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The objective of this chapter is twofold: (1) to analyse meanings and practices regarding the work-family balance of fathers from different social and cultural backgrounds and (2) to explore how infancy experts and workplace cultures can influence the paid work and childcare reconciliation practices of native and immigrant fathers in Italy, in particular, from the point of view of fathers making the transition to parenthood. Little attention is paid to the role of infancy experts and workplace cultures in shaping fathers’ reconciliation perspectives. Moreover, little research has been dedicated to parenting practices among immigrant families from the fathers’ point of view. We investigate how parenthood is perceived and experienced by native and immigrant fathers, focussing on cultural differences with regard to beliefs about gender roles, children’s needs and childbearing. Our work is based on a qualitative analysis of 61 qualitative interviews with fathers, born in Italy, Romania, Peru and Morocco living in (the north of) Italy, carried out between 2010 and 2015. The results show how both infancy experts and workplace cultures tend to reinforce the widespread hegemonic ideals on ‘good father as provider’ both for natives and for immigrant fathers, despite their different socio-cultural backgrounds.

The purpose of this paper is to examine whether early language deficits increase the risk of severe antisocial behavior among male children, and whether this association varies as a function of negative temperament during infancy.

Data are derived from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Birth Cohort. Both survey methods and direct observations were employed to obtain the data. Logistic regression was used to examine the research questions at hand.

Male children with oral vocabulary and grammatical/syntactic deficits during the toddler years exhibited more frequent antisocial behavior across home and school settings during kindergarten, relative to boys without language deficits. However, this relationship was limited to males who manifested negative temperament/affect during their infancy, as reported on by both parents and independent raters.

Prior research on language, temperament, and antisocial behavior has generally overlooked the potential for these early-life risk factors for subsequent offending to interact with each other. The findings of the present study suggest that early intervention and prevention efforts should account for ways in which individual temperamental differences can structure behavioral responses to cognitive challenges.

The purpose of this paper is to elevate the importance of complementary views concerning the first years of life as important precursors for personal growth and sustainable mental health.

Paper II is a follow up to Paper I. After a short overview, connecting to the previous paper, the focus is on infancy followed by a few overlooked aspects and then a short summary on childhood and adolescence. Finally, some concluding remarks have been provided to put the paper together.

The main findings are connected to publications by other authors with insights which could be viewed as either “politically incorrect” or as simply overlooked in present research studies and discussions.

The author presents his personal perspective on the aforementioned topics. There are contrasting ways to view them.

A recognition of the importance for a child to experience a “good as possible” infancy and childhood, which could mean to grow up with less use of computers and less influences from social media.

A recognition of the importance parents and other adults have for the socialization of infants, children and adolescents.

This conceptual paper has compiled complementary views of infancy and childhood which are seldom heard about but are of importance for sustainable mental health.

Although quality assurance (QA) was introduced more than a decade ago in the UK, the implementation of QA systems in the Singapore construction industry is still a relatively new phenomenon. While QA is now slowly making its presence felt in the Singapore construction industry over the past two years, there has been a lack of study of the problems faced by practitioners in implementing QA for building projects at its infancy stage in the industry. Examines the problems faced during this infancy stage and draws lessons therefrom.

Briefly reviews previous literature by the author before presenting an original 12 step system integration protocol designed to ensure the success of companies or countries in their efforts to develop and market new products. Looks at the issues from different strategic levels such as corporate, international, military and economic. Presents 31 case studies, including the success of Japan in microchips to the failure of Xerox to sell its invention of the Alto personal computer 3 years before Apple: from the success in DNA and Superconductor research to the success of Sunbeam in inventing and marketing food processors: and from the daring invention and production of atomic energy for survival to the successes of sewing machine inventor Howe in co‐operating on patents to compete in markets. Includes 306 questions and answers in order to qualify concepts introduced.

Although small levels of sodium may be beneficial during infancy, high intakes may be detrimental to infant health. The aim of this paper is to give an overview on how sodium can influence infant health status in the short and long term.

The most up‐to‐date and pertinent studies within the literature have been included and summated in this paper.

