Publications by authors named "Barbara Wijnberg-Williams"

Background: Preterm-born or asphyxiated term-born children show more emotional and behavioral problems at preschool age than term-born children without a medical condition. It is uncertain whether parenting intervention programs aimed at the general population, are effective in this specific group. In earlier findings from the present trial, Primary Care Triple P was not effective in reducing parent-reported child behavioral problems.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the longitudinal effects of communication styles on marital satisfaction and distress of parents of children treated for cancer.

Methods: Marital dissatisfaction (Maudsley Marital Questionnaire), intimacy, avoidance, destructive and incongruent communication (Communication Skills Inventory) and psychological distress (General Health Questionnaire) were assessed in 115 parents of pediatric cancer patients shortly after diagnosis (T1) and 5 years later (T2).

Results: Only mothers' marital dissatisfaction increased significantly over time.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Preterm-born and asphyxiated term-born children often exhibit more emotional and behavioral issues compared to healthy term-born children.
  • A study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the Primary Care Triple P parenting intervention for reducing these problems in preschoolers who faced such medical conditions by randomly assigning them to the intervention or a waitlist control.
  • The results showed no significant impact from the intervention on emotional and behavioral issues, although both groups reported a decrease over time, indicating that the parenting intervention didn't provide additional benefits in this specific population.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Morphine is widely used to treat severe pain in neonatal intensive care unit patients. Animal studies suggest adverse long-term side effects of neonatal morphine, but a follow-up study of 5-year-old children who participated in a morphine-placebo controlled trial as newborns found no such effects on the child's general functioning. This study indicated that morphine may negatively affect response inhibition, a domain of executive functions.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: This prospective 5-year longitudinal study examined the use of coping styles of fathers and mothers of pediatric cancer patients over time and the prospective effects of coping on distress.

Methods: Psychological distress (General Health Questionnaire) and the use of seven coping styles (Utrecht Coping List: active problem focussing, palliative and passive reaction patterns, avoidance, social support seeking, expression of emotions, and comforting cognition) were assessed in 115 parents shortly after diagnosis, 6 and 12 months, and 5 years later.

Results: At diagnosis, parents' use of coping styles did not differ from the norm population except more frequent use of support seeking.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: To explore the effects of social support on psychological distress of parents of pediatric cancer patients using a prospective design over a 5-year period.

Methods: Parents of children diagnosed with cancer participated at diagnosis (T1), 6 months (T2), 12 months (T3), and 5 years later (T4). Instruments The General Health Questionnaire and the Social Support List (SSL) measuring amount of support, (dis)satisfaction with support, and negative interactions were administered.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

We investigated the psychological functioning of parents of children suffering from pediatric cancer using a prospective design over a five-year time period. Parents of children diagnosed with cancer participated at diagnosis (T1), six months (T2), twelve months (T3), and five years later (T4, n = 115). Repeated measures ANOVAs were calculated for the three measures of psychological distress (GHQ, SCL-90 and STAI-S) to examine changes over time and gender differences.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Forty-four children who had been born preterm and their mothers participated in the follow-up study. At 3 and 14 months (corrected age) cognitive development was assessed using the BOS 2-30, the Dutch version of the Bayley Scales of Infant Development. The BOS yields measures of mental and motor development.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF