Unraveling the Influence of Litter Size, Maternal Care, Exercise, and Aging on Neurobehavioral Plasticity and Dentate Gyrus Microglia Dynamics in Male Rats.

This study explores the multifaceted influence of litter size, maternal care, exercise, and aging on rats' neurobehavioral plasticity and dentate gyrus microglia dynamics. Body weight evolution revealed a progressive increase until maturity, followed by a decline during aging, with larger litters exhibiting lower weights initially. Notably, exercised rats from smaller litters displayed higher body weights during the mature and aged stages. The dentate gyrus volumes showed no significant differences among groups, except for aged sedentary rats from smaller litters, which exhibited a reduction. Maternal care varied significantly based on litter size, with large litter dams showing lower frequencies of caregiving behaviors. Behavioral assays highlighted the detrimental impact of a sedentary lifestyle and reduced maternal care/large litters on spatial memory, mitigated by exercise in aged rats from smaller litters. The microglial dynamics in the layers of dentate gyrus revealed age-related changes modulated by litter size and exercise. Exercise interventions mitigated microgliosis associated with aging, particularly in aged rats. These findings underscore the complex interplay between early-life experiences, exercise, microglial dynamics, and neurobehavioral outcomes during aging.

Two Adverse Early Life Events Induce Differential Changes in Brain CRH and Serotonin Systems in Rats along with Hyperphagia and Depression.

BACKGROUND: Different types of stress inflicted in early stages of life elevate the risk, among adult animals and humans, to develop disturbed emotional-associated behaviors, such as hyperphagia or depression. Early-life stressed (ELS) adults present hyperactivity of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, which is a risk factor associated with mood disorders. However, the prevalence of hyperphagia (17%) and depression (50%) is variable among adults that experienced ELS, suggesting that the nature, intensity, and chronicity of the stress determines the specific behavioral alteration that those individuals develop. METHODS: We analyzed corticosterone serum levels, Crh, GR, Crhr1 genes expression in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus, amygdala, and hippocampus due to their regulatory role on HPA axis in adult rats that experienced maternal separation (MS) or limited nesting material (LNM) stress; as well as the serotonergic system activity in the same regions given its association with the corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) pathway functioning and with the hyperphagia and depression development. RESULTS: Alterations in dams' maternal care provoked an unresponsive or hyper-responsive HPA axis function to an acute stress in MS and LNM adults, respectively. The differential changes in amygdala and hippocampal CRH system seemed compensating alterations to the hypothalamic desensitized glucocorticoids receptor (GR) in MS or hypersensitive in LNM. However, both adult animals developed hyperphagia and depression-like behavior when subjected to the forced-swimming test, which helps to understand that both hypo and hypercortisolemic patients present those disorders. CONCLUSION: Different ELS types induce neuroendocrine, brain CRH and 5-hydroxytriptamine (5-HT) systems' alterations that may interact converging to develop similar maladaptive behaviors.

Incubation as a driver of maternal effects: Temperature influences levels of yolk maternally derived 5α-dihydrotestosterone.

In birds, maternal hormones deposited into eggs in response to environmental stimuli can impact offspring phenotype. Although less studied, environmental conditions can also influence females' incubation behavior, which might play a role in regulating embryo exposure to maternal hormones through changes in incubation temperature that affect the activity of the enzymes responsible for converting testosterone (T) to 5α-dihydrotestosterone (DHT) or estradiol. Here, we tested the hypothesis that the initial T content of the yolk and incubation temperature determine exposure to T metabolites during early embryo development. In the Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica), we experimentally manipulated yolk T and incubation temperature (38° C versus 36° C) and analyzed DHT and estradiol titers on day four of incubation. We found that eggs with experimentally increased T and those incubated at 36° C showed higher DHT concentration in egg yolk (with no synergistic effect of the two treatments). Estradiol titers were not affected by T manipulation or incubation temperature. Our study suggests that incubation temperature influences DHT titers and may act as an understudied source of maternal influence on offspring phenotype.

