Parent-child relationships and psychological distress: survey of parents from low-income families after the COVID-19 pandemic

Long-Term Growth and Neurodevelopmental Outcomes of Neonates Infected with SARS-CoV-2 during the COVID-19 Pandemic at 18-24 Months Corrected Age: A Prospective Observational Study

INTRODUCTION

During the early coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in 2020, researchers cautioned about the potential neuroinvasive capability of the virus and long-term neurological consequences. Although a few preliminary studies have found delayed communication, fine motor, and problem-solving skills in infants after COVID-19 infection, there continues to be a paucity of data on long-term development of neonates diagnosed with COVID-19.

METHODS

We conducted a prospective study of 20 neonates who acquired severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection during the first wave of the pandemic (April-July 2020). At 18-24 months corrected age, we assessed neurodevelopment by Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, the third edition (BSID-III), along with growth, hearing, and vision evaluation.

RESULTS

The mean corrected age at assessment was 21 months 11 days ± 1 month 28 days. We found developmental delay in nearly half of the children with scores below one standard deviation in either of the BSID-III domains. Mild delay in either motor, cognitive, or language domains was found in 9 (45%) children and moderate delay in 2 (10%). Expressive language, fine motor, and receptive language were predominantly affected. None of the children had hearing impairment, blindness, or significant growth faltering including clinically severe microcephaly. The mean composite cognitive, language, and motor scores were significantly lower in those with neurodevelopmental delay (p value - 0.02, 0.000, and 0.03, respectively) without any differences in their disease characteristics.

CONCLUSION

Neonates infected with SARS-CoV-2 have an increased risk of developmental delays in expressive language, fine motor, and receptive language skills at 18-24 months of age. The severity of delays is predominantly mild.

The Child-Parent Relationship During the COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia

Background The COVID-19 pandemic psychologically affected children and their caregivers. On the other side, parents were adapting to new daily routines for work, education, and self-care in response to the current situation. Therefore, assessing the child-parent relationship during the quarantine period is a crucial issue. Objective This study aimed to measure the impact of quarantine during the COVID-19 period on the relationship between children and their parents in the western region of Saudi Arabia, mainly in Jeddah and other nearby cities. Methods A cross-sectional survey study was conducted from April to December 2020 in the western region of Saudi Arabia, primarily Jeddah and neighboring cities, during the COVID-19 quarantine and shortly after it was stopped. A validated survey (Child-Parent Relationship Scale (CPRS)) comprising socio-demographic characteristics, conflict, and closeness of the child-parent relationship was distributed to the respondents after being translated from English to Arabic. Statistical analysis was conducted using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, IBM Corp., Version 26.0, Armonk, NY). P-values less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results The study included 361 parents with a mean (SD) age of 37.30 (7.77) years old. Most parents were mothers (77.9%, N=279), married (91.3%, N=326), lived with their children (98.3%, N=354), and had three or a lesser number of children (80%, N=287). The average time spent with children was significantly higher after the quarantine (12.96 hours) compared to before the quarantine (8 hours) (p<0.001). The number of hours spent with children before the quarantine was significantly higher for mothers than fathers (8.44 vs. 6.01 hours, respectively, p<0.001). There was a significant association between the mean difference in conflict scores before and after the quarantine and the age of parents (p=0.002), the gender of parents (p<0.001), and marital status (p=0.026). There was a significant correlation between mean differences in closeness scores before and after the quarantine and the gender of parents (p=0.038). Conclusion Our findings highlight the complex and varied effects of the pandemic on parent-child relationships. The results emphasize the need for support and interventions to address increased conflict and promote positive relationships between parents and children during challenging times.

The representation of child-parent relation: validation of the Italian version of the child-parent relationship scale (CPRS-I)

This study proposes a psychometric validation of the Italian version of the Child-Parent Relationship Scale (CPRS) developed by Pianta in 1992. Based on attachment theory, the scale assesses parents' relationship perceptions with their own child and comprises three scales: Closeness, Conflict, and Dependency. A sample of 501 parents (188 fathers and 313 mothers) completed 30 items of the Italian version of the Child-Parent Relationship Scale (CPRS-I) online, but only 437 answered 85% of the entire protocol; hence, the analyses only focused on 437 participants. The first analysis of the original theoretical model revealed poor fit, item loadings, and internal consistency. Therefore, a follow-up analysis was conducted. Exploratory and confirmatory analyses with a split sample (EFA = 218; CFA = 219) confirmed the original three-factor structure of the Italian sample, although some items were eliminated. The validity and reliability of the Italian version of the CPRS-I were also verified by correlating the above three factors with measures of adult attachment styles and children's internalizing and externalizing behaviors. The CPRS-I showed significant correlations with all tested constructs, in line with those found by Driscoll and Pianta for the short form of the scale. Our results confirm that the CPRS-I has the same structure as the original scale; therefore, it can be a useful tool for assessing parents' perceptions of their relationship with their children. The implications for educational and clinical settings are also discussed.