A community-based intervention with specific factors for children and parents exposed to interparental violence (IPV) was compared with a control intervention based on non-specific factors. We hypothesized that participation in an intervention with specific factors, focused on IPV, parenting and coping, would be associated with better recovery. IPV exposed children and parents were group randomized over a specific factors- and control intervention. Baseline, posttest and follow-up measurements of 155 parents and children (aged 6-12 years, 55.5% boys) were fitted in a multilevel model. Outcomes were parent and teacher reported children's internalizing and externalizing problems (CBCL, TRF), child self-reported depressive symptoms (CDI) and parent and child reported children's post-traumatic stress symptoms (TSCYC, TSCC). Based on intention-to-treat and completer analyses, children in the specific factors intervention did not show better recovery than children in the control intervention. Children in both interventions decreased significantly in parent-reported children's internalizing and externalizing problems and post-traumatic stress symptoms. Children reported a decrease in their mean level of depressive and post-traumatic stress symptoms. Teachers reported a decrease in internalizing problems, but not in externalizing problems. No association between time since exposure and level and course of symptoms was found. Treatment differentiation was assessed and both programs were significantly different on hypothesized effective factors. Higher treatment adherence in both programs did not result in a larger difference in recovery. IPV exposed children improve over the course and after participating in a community-based child- and parent program, but specific factors in intervention may not carry additional benefits when implemented in community settings.

This study examined whether the quality of relationships with foster caregivers was associated with autonomic nervous system reactivity of children during separation and reunion with their foster caregiver. Moreover, effects of early adversity were examined in relation to attachment and autonomic nervous system reactivity. The sample included 60 children between 26 and 88 months of age, who participated with their primary foster caregivers in the Strange Situation. Respiratory sinus arrhythmia and preejection period were measured as indicators of parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous system reactivity, respectively. Attachment quality (ordered/disordered and secure/insecure attachment), was coded on the basis of children's behavior in the Strange Situation using the Cassidy and Marvin coding system. Children with a background of neglect and those with disordered (disorganized-controlling or insecure-other) attachment showed most sympathetic reactivity during the procedure. Moreover, children with disordered attachment showed less vagal regulation (respiratory sinus arrhythmia decreases on separation and increases on reunion) than children with ordered attachment. The findings show that the quality of relationships with current caregivers, and to a lesser extent specific experiences of neglect, may have an impact on children's abilities to regulate emotions in the context of environmental stress and challenges.Children in foster care have typically experienced early adversity, including chronic neglect as well as other forms of maltreatment. Exposure to such stressors is associated with behavioral, autonomic and/or immunological manifestations of pathology at later age (Ellis, Essex, & Boyce, 2005). These associations may in part be due to the effects of early adversity on neural affect regulation systems. However, the move to a foster home and the exposure to a more positive and stable caregiving environment may be protective. Dozier and her colleagues have shown that infants placed in foster care were able to develop organized attachment relationships when placed with nurturing foster caregivers (Dozier, Stovall, Albus, & Bates, 2001;Stovall & Dozier, 2000). When placed with nonnurturing foster caregivers, children were at greater risk for developing disorganized attachment (Dozier et al., 2001). Oosterman and Schuengel (2008) found associations between attachment security (as observed with the Attachment Qsort; Waters & Deane, 1985) and foster parent sensitivity. However, this association was only found once clinical symptoms of disordered attachment were taken into account, suggesting that pathogenic early experiences may continue to play a role. This study will examine whether the quality of relationships with foster caregivers are associated with adaptive regulation of stress in the context of challenges, which may be an indirect indicator of the extent to which NIH-PA Author ManuscriptNIH-PA Author Manuscript NIH-PA Author Manuscript the relationship with the foster caregiver may have an protect...