Immigration and C-sections incidence: Maternal care and perinatal outcomes in the context of the pandemic in Chile.

Introduction: Immigration has increased significantly in Chile. Despite that all pregnant women, regardless of nationality and immigration status, have the right to access to all healthcare services during pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum, inequities in health care outcomes and health provision have been reported. During COVID-19 pandemic, these inequities are completely unknown. Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the incidence of c-sections according to mother's migration status, as well as other maternal care and perinatal outcomes in women giving birth at San José Hospital in Santiago, Chile, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was designed including 10,166 registered single births at the San José Hospital between March 2020 and August 2021. To compare between groups, statistical tests such as Chi-square and Fisher's exact were used. Log Binomial regression models were performed adjusted for potential confounding variables. To estimate the strength of association the relative risk was used. Results: Immigrant mothers account for 48.1% of the registered births. Compared to non-immigrant women, immigrants exhibit a higher proportion of c-section, specifically, emergency c-section (28.64% vs. 21.10%; p-value < 0.001) but a lower proportion of and having a preterm birth (8.24% vs. 13.45%; p < 0.05), receiving personalized childbirth care (13.02% vs. 14.60%; p-value < 0.05), companion during labor and childbirth (77.1% vs. 86.95%; p-value < 0.001), And postpartum attachment to newborn (73% vs. 79.50%; p-value < 0.001). The proportion of COVID exposure was not significant between groups, not the severity also. Haitians had a highest risk of undergoing emergency c-section (aRR = 1.61) and Venezuelans had a highest risk of elective c-section (aRR = 2.18) compared to non-immigrants. Conclusion: This study reports high rates of c-sections in the entire population, but in immigrant populations it is even higher. Additionally, it found gaps in maternal care and perinatal outcomes between immigrants and non-immigrants. More studies are needed to elucidate the possible causes of these differences and establish new regulations to protect the reproductive rights of the immigrant population.

Benefits and costs of female and male care in amphibians: a meta-analytical approach.

The origin of parental care is a central question in evolutionary biology, and understating the evolution of this behaviour requires quantifying benefits and costs. To address this subject, we conducted a meta-analysis on amphibians, a group in which parental care has evolved multiple times. We found that both male and female parents increase egg survival, regardless of whether the breeding site is concealed or exposed. Parental care also increases survival and growth of tadpoles and juveniles, independent of the caring sex. However, parental care reduces parental body condition, particularly when parents remain stationary near the offspring. Females tend to experience higher reproductive costs, but sample size is restricted to few species. In some frog species, paternal care increases male reproductive success because females prefer caring males. The benefits of parental care in amphibians resembles those reported for arthropods but differ from fish, in which parental care does not improve offspring survival. Moreover, the decrease in body condition, which is not found in fish, is influenced by the form of parental care, suggesting a trade-off between caring and foraging, as already reported for certain arthropods. Finally, the reproductive costs of parental care for both sexes remain unexplored and deserve further research.

The Role of Oxytocin in Domestic Animal's Maternal Care: Parturition, Bonding, and Lactation.

Oxytocin (OXT) is one of the essential hormones in the birth process; however, estradiol, prolactin, cortisol, relaxin, connexin, and prostaglandin are also present. In addition to parturition, the functions in which OXT is also involved in mammals include the induction of maternal behavior, including imprinting and maternal care, social cognition, and affiliative behavior, which can affect allo-parental care. The present article aimed to analyze the role of OXT and the neurophysiologic regulation of this hormone during parturition, how it can promote or impair maternal behavior and bonding, and its importance in lactation in domestic animals.

Effects of Training for First Milking Involving Positive Tactile Stimulation on Post-Calving Maternal Behaviors in Primiparous Gyr Dairy Cows.

