Development and Assessment of Short and Very Short Forms of the Infant Behavior Questionnaire–Revised

Mother-infant feeding interactions in mothers with and without eating disorder history: Results of a structured observational study

BACKGROUND

A growing body of evidence suggests that children of mothers with eating disorders (EDs) have a greater risk of early feeding problems. Recognizing and reacting adequately to the infant's signals during feeding is crucial for the child's development of internal and external regulatory mechanisms of food intake. Parental EDs might affect this ability. Therefore, we investigated the quality of mother-infant interactions during feeding using video recording and a structured coding system.

METHODS

The data of this pilot study was collected in a prospective cohort study investigating the influence of maternal EDs on child outcomes. Twenty women with ED history and 31 control women were videotaped while feeding their infant during a main meal at ten months postpartum. The mother-infant interactions were evaluated by two raters using the Chatoor Feeding Scale. We assessed birth outcomes, the mother's ED and depression status, breastfeeding practices, infant feeding problems and infant temperament by maternal self-report.

RESULTS

Mothers with and without ED history scored very similar on the Feeding Scale, however mothers from the control group experienced more struggle for control with their infants during feeding (p = 0.046) and made more negative comments about the infant's food intake (p = 0.010). Mothers with ED history were more concerned about infant feeding at three months postpartum and reported significantly more problems with solid foods in their children. Birth outcomes were comparable between groups, except for lower weight-for-length birth percentiles in children of women with ED history.

CONCLUSION

Whilst examined mothers with ED history are more concerned about feeding their children, ED psychopathology does not affect the quality of mother-infant interaction during feeding at the transition to autonomous eating at ten months of age.

Parental prenatal representations of the child are related to 18-month-old children's social-emotional competence

Parental representations of the child are linked to positive developmental outcomes in children, but the impact of prenatal representations on early social-emotional development, particularly from fathers, is less understood. This study explores how fathers' and mothers' prenatal representations within two-parent families are associated with early social-emotional development. Prenatal representations of fathers (n = 88) and mothers (n = 92) were assessed between 28 and 32 weeks of gestation using the Working Model of the Child Interview, categorizing them as balanced or nonbalanced. The children's (n = 97; 49.5% girls) social-emotional and behavioral problems and competencies were measured at 18 months using the Brief Infant-Toddler Social and Emotional Assessment. Balanced prenatal representations of both parents were related to higher social-emotional competence in toddlers. However, prenatal representations were not related to social-emotional and behavioral problems. The results highlight the benefits of balanced prenatal representations in promoting early social-emotional competence in children.

The influence of temperament and perinatal factors on language development: a longitudinal study

Early language development is characterized by large individual variation. Several factors were proposed to contribute to individual pathways of language acquisition in infancy and childhood. One of the biologically based explaining factors is temperament, however, the exact contributions and the timing of the effects merits further research. Pre-term status, infant sex, and environmental factors such as maternal education and maternal language are also involved. Our study aimed to investigate the longitudinal relationship between infant temperament and early language development, also considering infant gender, gestational age, and birthweight. Early temperament was assessed at 6, 9, 18, 24, and 30 months with the Very Short Form of Infant Behavior Questionnaire (IBQ-R) and the Very Short Form of Early Childhood Behavior Questionnaire (ECBQ). Early nonverbal communication skills, receptive and expressive vocabulary were evaluated with the Hungarian version of The MacArthur Communicative Development Inventory (HCDI). Our study adds further evidence to the contribution of infant temperament to early language development. Temperament, infant gender, and gestational age were associated with language development in infancy. Infants and toddlers with higher Surgency might enter communicative situations more readily and show more engagement with adult social partners, which is favorable for communication development. Gestational age was previously identified as a predictor for language in preterm infants. Our results extend this association to the later and narrower gestational age time window of term deliveries. Infants born after longer gestation develop better expressive vocabulary in toddlerhood. Gestational age may mark prenatal developmental processes that may exert influence on the development of verbal communication at later ages.

Maternal depressive symptom trajectories and associations with child feeding

BACKGROUND

Responsive feeding, when caregivers attend to children's signals of hunger and satiation and respond in an emotionally supportive and developmentally appropriate way, is associated with the development of healthy eating behaviors, improved diet quality, and healthy weight status for children. However, gaps in the literature remain on how factors, such as maternal depressive symptoms and child temperament, influence feeding interactions.