In this study, the concept of 'goodness-of-fit' between the child's temperament and the environment, introduced by Thomas and Chess [Temperament and Development, Brunner/Mazel, New York, 1977], is applied within the setting of center day care. Mothers and primary professional caregivers of 186 children, aged 6-30 months, participated in this study. The child's problem behaviors were assessed with the CBCL Teacher Report Form [Achenbach, T.M., Guide for the Caregiver-Teacher Report Form for Ages 2-5, Department of Psychiatry, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, 1997]. The child's socio-emotional well-being in day care was measured with the Leiden Inventory for the Child's Well-Being in Day Care. The Infant Characteristics Questionnaire measured the child's temperament. Children with an easier temperament showed less internalizing and total problem behavior and more well-being. The results suggest that for children with a more difficult temperament, several parallel care arrangements interfere with the process of adapting to the day care setting. Also, our results indicate that in the group of children with greater availability of trusted caregivers, a more easy-going temperament was associated with more well-being. The association between temperament and well-being was not found in the group of children with less access to trusted caregivers.

In two studies in daycare centers, we investigated a newly developed index for flexible child care describing parents' use of evening care and flexible attendance scheduling for their child. We examined the relation between this index together with stability in care, mother's stress and the child's temperament on the one hand, and quality of caregivers' behavior and a child's socio-emotional functioning in day care on the other. In Study I, the mothers and caregivers of 186 children (aged 6-30 months) participated in a survey. In Study II, approximately 18 months later, 52 children from Study I were observed in their daycare setting. Children showed more well-being in day care when they had few parallel care arrangements, and when there was more daily stability in staffing and grouping patterns. Unexpectedly, caregivers in groups with more stability in staffing and grouping patterns, showed less positive caregiving behavior. When staff turnover rate was higher, positive caregiving behavior was lower. Finally, children in more flexible child care showed more non-compliance. © 2003 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.Keywords: Day care; Flexible child care; Non-standard hours child care; Stability in care; Socio-emotional functioning; Quality of careIn recent years, parents using the services of center day care have urged child care centers to extend their child care facilities, i.e., to make them more "flexible," in order to enable the parents to optimally combine work and family demands. Parents nowadays frequently work for organizations that operate early mornings, evenings, nights and weekends as well as

To obtain information about intestinal hemodynamics of healthy neonates, the authors assessed velocity and volume of blood flow with duplex Doppler sonography in the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) in 91 stable preterm and term neonates. Blood flow velocity in the SMA and estimated volume blood flow increased linearly with gestational age and increasing body weight. The mean estimated volume blood flow (+/- standard deviation) was 43 mL/kg/min +/- 13 and did not depend on differences in body weight. The authors also assessed blood flow velocity in the SMA and volume blood flow in 18 infants with conditions that may affect blood supply to the bowel. Twelve infants who were small for gestational age appeared to have an abnormally low resistance of the vascular bed of the SMA during the 1st days of life, as compared with stable appropriate-for-gestational-age infants matched for gestational age. Three of six term neonates with cardiovascular abnormalities had left ventricular outflow obstruction and an abnormal blood flow velocity waveform of the SMA, suggesting a decrease in blood supply to the bowel. The results of this study may help in evaluations of intestinal perfusion in infants with abnormal conditions.

Findings suggest that attachment behaviour may be part of young persons' adaptation to the stresses and challenges of group care. Furthermore, adaptation may be determined by the integration of relationships with support staff, because each relationship with a care staff member bears uniquely on challenging behaviour.

Mothers and primary professional caregivers of 186 children, aged 6-30 months, participated Keywords: center day care; stability of care; problem behavior; children's well-being Several studies have addressed the question of whether early child care affects the child's later socio-emotional development (Bates et al., 1994;Howes & Hamilton, 1993; NICHD Early Child Care Research Network, 1997b, 2002bVan IJzendoorn, Sagi & Lambermon, 1992). In this study we investigate children's socioemotional development when they are actually attending a day care center. Previously, little attention has been paid to the relation between child care characteristics and the infant's adjustment to the day care setting itself. In our study we are concerned with the possible influence of stability in care and child care quality on several aspects of the child's adjustment to center day care: problem behavior and socio-emotional wellbeing. Special attention will be paid to the concept of stability in care.Stability in care may contribute to explaining differences in the child's adjustment to the day care setting. Children experiencing more caregiver stability in day care have

Of the various attachment-related concepts, insights into attachment behaviours and relationships showed the most promise for practical applications in the field of intellectual disabilities. Findings on representations, styles and disorders were inconclusive or preliminary. Attachment-informed research and practice can be part of emerging developmental understanding of functioning with intellectual disabilities.