In dairy systems with Zebu breeds, calves are not immediately separated from their dams after calving; consequently, maternal care and protective behavior are important, influencing both productive performance and stockpeople's safety. Our objectives were to: (1) investigate the effects of a training protocol involving pre-calving positive stimulation, delivered prior to calving, on the maternal care of primiparous Gyr cows; and (2) evaluate the effects of this training protocol on maternal protective behavior towards handlers during the first calf handling. Primiparous dairy Gyr cows (n = 37) were allocated into two groups: training (n = 16) and control (n = 21). Animal behaviors were recorded in three periods: post-calving, first calf handling, and post-handling. Maternal protective behavior during calf handling was assessed from measures of aggressiveness, attention, displacement, and agitation. Calf latency to stand up (p < 0.01) and sex (p < 0.01) differed between the training and control groups. The training group had less touching (p = 0.03), more time not interacting with the calf (p = 0.03), tended to be less protective (p = 0.056), and moved less (p < 0.01) during the first handling of their calves. In conclusion, the primiparous dairy Gyr cows subjected to pre-calving training protocol displayed less maternal care and displacement during the first handling of their calves and tended to be less protective.

Limited bedding nesting paradigm alters maternal behavior and pup's early developmental milestones but did not induce anxiety- or depressive-like behavior in two different inbred mice.

Animal models are crucial to understanding the mechanisms underlying the deleterious consequences of early-life stress. Here, we aimed to examine the effect of the limited bedding nesting (LBN) paradigm on early life development milestones and anxiety- and/or depression-like behavior in adolescent and adult mice from two inbred mice of both sexes. C57BL/6NCrl and BALB/c litters were exposed to the LBN paradigm postnatal day (PND) 2-9. Maternal behavior recording occurred on PND 3-9, and pups were weighed daily and examined to verify the eye-opening on PND 10-22. The male and female offspring underwent evaluation in the open field test, elevated plus-maze, and the forced swimming test during adolescence (PND 45-49) and adulthood (PND 75-79). We found that LBN impaired the maternal behavior patterns of both strain dams, mainly on C57BL/6NCrl strain. Also, LBN delayed the pup's eye-opening time and reduced body weight gain, impacting C57BL/6NCrl pups more. We also found that LBN decreased anxiety-related indices in adolescent and adult male but not female mice of both strains. Furthermore, LBN decreased depression-related indices only adolescent female and male BALB/c and female but not male C57BL/6NCrl mice. These findings reinforce the evidence that the LBN paradigm impairs the maternal behavior pattern and pup's early developmental milestones but does not induce anxiety- or depressive-like behavior outcomes during later life.

Parental Behavior in Carnivores.

The mammalian order Carnivora is generally defined as species that feed exclusively or to some degree by eating other animals. The Carnivora comprise around 280 species, divided into 16 families, 13 of which are terrestrial and 3 aquatic. Carnivores are spread across the entire planet, including the two polar regions and on land and sea. Consistent with such diverse ecologies, there is no typical pattern of parental care distinguishing carnivores from other mammals. Using examples from different taxonomic families, our aim is to illustrate the diversity of parental care in Carnivora. Major topics include parental care before and after birth of the young, paternal, and alloparental care and the process of weaning. Given the position of many carnivores at the apex of food chains, a greater understanding of their patterns of parental care as a vital part of reproductive biology is essential to conservation programs.

The experience of obstetric nursing students in an innovative maternal care programme in Chiapas, Mexico: a qualitative study.

In Mexico, over the last decade, more non-physician medical professionals have been participating in birth care according to recent federal regulations. So far, very few sites have been able to implement birth care models where midwives and obstetric nurses participate. We describe the experience of a group of intern obstetric nurses participating in a model that provides respectful birth care to rural populations, managed by an international NGO in partnership with the Ministry of Health of Chiapas, Mexico. We conducted a case study including individual interviews and focus group discussions with obstetric nurse interns participating in the Compañeros En Salud programme over four years from 2016 to 2019. We applied targeted content analysis to the qualitative data. There were 28 participants from 4 groups of interns. Informants expressed their opinions in four areas: (a) training as a LEO, (b) training experience at CES, (c) LEO role in health care delivery; and (d) LEOs' perspectives about respectful maternity care. Interns identified gaps in their training including a higher load of theoretical content vs practical experience, as well as little supervision of clinical care in public hospitals. Their adaptation to the health services model has increased over time, and recent classes acknowledge the difficulties that earlier ones had to confront, including the challenging interactions with hospital staff. Interns have incorporated the value of respectful birth care and their role to protect this right in rural populations. Findings could be useful to call for the expansion of the model in public birth centres.