METHODS

This longitudinal secondary data analysis explored the association between maternal depressive symptom trajectory and child temperament with maternal feeding practices in women with obesity who participated in a prenatal lifestyle intervention trial. Mothers self-reported depressive symptoms at baseline, 35 weeks gestation, and 6, 12, and 18 months postpartum. At 18- and 24-months postpartum, mothers completed self-reported assessments of feeding practices and child temperament and completed in-home video-recorded meals with their child, coded using the Responsiveness to Child Feeding Cues Scale. We used group-based trajectory modeling to identify distinct trajectories of depressive symptoms and generalized regressions to assess the association between symptom trajectory group and feeding. We also explored interactions between depressive symptoms and child temperament.

RESULTS

Three distinct trajectories of depressive symptoms were identified: No-Minimal and Decreasing, Mild-Moderate and Stable, and Moderate-Severe and Stable. At 18-months, when compared to the No-Minimal and Decreasing group, membership in the Moderate-Severe and Stable group was associated with higher observed responsiveness to child satiation cues ([Formula: see text] =2.3, 95%CI = 0.2, 4.4) and lower self-reported pressure to eat ([Formula: see text]=-0.4, 95%CI= -0.7, 0.0). When compared to the No-Minimal and Decreasing group, membership in the Mild-Moderate and Stable group was associated with higher self-reported restriction ([Formula: see text] =0.4, 95%CI = 0.0,0.7). The associations between trajectory group membership and feeding practices did not reach statistical significance at 24 months. Associations between depressive symptoms and restriction were moderated by child effortful control at 18 months [Formula: see text]) and surgency at 24 months [Formula: see text]).

CONCLUSION

A Moderate-Severe and Stable depressive symptom trajectory was associated with more responsive feeding practices and a Mild-Moderate and Stable trajectory was associated with higher restrictive feeding. Preliminary evidence suggests that depressive symptoms impact mothers' ability to match their use of restriction to the temperamental needs of their child.

Mother-infant interaction characteristics associate with infant falling reactivity and child peer problems at pre-school age

This longitudinal study investigated the associations between mother-infant interaction characteristics at 9 months of age, maternal mental health, infant temperament in the first year postpartum, and child behaviour at 3 years of age. The infants (N = 54, 22 females) mainly had White British ethnic backgrounds (85.7%). Results showed that i) mother-infant dyadic affective mutuality positively correlated with infant falling reactivity, suggesting that better infant regulatory skills are associated with the dyad's ability to share and understand each other's emotions; and ii) maternal respect for infant autonomy predicted fewer child peer problems at 3 years of age, suggesting that maternal respect for the validity of the infant's individuality promotes better social and emotional development in early childhood.

Relationship between maternal anxiety and infants' temperament: The mediating role of mindful parenting

Research has indicated that maternal anxiety does have an effect on infant temperament. Therefore, it is important to study the variables that could play a role in this relationship. In this study, we propose that mindful parenting could act as a mediator in this relationship. Thus, the main objective was to evaluate the relationship between maternal anxiety and child temperament (i.e., negative affectivity, surgency, and effortful control) through the mindful parenting of mothers. Mothers (N = 225) self-reported their anxiety, mindful parenting use, and the temperament of their old infants (aged 4-18 months). First, the reliability and validity results showed that the infant version of the Interpersonal Mindful Parenting questionnaire was a good tool for the assessment of mindful parenting among parents with infants. The five-factor structure of the questionnaire was confirmed; it involved self-regulation in the parenting relationship, listening with full attention, emotional awareness of the child, compassion for the child, and non-judgmental acceptance of parenting behavior. Correlational analyses showed that maternal anxiety was related to negative affectivity and effortful control in infants. Furthermore, mediational analyses indicated that the relation between maternal anxiety and infant negative affectivity was mediated by self-regulation in parenting and the emotional awareness of the child. In addition, the relation between maternal anxiety and infant effortful control was mediated by compassion for the child and listening with full attention. These results contribute to knowledge about the relation between maternal anxiety and child temperament, which may increase the risk of psychological symptoms. The results of this study suggest that promoting mindful parenting skills may be beneficial for affectivity and effortful control in infants.

Exploring early life social and executive function development in infants and risk for autism: a prospective cohort study protocol of NICU graduates and infants at risk for cerebral palsy

BACKGROUND

Delays in early social and executive function are predictive of later developmental delays and eventual neurodevelopmental diagnoses. There is limited research examining such markers in the first year of life. High-risk infant groups commonly present with a range of neurodevelopmental challenges, including social and executive function delays, and show higher rates of autism diagnoses later in life. For example, it has been estimated that up to 30% of infants diagnosed with cerebral palsy (CP) will go on to be diagnosed with autism later in life.