The findings from this review indicate that high sodium intakes during infancy can have short‐ and long‐term health implications. Predominant sources of sodium include: cow's milk, formula diluted with high‐sodium bottled water and home‐prepared foods. Dietary advice needs to be imparted to parents with regard to “safe sodium” intakes for infants and how these can be achieved.

This paper gives a concise, up‐to‐date overview evaluating sodium intake and infant health.

This chapter examines James Steuart’s explanation of the relationship between banking system and economic development. Unlike other Scottish thinkers of the time, Steuart argues that the origin of commercial nations was not, in his view, a consequence of human nature and a long period of historical evolution. The establishment of the system of trade and commerce that gives rise to a “commercial nation” is conditioned by a series of elements that can render its appearance impossible. This chapter examines how the establishment of the system of trade and commerce that gives rise to a commercial nation is conditioned, according to Steuart, by the development of the banking system. It also broaches Steuart’s explanation of how the banking system functions within a non-commercial nation, which the Scottish author called “the infancy of banking.”

The aims of this article are to highlight the issues that are relevant to the implementation of a rigorously evidence‐based programme of support, the Nurse Family Partnership programme, into a national system of care. Methods used are semi‐structured interviews with families in receipt of the programme in the first 10 sites, with the nursing staff, with members of the central team guiding the initiative and with other professionals. Analyses of data collected during programme delivery evaluate fidelity of delivery. The results indicate that the programme is perceived in a positive light and take‐up is high, with delivery close to the stated US objectives. Issues pertaining to sustainability are highlighted ‐ in particular, local concerns about cost set against long‐term rather than immediate gains. However, local investment is predominantly strong, with creative methods being planned for the future. Overall, the study shows that within an NHS system of care it is possible to deliver a targeted evidence‐based programme.

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the feasibility of delivering the group family nurse partnership (gFNP) programme, which combines elements of the family nurse partnership (FNP) programme and Centering Pregnancy and is offered from early pregnancy to 12 months postpartum to mothers under 25.

A mixed method descriptive feasibility study. Quantitative data from anonymised forms completed by nurses from November 2009 to May 2011 (pilot 1) and January 2012 to August 2013 (pilot 2) reporting referrals, attendance and client characteristics. Qualitative data collected between March 2010 and April 2011 (pilot 1) and November 2012 and November 2013 (pilot 2) from semi-structured interviews or focus groups with clients and practitioners.

There were challenges to reaching eligible clients. Uptake of gFNP was 57-74 per cent, attendance ranged from 39 to 55 per cent of sessions and attrition ranged from 30 to 50 per cent. Clients never employed attended fewest sessions overall compared to those working full time. The group format and the programme’s content were positively received by clients but many struggled to attend regularly. FNP practitioners were positive overall but involving community practitioners (pilot 2) placed more stress on them.

Further feasibility and then cost and effectiveness research is necessary to determine the optimal staffing model.

The content and style of support of the home-based FNP programme, available only to first time mothers under 20, could be offered to women over 20 and to those who already have a child.

A range of interventions is needed to support potentially vulnerable families.

This new complex intervention lacks evidence. This paper documents feasibility, the first step in a thorough evaluation process.

The consequences of civil war have been widely analyzed. However, one of its important effects, the human cost of the conflict, remains marginally investigated. Indeed, most of recent literature has focused on the numbers of dead and wounded, while little scope has been given to survivors’ health. Given that the survivors are those who bear the burden of reconstruction, it is crucial to evaluate the health costs of civil conflict to develop and implement proper economic policies. This chapter is an attempt in this direction.

The aim is to assess the impact of the Mozambican Civil War on the long-term health of adult women, measured in terms of their height-for-age z-score (HAZ). Toward this end, two sets of data are used: the household survey data derived from Demographic and Health Survey (DHS+ 2003) which provides a set of anthropometric measures combined with an original geo-referenced event dataset of battles and military actions that took place during this war.

I find that women who were exposed to the conflict during the early stages of their lives display weaker health on average than other women, as reflected by their lower HAZ. This negative effect is correlated with age at the time of exposure to the civil war.

Furthermore, this chapter indicates that the use of the medical concept of infancy–childhood–puberty curves is a suitable tool for estimating the impact of age of entry into the conflict and provides some evidence of the channels through which health is affected by civil conflicts.