Children Exposed to Interparental Violence: A Study of Portuguese Children from 7-9 Years of Age / Niños expuestos a violencia interparental: un estudio de niños portugueses de 7 a 9 años

Abstract Introduction: Exposure to interparental violence is a type of child maltreatment linked to a higher risk of physical and mental health problems. This research considers the experiences of young Portuguese children exposed to interparental violence. The goal is to explore the associations between interparental conflict in children, their perceptions of conflict properties, threat, self-blame, and the relationship with their parents. Method: The research protocol was applied to 888 Portuguese children between 7 and 9 years of age, of whom 123 are victims of interparental violence. Results: The results showed that witnessing interparental conflict is positively correlated with children's self-blame and insight into conflict properties and negatively correlated with children's insight into the parent-child relationship. Conclusion: These results provide strong support for the hypothesis that witnessing interparental conflict is associated with adverse outcomes in young children. Findings highlight the importance of identifying children exposed

Resumen Introducción: La exposición a la violencia interparental es un tipo de maltrato infantil, y está relacionada con mayor riesgo de desarrollo de problemas de salud física y mental. Esta investigación analiza las experiencias de los niños portugueses expuestos a la violencia interparental. El objetivo es explorar la relación entre el conflicto interparental en los niños, sus percepciones sobre las propiedades del conflicto, la amenaza, la culpabilidad y la relación con sus padres. Método: Se ha aplicado el protocolo de investigación a 888 niños portugueses de entre 7 y 9 años, no víctimas (n = 765) y víctimas de la violencia interparental (n = 123). Resultados: Los resultados mostraron que presenciar el conflicto interparental está positivamente asociado a la percepción de culpabilidad de los niños y la percepción de las propiedades del conflicto y negativamente correlacionada con su percepción de la relación padre-hijo. Conclusión: Estos resultados soportan la hipótesis de que presenciar un conflicto interparental está asociado al desarrollo de problemas en niños pequeños. Los resultados destacan la importancia de identificar a los niños que han presenciado el conflicto interparental para desarrollar programas de intervención adecuados.

Toddlers as social actors in early education / Los niños pequeños como actores sociales en la educación infantil temprana / Crianças como atores sociais na educação infantil

Abstract: This article focuses on interaction among young toddlers during their second year of life in a Swedish preschool, with the view of toddlers as social actors. The overall aim is to explore interaction, communication, and the creation of friendship between the young children during self-initiated play activities. Play is looked upon as a rich arena for observing toddler interaction. The theoretical framework for the study is phenomenology, the view of the child as a social person and a child-oriented perspective. This article will also address the important concepts of methodology and research ethics, in relation to an ethnographic early childhood study, intended to investigate toddler's life worlds. A close analysis of their worlds may reveal what was not visible before - like a kaleidoscope. Six one-year old girls and boys in a setting, in a total of 15 children, were the focus of this study's observations for nine months. Participatory methods, photos, field notes and video-recordings, were used for the data collection. The findings of the ethnographic study recognise theoretically the competence of the toddler as a social actor, the child as an active participant, and the strategic nonverbal and verbal actions of children to initiate friendship. Mutual awareness, joint attention, shared smiles, coordinated movements, as well as other types of synchronized actions are understood as parts of nonverbal elements in emerging friendship. The competencies of attunement, taking others' perspectives and turn-taking were found in play among the young toddlers.

Resumen: Este artículo se centra en la interacción entre los niños pequeños durante su segundo año de vida en un preescolar sueco, desde la perspectiva de los niños pequeños como actores sociales. El objetivo general es explorar la interacción, la comunicación y la creación de amistad entre los niños pequeños durante las actividades de juego iniciadas por ellos mismos. El juego se considera un campo rico para observar la interacción de los niños pequeños. El marco teórico para el estudio es la fenomenología, la visión del niño como una persona social y desde un enfoque centrado en el niño. Este artículo también abordará las categorías centrales de metodología y ética de la investigación, con relación al estudio etnográfico de la primera infancia, destinado a investigar los mundos de la vida de los niños pequeños. Un análisis detallado de sus mundos puede revelar -como un caleidoscopio- lo que antes no era visible. En un grupo de quince niños, se enfocó el estudio de seis niñas y niños de un año en el entorno preescolar mediante observaciones desarrolladas durante nueve meses. Para la recolección de datos se utilizaron métodos participativos, fotografías, notas de campo y grabaciones de video. Los hallazgos del estudio etnográfico reconocen teóricamente la competencia del niño pequeño como actor social, el niño como participante activo, y las acciones estratégicas no verbales y verbales de los niños para iniciar la amistad. La conciencia mutua, la atención conjunta, las sonrisas compartidas, los movimientos coordinados, así como otros tipos de acciones sincronizadas, se entienden como parte de elementos no verbales en la amistad emergente. Las competencias de sintonía, considerar las perspectivas de los demás y tomar turnos, fueron halladas en el juego entre los niños pequeños.