The Embodiment of Traditional Partería in the Colombian Pacific Region.

A Traditional Partera refers to a woman who assists, by traditional practices, women during gestation, birth, and reproductive life, aside of the formal health care system. Their practice, Traditional Partería, is considered a key ancestral cultural component in marginalized communities in Colombia. A comprehensive description of the essence of Colombian Traditional Partería is currently missing, and this practice is facing the loss of its body of knowledge. Here, we describe the essence of being a Colombian Traditional Partera. Eight Traditional Parteras participated in phenomenological interviews and body maps focused on their embodied conscious experience of being a Traditional Partera in Colombia. Seventeen general meaning units were identified and grouped in three embodied components (Head, Heart, and Hands) related to practice, knowledge, feelings, perceptions, context, and culture. We discuss philosophical reflections and implications of knowing other's world perspectives, describing a sensitive triad central in the Traditional Partería practice.

Scorpion Envenomation of Lactating Rats Decreases the Seizure Threshold in Offspring.

Few data are available in the literature describing the long-term effects of envenoming in the perinatal period. In this study, the relationship between envenoming of lactating rats and possible behavioral changes in the mother and in her offspring were investigated. Lactating Wistar rats received a single dose of T. serrulatus crude venom on postnatal days 2 (V2), 10 (V10) or 16 (V16), and had their maternal behavior evaluated. The seizure threshold was evaluated in adulthood offspring. A decrease in maternal care during envenoming was observed in V2 and V10 groups. The retrieval behavior was absent in the V2 group, and a lower seizure threshold in the adult offspring of all groups was observed. During envenoming, mothers stayed away from their offspring for a relatively long time. Maternal deprivation during the early postnatal period is one of the most potent stressors for pups and could be responsible, at least in part, for the decrease in the convulsive threshold of the offspring since stress is pointed to as a risk factor for epileptogenesis. Furthermore, the scorpionic accident generates an intense immune response, and inflammation in neonates increases the susceptibility to seizures in adulthood. Therefore, maternal envenoming during lactation can have adverse effects on offspring in adulthood.

Parental care in male degus (Octodon degus) is flexible and contingent upon female care.

Parents in many animal species provide care to their offspring as a mechanism to enhance their own fitness. In mammals, this behavior is expressed mostly by the females, but also by males of some species. Proximally, rates of paternal offspring care have been linked to organizational and activational effects of testosterone. Specifically, intrauterine position of male fetuses is associated with differential exposure to testosterone, leading to development of males with different levels of masculinization (assessed through differences in the length of the anogenital distance (AGD). The relative roles played by organizational and activational effects of testosterone on male parental care remain unclear. In this study, we aimed to determine if male sex-biased uterine environment and testosterone levels across the breeding period explain variation in paternal care in the social rodent, Octodon degus. Neither quantity (time with the offspring) nor quality (frequency of grooming and retrieving) of paternal care was affected by male sex-biased uterine environment, nor did paternal care significantly differ across the different stages of male reproduction. In contrast, paternal care was associated with maternal care. Quantity of male care decreased with increasing quantity of maternal care, and quality of male care increased with increasing quality of maternal care. While serum testosterone did not differ between males with different sex-biased uterine environment, male testosterone tended to increase during mating and decrease when pregnant females or offspring were present.

Promoting mother-infant relationships and underlying neural correlates: Results from a randomized controlled trial of a home-visiting program for adolescent mothers in Brazil.

