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Comparison of family functioning in 103 neglectful and 102 nonneglectful low-income families found that neglectful mothers reported their families as having more family conflict and less expression of feelings, but not less cohesiveness. Observational measures indicated neglectful families were less organized, more chaotic, and less verbally expressive, and showed less positive affect than comparison families. (Author/DB)

Seventeen of the Child Well-Being Scales were used as measures of the physical and psychological care of children. Comparisons between neglectful families and low-income control families yielded predicted differences. Composite indices showed good internal consistency. Concurrent validity was supported. Scales reliably classified neglectful and nonneglectful families. (BB)

Mobilisation is recommended following cardiac surgery, but much less is known about its effects on physiological parameters. This study aimed to determine the effect of mobilisation on cardiorespiratory physiological parameters, and to establish the relationship between physiological parameters and physical function following cardiac surgery. Participants requiring physiotherapy following cardiac surgery were recruited. Mobilisation involved ground-based walking, while physical function was assessed using the short physical performance battery (SPPB) test. During both procedures, physiological measures of heart rate (HR), respiratory rate (RR) and percutaneous oxygen saturation (SpO2) were periodically recorded. Participant perception of breathlessness and perceived exertion were recorded pre and post mobilisation and the SPPB test. Forty-five participants (mean [SD] age 69[7] years) completed the study. HR (mean difference 10[95% CI 8 to 12] bpm) and RR (13[10 to 17] br/min) significantly increased following mobilisation, while SpO2 significantly decreased (baseline median [IQR] 95% [95%–97%] vs nadir 94% [91% to 96%], p < 0.002). There was a significant increase in dyspnoea and perceived exertion (both p < 0.001). There was a moderate relationship between total SPPB score and SpO2 during mobilisation (rs=0.45). Mobilisation following cardiac surgery increases exertion and dyspnoea and alters physiological parameters. Greater physical function is linked to maintaining a higher oxygen saturation during mobilisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comparisons of neglectful with non-neglectful low-SES parents revealed that the neglectful parents reported more life stresses, greater depression and loneliness, and weaker informal social supports. In the neglectful families, loneliness was positively associated with life stresses and negatively associated with network supports, but not with caseworker-assessed social isolation.

Studies of the impact of abuse or neglect on children have focused largely on maltreated infants, toddlers, or preschool children. In this study a total of 139 school-age and adolescent children participated in a multi-model, multi-source assessment; 22 of the children had been physically abused, 47 had been neglected, and the remainder served as comparison subjects. Parent and child interviews, teacher ratings, and data from school records were used to comprehensively assess children's school performance; social and emotional development in school, at home, in the community, and with peers; and adaptive behavior in areas such as motor skills, personal care skills, and community orientation. With the effects of socioeconomic status covaried out, results showed that the abused children displayed pervasive and severe academic and socioemotional problems. Neglected children differed little from children who were neither abused nor neglected on measures of socioemotional development, but they displayed severe academic delays. Both groups of maltreated children showed unexpected strengths on measures of adaptive behavior.

A device for organizing practitioners&apos; observations, the Maternal Characteristics Scale has successfully identified traits distinguishing samples of Caucasian neglectful mothers from nonneglectful. This cross-validation tested the scale with new and more diverse samples of both mothers and practitioners. Relatedness, impulse control, confidence, and verbal accessibility were again found to be associated with vulnerability to becoming neglectful. The scale appears to be a promising diagnostic and prognostic tool in the prevention and treatment of child neglect.