was an association between the use of a hormonal pregnancy test and the subsequent birht of a malformed baby. There was also a greater use of barbiturates by mothers of affected children compared with mothers of control babies, mainly accounted for by treatment of epileptic mothers with phenobarbitone. For all other drugs usage was similar in both sets of mothers.