Poverty and teenage pregnancy are common in low-and-middle-income countries and can impede the development of healthy parent-child relationships. This study aimed to test whether a home-visiting intervention could improve early attachment relationships between adolescent mothers and their infants living in poverty in Brazil. Analyses were conducted on secondary outcomes from a randomized controlled trial (NCT0280718) testing the efficacy of a home-visiting program, Primeiros Laços, on adolescent mothers' health and parenting skills and their infants' development. Pregnant youth were randomized to intervention (n = 40) or care-as-usual (CAU, n = 40) from the first trimester of pregnancy until infants were aged 24 months. Mother-infant attachment was coded during a mother-infant interaction when the infants were aged 12 months. Electrophysiological correlates of social processing (mean amplitude of the Nc component) were measured while infants viewed facial images of the mother and a stranger at age 6 months. Infants in the intervention group were more securely attached and more involved with their mothers than those receiving CAU at 12 months. Smaller Nc amplitudes to the mother's face at 6 months were associated with better social behavior at 12 months. Our findings indicate that the Primeiros Laços Program is effective in enhancing the development of mother-infant attachment.

Association of maternal depression, family composition and poverty with maternal care and physical health of children in the first year of life / Associação da depressão materna, composição da família e pobreza com os cuidados maternos e a saúde física de crianças no primeiro ano de vida

INTRODUCTION: The child's overall health depends on several factors, including the quality of the environment in which it lives and the care it receives. Child well-being early in life has an impact on its future and future generations' health. OBJECTIVE: Analyze the association of maternal depression, family composition, and socioeconomic conditions with the indicator of maternal care and physical health of children. METHODS: Retrospective cohort that analyzed data from 120 children during their first year of life. A Health and Maternal Care Indicator (ISCM) was created, aggregating information on growth, breastfeeding, vaccination, prophylaxis of iron deficiency anemia, illnesses, and accidents. The socioeconomic and health conditions were obtained through a structured interview. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale assessed maternal depression. Quasipoisson Regression examined the association between the ICSM and the predictors. The initial model considered p<0.25 in the univariate analysis and p<0.05 in the final model. RESULTS: The mothers were adults (83.3%), studied for an average of 10 years, and 36% had depressive symptoms. About 37% of the families were single-parent female, 59% were from Class C1-C2 of ABEP, and 12% received the "Bolsa Família" benefit. ISCM was 8% lower in children whose mothers were depressed (p = 0.04) or had no partner (p = 0.03), and was 14% higher in families receiving Bolsa Família (p = 0.02) in relation to their peers. CONCLUSION: Maternal depression and female single-parent family arrangements negatively impacted child health and care, while the conditional cash transfer program represented a protective factor.

INTRODUÇÃO: A saúde integral da criança depende de vários fatores, entre eles a qualidade do ambiente em que vive e dos cuidados que recebe. O bem-estar da criança no início da vida tem impacto na sua saúde futura e das próximas gerações. OBJETIVO: Analisar a associação da depressão materna, composição da família e condições socioeconômicas com o indicador de cuidados maternos e saúde física de crianças. MÉTODO: Coorte retrospectiva que analisou dados de 120 crianças no primeiro ano de vida. Foi criado um Indicador de Saúde e Cuidados Maternos (ISCM), agregando informações sobre crescimento, aleitamento materno, vacinação, profilaxia de anemia ferropriva, adoecimentos e acidentes. A condição socioeconômica e de saúde foram obtidas por entrevista estruturada. A depressão materna foi avaliada pela Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. A associação entre o ICSM e os preditores foi examinada pela Regressão de Quasipoisson. O modelo inicial foi composto por variáveis com p<0,25 na análise univariada e p<0,05 no modelo final. RESULTADOS: As mães eram adultas (83,3%), estudaram, em média, por 10 anos e 36% delas apresentaram sintomas depressivos. Cerca de 37% das famílias eram do tipo monoparental feminino, 59% eram da Classe C1-C2 da ABEP e 12% recebiam o benefício "Bolsa Família". O ISCM foi 8% menor nas crianças cujas mães eram deprimidas (p=0,04) ou não tinham companheiro (p=0,03), e foi 14% maior nas famílias que recebiam o Bolsa família (p=0,02) em relação aos seus pares. CONCLUSÃO: A depressão materna e o arranjo familiar monoparental feminino impactaram negativamente a saúde e os cuidados com a criança, enquanto o programa de transferência condicionada de renda representou um fator de proteção.