Resumo: Este artigo enfoca a interação entre crianças pequenas durante o segundo ano de vida em uma pré-escola sueca, com a visão das crianças como atores sociais. O objetivo geral é explorar a interação, a comunicação e a criação de amizade entre as crianças pequenas durante as atividades lúdicas autoiniciadas. As brincadeiras são vistas como uma arena rica para observar a interação das crianças. O referencial teórico do estudo é a fenomenologia, a visão da criança como pessoa social e uma perspectiva orientada para a criança. Este artigo também abordará os conceitos importantes de metodologia e ética em pesquisa, em relação a um estudo etnográfico da primeira infância, destinado a investigar o mundo da vida de crianças pequenas. Uma análise detalhada de seus mundos pode revelar o que não era visível antes - como um caleidoscópio. Em um grupo de quinze crianças, o estudo de seis meninas e meninos de um ano de idade no ambiente pré-escolar foi focado por meio de observações desenvolvidas ao longo de nove meses. Métodos participativos, fotos, notas de campo e gravações de vídeo, foram utilizados para a coleta de dados. Os resultados do estudo etnográfico reconhecem teoricamente a competência da criança como ator social; a criança como um participante ativo, e as ações não-verbais e verbais estratégicas das crianças para iniciar a amizade. Consciência mútua, atenção conjunta, sorrisos compartilhados, movimentos coordenados, bem como outros tipos de ações sincronizadas são entendidos como partes de elementos não-verbais na amizade emergente. As competências de sintonização, assumir a perspectiva dos outros e dar turnos foram encontradas em brincadeiras entre as crianças pequenas.

O sofrimento da criança pequena maltratada e seus pais / The suffering of the young child mistreated and his parents / El sufrimiento del niño pequeño maltratado y sus padres

As estatísticas francesas mostram que um grande número de maus-tratos dirigidos a crianças de 0 a 3 anos passa despercebido por causa da negação dos pais. Os laços das crianças dessa idade ainda são tão psiquicamente alienados a seus pais que elas não conseguem expressar seu próprio sofrimento. Nos pais abusadores, a relembrança de sua própria infância não os deixa diferenciarem-se de suas crianças. Esse laço pais-criança, estruturado a partir da identificação projetiva patológica, implica um dispositivo clínico especial para o tratamento pais - criança. Esse dispositivo singular possibilita diferenciar a criança real dessa relação alienante. Isso será ilustrado por meio de um caso clínico.

The french statistics show the extent of the mistreament of children aged from 0 to 3 years that often goes unnoticed due to the denial of the parents, which contaminates them. The link between parents and children of that age still is so physically alienating that they cannot express their own suffering. For the mistreating parents, the reviral of their own childhood experiences cannot allow them to differentiate themselves from their child. This parent-child link, built from the mechanism of projective and pathological identification, implicates on a singular therapeutic device for the treatment parents-child. This singular device allows differentiate the real child from that alienating relation. This will be illustrated through one clinical case.

Las estadísticas francesas muestran la importancia de los fenómenos de abuso en niños de 0-3 años que pasan desapercibidos debido a la negación de los padres, negación que los contaminan. Los lazos de los niños de esta edad aún son tan psíquicamente alienados a sus padres que no pueden expresar su propio sufrimiento. En los padres abusadores, el recuerdo de su propia infancia no los permite diferenciarse de sus hijos. Este vínculo padre - niño, estructurado desde la identificación proyectiva patológica, implica en un dispositivo clínico especial para el tratamiento de padres - niño. Este dispositivo único permite diferenciar el ninõ real de esta relación alienante. Esto será ilustrado por medio de un caso clínico.

Habilidades y conocimientos constitutivos de la alfabetización temprana: Semejanzas y diferencias según el entorno social y las oportunidades educativas / Early literacy skills: Similarities and differences caused by social environment and school opportunities

Dada la relevancia del desarrollo temprano de los conocimientos o habilidades considerados precursores de la alfabetización, resulta fundamental, para la elaboración de propuestas pedagógicas, identificar aquellos aspectos en los que es necesario focalizar dichas propuestas. En este sentido, el estudio que se informa abordó la incidencia del medio en las habilidades tempranas de lectura y escritura en tres grupos de niños de diferente procedencia socioeconómica (niveles socioeconómicos medio urbano, bajo urbano y bajo rural). Los niños respondieron a 11 pruebas que evalúan las siguientes variables precursoras de la alfabetización: Habilidades de procesamiento fonológico, Conocimiento de las correspondencias, Habilidades de discriminación visual de letras y palabras, Habilidad de lectura de palabras en contexto, Capacidad de reconocimiento de acciones de lectura y escritura, Formas tempranas de escritura, Conocimiento de lenguaje técnico y Manejo de libro. Los resultados obtenidos señalan que existen diferencias entre los grupos en las tareas implicadas en el reconocimiento de lenguaje técnico, en las de conciencia fonológica y en las formas de escritura. Sin embargo, no se hallaron diferencias entre los niños de los distintos sectores socioeconómicos evaluados en las tareas de discriminación, manejo de libro y reconocimiento de acciones de lectura y escritura. En concordancia con el modelo evolutivo de Nelson (2007), los grupos muestran un desempeño similar en conocimientos que responden a procesos perceptivos básicos y difieren en aquellos que la investigación ha demostrado que requieren de la intervención de un adulto alfabetizado.

