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.

Moderately preterm birth seems to be an evolutional risk condition at cognitive, behavioural and socio-relational levels. The study is aimed to investigate the likely occurrence of precursors of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in moderately preterm children at preschool age. The research involved an experimental group made up of 50 moderately preterm children (mean: 34.6 weeks’ gestational age, standard deviation [SD]: 2) without any medical and neurologic neonatal complications and low birth weight (mean:2100g., SD: 350g.) and a check group of 50 full term born children. Parents and teachers of children were administered specific questionnaires to detect ADHD. The outcomes show a risk of ADHD highlighting statically significant differences related to gender [F(2, 99) = 2.99, p = .04], birth [F(2, 99) = 9.6, p = .03] and interaction [F(2, 99) = 2.2, p = .01]. The moderately preterm children showed deficit in self-regulation [F(2, 99) = 1.14, p = .04] and attention deficit in daily life both in family [F(2, 99) = 7.8, p = .04] and school contexts [F(1, 99) = 3.3, p = .04]. The outcomes hint assessment paths aimed to monitor the aspects of cognitive, motor, behavioural development of moderately preterm children recognised as signs of problematic functioning profiles. Therefore, specific training will have been designed since preschool age in order to control the ADHD risk factors.

The study focuses on parents’ psychological implications caused by the treatment of their children suffering from tumor. It investigates some specific mothers’ resource factors such as their strategies of coping and the perception of their own family functioning in terms of cohesion and adaptability. The study was performed with 34 mothers of children suffering from acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), during the treatment phase. The used tools were the Coping Orientation to Problem Experienced—New Italian Version, to investigate coping strategies, and the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale-III, to analyze both real and ideal perception of family functioning. The data related to coping, show how the involved mothers tend to mainly use the strategies of positive aptitude, orientation toward problem and social support (F = 99.88, df = 4, P < .01). The family functioning, in terms of adaptability, is described as chaotic relating to both the real (χ² = 13.29, df = 3, P = .004) and ideal (χ² = 11.52, df = 2, P = .003) family, whereas in terms of cohesion, it is perceived as chiefly disengaged in the real family (χ² = 12.3, df = 3, P = .006) and as enmeshed in the ideal one (χ² = 12.58, df = 3, P = .006). Statistically positive correlations were only detected between adaptability and avoidance (r = 0.49, P < .01); adaptability and orientation toward problem (r = 0.36, P < .05); and adaptability and transcendent orientation (r = −0.04, P < .05). Despite the critical situation, the mothers have shown optimistic view, care for problem management and capability to ask for help. These coping strategies allow the therapeutic alliance between families and health care workers, so useful for the quality of childcare.

The study deals with the characteristics of temperament of preterm infants during their preschool age in order to not only investigate likely "difficult or problematic profiles", guided by impairments driven by their preterm birth, but also to provide guidelines for the activation of interventions of prevention, functional to improve the quality of preterm infant's life.

The low attention and hyperactivity are major morbidities associated with very and moderately preterm birth. The study has been aimed at investigating the likely occurrence of early precursors of Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in very and moderately preterm children at preschool age. The involved children were: 25 very preterm children (M=29.4 weeks of gestational age, SD=2), with low birth weight (M=1200 g, SD=250 g); 35 moderately preterm children (M=34.6 weeks of gestational age, SD=1) with low birth weight (M=2100 g, SD=250 g); 60 healthy full-term children as the control group. Parents of children have been administered specific questionnaires to detect low attention and hyperactivity of their children at home. The data have shown the risk of precursors of ADHD, highlighting statistically significant birth-related differences in both hyperactivity/impulsivity [F(2,119)=3.5, P=0.03, η2=0.06] and inattention [F(2,119)=2.4, P=0.04, η2=0.04], where very preterm children have got higher scores in these two dimensions compared with full-term and moderately preterm children. The very preterm children have got higher scores of impulsivity and inattention than the full-term children (Tukey’HSD − Honestly Significant Difference; P<0.001).

Child development may be subject to forms of motor, physical, cognitive and self-representation impairments when complex congenital heart disease (CHD) occurs. In some cases, inadequacy of both self-representation as well as the family system are displayed. It seems to be important to search the likely internal and external resources of the CHD child, and the possible connections among such resources, which may help him/her to manage his/her own risk condition. The research project inquires the possible resources related to the self-representation and self-esteem levels of the CHD child, and those related to maternal self-perception as competent mothers. A group of 25 children (mean age = 10.2; SD=1.8) suffering from specific forms of CHD, and a group made up of their relative mothers (mean age = 38.2; SD=5) were studied. The tools used were the Human Figure Drawing, to investigate child body-related self-representation; the TMA scale (Self-esteem Multidimensional Test), to investigate the child’s self-esteem; and the Q-sort questionnaire, to assess how mothers perceived their maternal competence. Data concerning the likely correlations between the child’s self-representation and the maternal role competence show [that] positive correlations between some indicators of maternal competence, specific aspects of CHD children’s self-representation (mothers’ emotional coping and children’s self-image adequacy) and self-esteem (mothers’ emotional scaffolding and children’s self-esteem at an emotional level). By detecting the occurrence of specific correlations among resources of both child and mother, the study provides cardiologists with information that is useful for building a relationship with the families concerned, which would seem to enhance the quality of the process of the cure itself.