Effects of sleep deprivation on maternal behaviour in animal models: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Pregnancy is a period of numerous physical and emotional changes in women's lives, including alterations in sleep patterns and worsening of pre-existing sleep disturbances, which possibly lead to impaired postpartum maternal behaviour and mother-infant relationship. The effects of sleep deprivation during pregnancy in maternal behaviour have been evaluated in preclinical studies, but have provided inconsistent results. Thus, in the present study, we aimed to evaluate the effects of sleep deprivation during pregnancy on maternal behaviour of animals through a systematic review and meta-analyses. After a two-step selection process, six articles were included, all of them describing rat studies. The most frequently used method of sleep deprivation was rapid eye movement sleep restriction, using the multiple-platform method. Four meta-analyses were performed, none of them presenting significant impact of sleep deprivation on maternal behaviour, failing to reproduce the results observed in previous clinical studies. In conclusion, our results show a lack of translational applicability of animal models to evaluate the effects of sleep deprivation during pregnancy on maternal behaviour.

Maternal behavior in domestic dogs

For the past years, there is an increased interest for maternal behavior in human’s best friend – the dog. Indeed, studies show that the quality of mothering is not only important for the survival of the puppies during the first weeks of life, for the bonding process but recently it shows that it might have a long-lasting impact on the puppies’ future performance. However, how to define and measure maternal behavior? From the early studies to nowadays, the display of acts from the bitch right prior to parturition (preparation phase), and then continuously toward the puppies until weaning are the repertoire of actions that define maternal behavior. For the scientific community, maternal care is quantified as a principal component assessing attitudes that are easy to measure from the dam to the puppies such as: the time spent in contact, time and/or frequency of licking/grooming and time and position of nursing. Though, there is still a need to elucidate different aspects of maternal behavior in the dog, for example the effect of genetics, the impact of the emotional state of the bitch and the quality of maternal behavior, the role of hormones, the possibility to improve maternal behavior, there is some information to share. The idea is to give an overview of maternal behavior that permits veterinarians, breeders to identify and prevent problems to optimize the dog welfare.

Scorpion evenomation of lactating rats decreases the seizure threshold in offspring

Few data are available in the literature describing the long-term effects of envenoming in the perinatal period. In this study, the relationship between envenoming of lactating rats and possible behavioral changes in the mother and in her offspring were investigated. Lactating Wistar rats received a single dose of T. serrulatus crude venom on postnatal days 2 (V2), 10 (V10) or 16 (V16), and had their maternal behavior evaluated. The seizure threshold was evaluated in adulthood offspring. A decrease in maternal care during envenoming was observed in V2 and V10 groups. The retrieval behavior was absent in the V2 group, and a lower seizure threshold in the adult offspring of all groups was observed. During envenoming, mothers stayed away from their offspring for a relatively long time. Maternal deprivation during the early postnatal period is one of the most potent stressors for pups and could be responsible, at least in part, for the decrease in the convulsive threshold of the offspring since stress is pointed to as a risk factor for epileptogenesis. Furthermore, the scorpionic accident generates an intense immune response, and inflammation in neonates increases the susceptibility to seizures in adulthood. Therefore, maternal envenoming during lactation can have adverse effects on offspring in adulthood.

