The presented dissertation consists of both a quantitative part and a qualitative part. The quantitative part deals with the relationship between 5-HTTLPR S/L, MAOA H/L, and COMT Val158Met polymorphisms, the stress reaction of new-born infants after a heel stick blood draw (measured by determining salivary cortisol at three time points) and temperament assessed at age three months by Rothbarth's Infant Behavior Questionnaire-Revised in a sample of 84 infants. Observed polymorphisms were related both to the course of the stress reaction and to temperament. The short allele of serotonin transporter polymorphism was connected to higher scores in the secondary scale of Negative Affect and lower scores in the secondary scale of Attention/Regulation. Homozygotes for the more active allele of MAOA polymorphism (HH) had the lowest scores in Negative Affect compared to both of the remaining groups, they also had higher scores in the secondary scale of Extraversion and Attention/Regulation and a greater decrease of cortisol in comparison to HL heterozygotes. The presence of low-active L allele predisposed their carriers to higher scores in Negative Affect and lower scores in Attention/Regulation. LL homozygotes had the highest increase of cortisol after a heel stick blood draw. The Met allele of COMT Val158Met polymorphism was connected to higher Extraversion and Attention/Regulation and a greater cortisol decrease. It was possible to predict all three secondary scales of IBQ-R from the stress reaction after the heel stick blood draw. Negative Affect was predicted by a higher increase and a lower decrease of cortisol. Extraversion and Attention/Regulation were predicted by a greater cortisol decrease. The magnitude of cortisol decrease partially mediated the influence of COMT Val158Met polymorphism on Extraversion. The qualitative part of the dissertation is a multi-casuistic study of six couples parenting infants with difficult temperaments. It is based on semi-structured interviews that were analysed in accordance with qualitative procedures. The most difficult infant displays to manage were unsoothable crying in the first six months and early sleeplessness and a later escalation of sleeping problems. Mothers were esentially not able to gain control over the amount of crying, but some of them managed to influence their experience to achieve a greater acceptance of it. To do this, it was necessary for them to eliminate their feelings of failure in the parental role. The parents' biggest dilemma concerning their infants' sleeping problems was whether to use the "cry it out" strategy or not to manage them. For some parents parenting a difficult infant was an opportunity to re-evaluate their approach to parenting and the parental role, significantly broadening the concept of both. Caring for a difficult infant significantly strained the marital relationship; four couples experienced marital crisis during the care of their child. The father's involvement in infant care seemed very important in this respect. Insufficient involvement led to dissatisfaction in the mother, the way the mother communicated her demands further influenced the marital relationship. Particular behaviour that the mother understood as the father's involvement in infant care emerged.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:nusl.cz/oai:invenio.nusl.cz:363607 |
| Date | January 2017 |
| Creators | BAJGAROVÁ, Zdeňka |
| Source Sets | Czech ETDs |
| Language | Czech |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | info:eu-repo/semantics/doctoralThesis |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess |
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