Jordanian mothers' knowledge of infants' childrearing and developmental milestones.

AIM: This study explored Jordanian mothers' knowledge of infants' childrearing practices and developmental milestones, the socio-demographic variables of relevance to knowledge, and sources of information that guide childrearing practices. BACKGROUND: Parents' knowledge is considered the frame of reference for parents' interpretations of their children's behaviors and provides the basis for having the appropriate expectation of the child's developmental stage. Parents' knowledge of childrearing is essential for children's physical, cognitive and emotional development. METHODS: A cross-sectional design using a modified version of MacPhee's 'Knowledge of Infant Development Inventory' was used to assess 400 mothers' knowledge of infants' childrearing and developmental milestones, in Amman, Jordan. RESULTS: Mothers were found to be more knowledgeable in physical and safety skills and less in cognitive, emotional, and parent-infant interaction skills. Parental age, education, parity and planned pregnancy had limited influence on developmental milestones knowledge. Formal and informal sources of information were used conforming to traditional societies. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Results were congruent with findings from other studies in the region and similar traditional societies. Results allude to conclusion that mothers resort to informal sources and traditional practices to replace formally structured programmes when absent. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING AND HEALTH POLICY: Healthcare professionals, nursing schools and healthcare policy makers are encouraged to develop and institute a holistic approach encompassing physical, cognitive, emotional and parent-infant interaction domains in childrearing educational programmes. Structured parenting programmes for mothers and culturally accepted sources of information for fathers are essential to enhance parenting skills among Jordanian couples.

Nursing students' perceptions of nursing: a descriptive study of four cohorts.

AIMS: The study aims to describe nursing students' changing perception of nursing over 4 years of the nursing programme and examine whether perception differed by gender, previous study or choice of nursing education. METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional design was used, with a probability sample of 606 students. Respondents were a random sample of 50% of each of the four educational cohorts studying within the academic year 2008-2009 in one baccalaureate nursing programme at a Jordanian public university. A specifically designed tool of statements of nursing definitions based on nursing theories, the nursing literature and sociocultural beliefs was used to identify student nurses' perception of nursing. FINDINGS: Student perceptions changed from lay altruistic beliefs of nursing to theoretical medical technological views of the profession denoting a theory-practice gap. Perceptions also differed by gender, having a previous associate degree in nursing and a priority choice to study nursing. CONCLUSION: Such results delineated the importance of revising nursing schools' curricula and the universities' admission policies into the nursing profession.

Radio-immuno assay estimation of plasma endothelin levels in patients with bilharzial and post viral liver cirrhosis: a possible new additive factor in aggravation of portal hypertension.

Radio immunoassay estimation of plasma endothelin level was carried out in 90 patients with bilharzial and post viral chronic liver diseases with portal hypertension associated with bleeding and non bleeding oesophageal varices as well as 10 normal control subjects. It was found that plasma endothelin level was significantly elevated in such patients when compared to normal controls. Moreover, there was a positive correlation between the elevated levels of plasma endothelin and portal vein diameter as well as bleeding oesophageal varices. It may be concluded that plasma endothelin, which is a very potent vasoconstrictor for both systemic and portal circulation, plays an important role in aggravation of portal hypertension in liver cirrhosis.

Immunocytological detection of T-lymphocyte subpopulation in schistosomiasis mansoni patients.

Pan T-lymphocytes, T4 (helper cells), T8 (suppressor cells) and T4/T8 ratio were studied in 51 bilharzial patients as well as 30 healthy controls using monoclonal antibodies and indirect immunofluorescence technique. There was no significant alteration in cell mediated immunity in early non complicated schistosomal infection with the advance of the disease and the development of granuloma cell mediated immunity was markedly decreased as evidenced by significant reduction in pan T-lymphocytes, T4 (helper) cells as well as T4/T8 ratio in hepatosplenic group in comparison to healthy controls. Splenomegaly in such cases may play an addtiinoa lrole in the immunosuppression.