Maternal Parenting Electronic Diary in the Context of a Home Visit Intervention for Adolescent Mothers in an Urban Deprived Area of São Paulo, Brazil: Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Pregnancy during adolescence is prevalent in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), which is associated with various adverse outcomes that can be prevented with home visiting programs. However, testing these interventions in LMICs can be challenging due to limited resources. The use of electronic data collection via smartphones can be an alternative and ideal low-cost method to measure outcomes in an environment with adverse conditions. OBJECTIVE: Our study had two objectives: to test the efficacy of a nurse home visiting intervention on maternal parenting and well-being measured by an electronic daily diary (eDiary), and to investigate the compliance rate of the eDiary measurement method. METHODS: We conducted a randomized controlled trial to test the efficacy of Primeiros Laços, a nurse home visiting program, for adolescent mothers living in an urban deprived area of São Paulo, Brazil. A total of 169 pregnant adolescents were assessed for eligibility criteria, 80 of whom were included and randomized to the intervention (n=40) and control group (care as usual, n=40). Primeiros Laços is a home visiting intervention delivered by trained nurses tailored to first-time pregnant adolescents and their children, starting during the first 16 weeks of pregnancy until the child reaches 24 months of age. Participants were assessed by blind interviewers at 8-16 weeks of pregnancy (baseline), 30 weeks of pregnancy, and when the child was 3, 6, and 12 months of age. At 18 months, participants were assessed regarding maternal parenting and parental well-being using a 7-consecutive-day eDiary. The smartphone app was programmed to notify participants every day at 9:00 PM over a period of seven days. RESULTS: We were able to contact 57/80 (71%) participants (29 from the intervention group and 28 from the control group) when the child was 18 months of age. Forty-eight of the 57 participants (84%) completed at least one day of the eDiary protocol. The daily compliance rate ranged from 49% to 70%. Our analyses showed a significant effect of the intervention on parental well-being (B=0.32, 95% CI [0.06, 0.58], P=.02) and the maternal parenting behavior of the mother telling a story or singing to the child (odds ratio=2.33, 95% CI [1.20, 4.50], P=.01).Our analyses showed a significant effect of the intervention on parental well-being (B=0.32, P=.02) and the maternal parenting behavior of the mother telling a story or singing to the child (odds ratio=2.33, P=.01). CONCLUSIONS: The Primeiros Laços intervention improved maternal parenting and parental well-being, demonstrating its promise for low-income adolescent mothers. The compliance rate of the eDiary assessment showed that it was generally accepted by adolescent mothers with limited resources. Future studies can implement ambulatory assessment in LMICs via smartphones to measure mother and child behaviors. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02807818; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02807818.

Emotional Distress in the Relationship of Caregivers and Institutionalized Babies.

Institutionalization is an exceptional and temporary measure that occurs when there is a violation of rights; lasting until the family reintegration or, in the impossibility of this, the placement in a substitute family through adoption. Among the main reasons for institutionalization in Brazil are the financial difficulties, abandonment, domestic violence, drug addiction, homelessness of the responsible for the child, sexual abuse, and the loss of parents by death or imprisonment. Although children and adolescents have their rights assured when they are institutionalized, the care provided in these spaces does not include all their needs and demands, which may damage their affective-relational development. Maternal deprivation in the first years of life can be detrimental to the development of these children, if not provided by adequate substitute care. Therefore, to understand which place the institutionalized baby occupies in the imaginary of the social caregivers and, from this, how is established the relationship regarding the care, is of fundamental importance to assess and address the risk factors in child development at this stage of life and in situation of institutionalization. This is an exploratory and descriptive study, developed in a childcare institution, located in the city of São Paulo, Brazil, capable of accommodating up to 20 babies between 0 and 2 years old. Data collection was performed with nine employees, eight social caregivers and one general service assistant who work directly in the care of the institutionalized babies. Drawing-Story with Theme (DS-T) procedures were used. Qualitative analysis was based on Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. The appreciation of the nine applied Drawing-Story procedures allowed the establishment of three discussion axes representations of baby, baby care, and early separation process. This study concluded that the difficulties that permeate the context of caregivers' work are the high turnover of institutionalized children, as well as employees, the difficulty of dealing with processes of bonding and breaking bonds and no recognition of the profession. We highlight that the place that these babies occupy in the imaginary of these caregivers influences the bond they establish with the children hence the care offered to the babies. It is also noteworthy that these caregivers exhibited anguish and suffering from the reasons they believed led the children to be institutionalized.