Due to the fact that early literacy skills are crucial for reading and writing learning process, it is important to identify them in order to design teaching activities. Most of the former literacy studies have been carried out with middle class children and show that reading and writing learning process begins very early at home. The rate and the way reading and writing are developed is highly related with parents educational level and the kind and frequency of the literacy activities they propose. There are differences between social groups with regard to these activities that may cause knowledge differences at early age that may explain reading and writing learning process failure in low income children. From a developmental perspective there have been numerous studies focused mainly on literacy learning before formal teaching of reading and writing in school. These researches tempt to explore and describe the concepts, knowledge, skills and early actions of reading and writing as well as the social context where these developments occur. In the framework of these observations, the aim of the present study was to compare early reading and writing skills in three groups of children from different socioeconomic environment. From theoretical and methodological point of view we have take in account a cognitive psychology perspective to explore those variables considered early literacy skills such as phonological awareness, early writing skills among others as well as we have adopted as teaching and learning process framework Vigotsky's zone of proximal development as well as Bruner's scaffolding. The groups were described according to different variables such us age (measured up to May, 30th), sex and socioeconomic level. In order to measure the last variable, parents education level and job were considered according Sartú (1992) occupational scale. Using this variables three groups were selected: Group A was formed by 20 children mean age 5.5-year-olds from middle urban income families who attended a public kindergarten school situated in a middle class neighborhood. Group B was formed by 19 kids mean age 5.3-year-olds from low income families who attended to a public kindergarten school in a low income urban neighborhood. Group C was formed by 17 children mean age 5.3-year-olds who attended a public kindergarten school from a low rural income area. Kids were assessed with 11 tasks: Phonological awareness, Letter-sound correspondences, Differences between letters, Words from pictures, Reading words in context, Recognition of writing and reading activities, Early reading and writing performance, Technical vocabulary knowledge, proper usage of books was tested. The results of this study provides empirical information on the early literacy pattern of learning process of Spanish-speaking children as well as differences in knowledge and skills involved in this process between children from different socioeconomic groups. Differences between the three groups were observed in technical vocabulary knowledge and phonological awareness tasks performance. There were no differences between socioeconomically groups in distinguishing letters and words from pictures, recognizing writing and reading activities and proper using of books. According to Nelson (2007), children have a similar performance in those activities based on basic cognitive skills and differ in the ones that involve adult's instruction. The similar performances of the groups tested seems to indicate that the knowledge involved in early literacy process is develop in a sequence characterized by an emerging knowledge about writing in the social environment. The fact that children did not grasp a complete competence in one knowledge before reaching it in other later ability shows that literacy acquisition is characterized by an overlapping development of different abilities and knowledge.

Asociación entre el índice de predicción de asma y el óxido nítrico exhalado en niños pequeños con sibilancias recurrentes / Association between the Asthma Predictive Index and levels of exhaled nitric oxide in infants ans toddlers with recurrent wheezing

Introducción. Es difícil identificar de manera temprana qué niños con sibilancias recurrentes desarrollarán asma en el futuro. El índice predictor de asma (API) es un cuestionario basado en parámetros clínicos y de laboratorio aplicado para este fin. La medición de la fracción exhalada de óxido nítrico (FE NO) se utiliza como un marcador de inflamación eosinofílica en las vías aéreas de los pacientes asmáticos. Objetivo. Determinar la asociación entre el índice predictor de asma y los valores de FE NO en menores de 3 años con sibilancias recurrentes. Materiales y métodos. Estudio observacional de corte transversal. Se incluyeron niños menores de 36 meses con tres o más episodios de obstrucción bronquial en el último año sin tratamiento previo con corticosteroides inhalados o antagonistas de los receptores de leucotrienos. Después de obtener los datos clínicos, se realizó la determinación de FE NO mediante un analizador de quimioluminiscencia mientras el paciente respiraba a volumen corriente (técnica on line). Resultados. Se incluyeron 52 niños de entre 5 y 36 meses de edad. Los pacientes con un índice (+) constituyeron el 60% de la población y presentaron valores de FE NO más elevados que los niños con un índice (-), mediana (rango) 13,5 (0,7 a 31) contra 5,6 (0,1 a 20,8) ppb, respectivamente (p <0,01). Se observó FE NO elevado (>8 ppb) en el 74% de los niños con API (+) y en el 26% de los niños con API (-) (p <0,01). Conclusiones. En el presente estudio se encontró una asociación entre los niveles elevados de óxido nítrico exhalado y un índice predictor de asma positivo en niños menores de 3 años con sibilancias recurrentes.

