Effects of different types of contingent tactile stimulation on crying, smiling, and sleep in newborns: An observational study

COVID-19 Pandemic-Related Restrictions: Factors That May Affect Perinatal Maternal Mental Health and Implications for Infant Development

This review aims to discuss the factors that may affect maternal mental health and infant development in COVID-19 pandemic condition. Toward this direction, the two objectives of this review are the following: (a) to discuss possible factors that may have affected negatively perinatal mental health through the pandemic-related restrictions; and (b) to present the implications of adversely affected maternal emotional wellbeing on infant development. We conclude that the pandemic may has affected maternal mental health with possible detrimental effects for the infants of the COVID-19 generation. We highlight the need for evidence-based interventions to be integrated within the health system for prenatal and postpartum care in an effort to promote maternal mental health and infant development.

Beyond the dyad: the role of mother and father in newborns' global DNA methylation during the first month of life-a pilot study

The study aimed to longitudinally explore the effects of parental prenatal attachment and psychopathological symptomatology on neonatal global DNA methylation (5-mC) variation between birth and the first month of life. Eighteen mothers and thirteen fathers were assessed before childbirth (t0) by Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Prenatal-Attachment Inventory, and Paternal Antenatal Attachment Scale; 48 hr after childbirth (t1) by SCL-90-R; and one month after childbirth (t2) by PSS. At t1 and t2, buccal swabs from parents and newborns were collected. In newborns' 5-mC and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of DAT, MAOA, BDNF, and 5-HTTLPR genes were detected, while in parents only SNPs were measured. At t1, newborns' 5-mC was negatively associated with maternal psychopathological symptoms, while at t2, newborns' 5-mC was positively associated with paternal psychopathological symptoms and negatively with paternal prenatal attachment. The variation of newborns' 5-mC from t1 to t2 was predicted by paternal psychopathological symptoms. No significant correlations among parental SNPs and 5-mC levels were found. Results highlight parent-specific influences on newborn's DNA methylation. At birth, maternal psychological symptoms seem to have an effect on newborns' 5-mC, while after one month of life, paternal psychological characteristics could have a specific role in modulating the newborns' epigenetic responses to the environment.

A video polysomnographic study of spontaneous smiling during sleep in newborns

The objective of the present study was to confirm the link between spontaneous smiling and active sleep in newborns, and to identify the role of the cortex in the generation of spontaneous smiles. A total of 12 healthy newborns born at term and three infants with major congenital abnormalities (two with hydranencephaly and one with a left hemispherectomy) were evaluated by video and polysomnography during a 3-hr sleep period. Smiles were graded and their association with isolated rapid eye movements and grouped rapid eye movements was analysed. In all, 383 smiles were recorded of which 377 occurred during active sleep. Smiles were shown to be significantly associated with active sleep (p < .0001) and with grouped rapid eye movements (p < .0001). Bilateral smiles were more frequent than asymmetrical smiles. Among asymmetrical smiles, left-sided smiles were more frequent than right-sided smiles (p < .0001). Maternal stimulation during active sleep did not increase smiles. Smiling was absent during active sleep only in the infant with total hydranencephaly in whom nearly all cortical tissue was absent. In conclusion, smiling occurs in healthy newborns, almost exclusively in active sleep and is associated with grouped rapid eye movements. In infants with major congenital abnormalities, smiling is abolished only when nearly all of the cerebral cortex is absent. These results support the hypothesis of the role of active sleep in the stimulation of neuronal circuits responsible for spontaneous smiling and emphasise the importance of cortical areas in newborn smiling.

Active sleep is associated with the face preference in the newborns who familiarized with a responsive face

Aim of this study was to investigate the preferential looking behaviour, subsequent to a familiarization task (8-min) with a previously responsive or motionless face, before and after a sleep cycle. Moreover, the role of the active sleep in memory consolidation of the responsive or motionless faces was explored. Hypotheses were that the newborns undergoing a motionless familiarization will exhibit a novelty effect (preference for the novel face) whereas the newborns undergoing a responsive familiarization will show a familiarity effect (preference for the known face) before and after the sleep cycle; moreover, the amount of active sleep will be associated with the looking time at the known face after a sleep cycle. Forty-five healthy full-term newborns were randomly assigned to two groups (group 1: motionless-familiarization and group 2: responsive-familiarization); in both groups newborns were video-recorded during four post-familiarization face-preference tasks, two of them performed before and two after a sleep cycle. During the pre-sleep-trials, there was not a significant preference for one face in both groups. During the post-sleep trials, the newborns showed a clear preference for the novel face. This effect was more evident in group 1. Only in group 2 there was a significant positive correlation between the active sleep duration and the looking duration at the known-face during the post-sleep trials (r=0.41; p=0.040). Multiple regression confirmed that only in the group 2 the total duration of the active sleep was associated with the looking duration at the known-face during the post-sleep trials (Adjusted R²=0.13; β=0.41; t=2.2; p=0.040). Findings showed that in newborns the face representation can be recalled after a sleep cycle. Moreover, the amount of the active sleep predicted the post-sleep looking toward the known-face only in the newborns who interactively familiarized with the face.