Parenting and Child Development

<p>In recent years parenting research has demonstrated that toxic stressors such as intimate partner violence postpartum depression and substance abuse significantly diminish the quality of mother-child interaction. Moreover  research has shown that childhood is a sensitive period during which cumulative exposure to adversities inhibits relationship quality mother-child interaction and subsequent child health and developmental outcomes. Researchers have focused upon identifying populations at risk and interventions to improve related outcomes.</p><p><em>Parenting and Child Development: Issues and Answers </em>encompasses a collection of seminal studies by renowned researcher Dr Nicole Letourneau. The book starts with an examination of the mechanisms by which parent-child interaction and child developmental outcomes are diminished among high-risk families. Promising results of peer support and reflective functioning interventions to promote parent-child interaction and healthy child development are then presented. Finally the book includes studies that investigate the relationship between genetics parent-child relationships and child behaviour.</p>