Support and self-efficacy among Latino and White parents of children with ID.

Research indicates that mothers of children with ID who receive familial support experience less stress than those who receive less support. Less is known about the relation of support to mothers' evaluation of parenting self-efficacy, particularly in Latino families. We examined the relationship of different types of family support to life satisfaction and parenting self-efficacy (PSE), and explored whether income and ethnicity moderated these relationships. Interviews with 84 Latino and 37 White participants revealed that partner emotional support predicted life satisfaction and PSE in both ethnic groups, with a stronger relationship evident for the PSE of Latino mothers. Income was not a significant moderator. These findings provide guidance for more effective family interventions targeted toward Latinos.

Attitudes toward prenatal testing and pregnancy termination among a diverse population of parents of children with intellectual disabilities.

OBJECTIVE: To determine how parents of children with intellectual disabilities view prenatal testing and pregnancy termination for their child's condition. METHOD: We interviewed 201 English-speaking or Spanish-speaking caregivers of children aged 2 to 10 years. Primary outcomes were being disinclined to undergo prenatal testing or pregnancy termination for the child's condition in a future pregnancy. RESULTS: While only 33% of the sample indicated they would not have prenatal testing, 75% were disinclined to terminate their pregnancy if their fetus was affected. In multivariable logistic regression analysis, Asians were significantly less likely than White participants to say they would forego prenatal testing (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 0.08, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.01-0.86, p = 0.037), while Latinos had lower odds of being disinclined to terminate (aOR = 0.27, 95% CI = 0.07-0.99, p = 0.048). Participants who felt that abortion for their child's condition should not be available were more likely to say they would forego prenatal testing (aOR = 5.10, 95% CI = 2.09-12.43, p < 0.001) and, not surprisingly, they were also at higher odds of being disinclined to terminate pregnancy for this condition (aOR = 13.63, 95% = CI 4.19-44.34, p < 0.001). Greater life satisfaction also was associated with being disinclined to terminate pregnancy (aOR = 3.40, 95% CI = 1.34-8.61, p = 0.010). CONCLUSION: Although many parents of children with intellectual disabilities believe they would desire information regarding their fetus in a future pregnancy, most feel they would not opt to terminate their pregnancy. As new tests for intellectual disabilities become available, determining what would be most useful to prospective parents should become a high priority.