It is difficult to make an early identification of which children with recurrent wheezing will develop asthma in the following years. The Asthma Predictive Index (API) is a questionnaire based on clinical and laboratory parameters used for this end. The measurement of fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FE NO) has been used as a marker of eosinophilic airway infammation in asthma patients. Objective. To determine the association between the Asthma Predictive Index and FE NO levels in children younger than 3 years old with recurrent wheezing. Materials and methods. Observational, cross sectional study. Children younger than 36 months old with 3 or more episodes of bronchial obstruction in the past year who were inhaled corticosteroid-naive or leukotriene receptor antagonist-naive were included. After recording clinical data, FE NO was measured by a chemiluminescence analyzer during tidal breathing (online method). Results. A total of 52 children aged 5-36 months old were included. Patients with a positive API accounted for 60% of the population and had higher levels of FE NO than those with a negative API, with a median (range) of 13.5 ppb (0.7-31) versus 5.6 ppb (0.1-20.8), respectively (p <0.01). A high FE NO (>8 ppb) was observed in 74% of children with a positive API and in 26% of those with a negative API (p <0.01). Conclusions. This study found an association between high levels of exhaled nitric oxide and a positive Asthma Predictive Index in children younger than 3 years old with recurrent wheezing.

Evaluación nutricional de niños de 10 a 14 meses de edad / Nutrition assessment related to children aged 10 to 14 months

El objetivo de la investigación fue realizar la evaluación nutricional de un grupo de niños con edades entre 10 y 14 meses, residentes en Ciudad de La Habana. MÉTODOS. Las variables analizadas fueron la edad decimal, peso, longitud supina e ingestión de energía y macronutrientes. Los índices antropométricos peso para la edad, talla para la edad y peso para la talla se compararon con los valores nacionales e internacionales de referencia. Las encuestas dietéticas fueron analizadas en el programa CERES. RESULTADOS. La mayoría de los individuos fueron normales para los tres índices antropométricos, y aunque las niñas presentaron una ligera tendencia a la obesidad, no existieron diferencias significativas entre hembras y varones. El 87,5 por ciento presentó ingestión excesiva de proteínas y la contribución de los macronutrientes a la energía fue desequilibrada. CONCLUSIONES. Se comprobó que la mayoría de los niños son normales desde el punto de vista antropométrico y que existe un patrón dietético inadecuado.

The aim of this research was the carrying out of a nutrition assessment of a group of children aged from 10 to 14 months, in Ciudad de la Habana. METHODS: Variables analyzed included decimal age, weight, supine length and energy and macronutrients consumption. Anthropometric rates for age-weight, age-height and height-weight were compared with reference national and international values. Dietetic surveys were analyzed in CERES program. RESULTS: Most of subjects were normal for the three anthropometric rates, and although girls had a slight trend to obesity, there were not significant differences between both sexes. The 87,5 percent showed an excessive consumption of proteins and contribution of macronutrients to energy was unstable. CONCLUSIONS: Was proved that most of children are normal from the anthropometric point of view, and that there is an inappropriate dietetic pattern.

Experimentación, autorregulación y dominio de la física en edades tempranas / Experimentation, cognitive self-regulation and physics knowledge in early childhood / Experimentação, auto-regulação e conhecimento da física em idades precoces

Este artículo presenta una reflexión teórica a propósito de la herramienta científica de la experimentación en niños pequeños, que hasta el momento ha sido abordada desde diversas perspectivas teóricas. En este caso se propone asumir la Autorregulación Metacognitiva como eje integrador de las distintas concepciones de la experimentación. En este sentido se hace uso de la física como un dominio privilegiado para la comprensión de la experimentación en niños pequeños.

This paper presents a theoretical approach about experimentation in young children as a scientific tool, a concept researched up to date from different theoretical perspectives In this study, metacognitive self-regulation is propounded as an integrative concept to understand experimentation .Physics,as a privileged domain is used to describe experimentation in young children.

Neste artigo apresenta-se uma reflexão teórica sobre a ferramenta científica da experimentação com meninos pequenos. Neste caso, propõe-se assumir a auto-regulação meta-cognitiva como eixo integrador de diversas conceições da experimentação, e emprega-se a física como um domínio privilegiado para a compreensão da experimentação em meninos pequenos.