METHODS

This article presents a protocol of a prospective longitudinal study. The primary aim of this study is to identify early life markers of delay in social and executive function in high-risk infants at the earliest point in time, and to explore how these markers may relate to the increased risk for social and executive delay, and risk of autism, later in life. High-risk infants will include Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) graduates, who are most commonly admitted for premature birth and/or cardiovascular problems. In addition, we will include infants with, or at risk for, CP. This prospective study will recruit 100 high-risk infants at the age of 3-12 months old and will track social and executive function across the first 2 years of their life, when infants are 3-7, 8-12, 18 and 24 months old. A multi-modal approach will be adopted by tracking the early development of social and executive function using behavioural, neurobiological, and caregiver-reported everyday functioning markers. Data will be analysed to assess the relationship between the early markers, measured from as early as 3-7 months of age, and the social and executive function as well as the autism outcomes measured at 24 months.

DISCUSSION

This study has the potential to promote the earliest detection and intervention opportunities for social and executive function difficulties as well as risk for autism in NICU graduates and/or infants with, or at risk for, CP. The findings of this study will also expand our understanding of the early emergence of autism across a wider range of at-risk groups.

Maternal mental health mediates the effect of prenatal stress on infant temperament: The Harvey Mom Study

Prenatal maternal stress and mental health problems are known to increase risk for developmental psychopathology in offspring, yet pathways leading to risk or resiliency are poorly understood. In a quasi-experimental design, we prospectively examined associations between disaster-related prenatal stress, maternal mental health symptoms, and infant temperament outcomes. Mothers who were pregnant during Hurricane Harvey (N = 527) reported on objective hardships (e.g., loss of belongings or income, evacuation, home flooding) related to the storm and subsequent mental health symptoms (anxiety/depression, posttraumatic stress) across time. At a postpartum assessment, mothers reported on their infant's temperament (negative affect, positive affect, orienting/regulatory capacity). Greater objective hardship indirectly predicted higher levels of infant orienting/regulatory capacity through its association with increased maternal posttraumatic stress symptoms. Greater objective hardship also indirectly predicted higher levels of infant negative affect through its association with increased maternal anxiety/depression symptoms across time. Our findings suggest a psychological mechanism linking prenatal stress with specific temperamental characteristics via maternal mental health symptoms. Findings point to the importance of high-quality assessment and mental health services for vulnerable women and young children.

Infant hedonic/anhedonic processing index (HAPI-Infant): Assessing infant anhedonia and its prospective association with adolescent depressive symptoms

BACKGROUND

Anhedonia, an impairment in the motivation for or experience of pleasure, is a well-established transdiagnostic harbinger and core symptom of mental illness. Given increasing recognition of early life origins of mental illness, we posit that anhedonia should, and could, be recognized earlier if appropriate tools were available. However, reliable diagnostic instruments prior to childhood do not currently exist.

METHODS

We developed an assessment instrument for anhedonia/reward processing in infancy, the Infant Hedonic/Anhedonic Processing Index (HAPI-Infant). Exploratory factor and psychometric analyses were conducted using data from 6- and 12-month-old infants from two cohorts (N = 188, N = 212). Then, associations were assessed between infant anhedonia and adolescent self-report of depressive symptoms.

RESULTS

The HAPI-Infant (47-items), exhibited excellent psychometric properties. Higher anhedonia scores at 6 (r = 0.23, p < .01) and 12 months (r = 0.19, p < .05) predicted elevated adolescent depressive symptoms, and these associations were stronger than for established infant risk indicators such as negative affectivity. Subsequent analyses supported the validity of short (27-item) and very short (12-item) versions of this measure.

LIMITATIONS

The primary limitations of this study are that the HAPI-Infant awaits additional tests of generalizability and of its ability to predict clinical diagnosis of depression.

CONCLUSIONS

The HAPI-Infant is a novel, psychometrically strong diagnostic tool suitable for recognizing anhedonia during the first year of life with strong predictive value for later depressive symptoms. In view of the emerging recognition of increasing prevalence of affective disorders in children and adolescents, the importance of the HAPI-Infant in diagnosing anhedonia is encouraging. Early recognition of anhedonia could target high-risk individuals for intervention and perhaps prevention of mental health disorders.

Associations between maternal postpartum depression and infant temperament in treatment-seeking mothers prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic

It remains unclear how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the mother-infant relationship and associations between maternal postpartum depression (PPD) and offspring temperament. This study examined the impact of the pandemic on these links and how maternal ratings of the mother-infant relationship mediated associations between PPD and infant temperament in a sample of treatment-seeking mothers in Ontario, Canada before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Mothers with infants <12 months of age and Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale scores ≥10 enrolled in two separate randomized controlled trials of 1-day cognitive behavioral therapy-based workshops for PPD conducted before COVID-19 (n = 392) and during the pandemic (n = 403). Mothers reported on depressive symptomatology, infant temperament, and the mother-infant relationship. Maternal PPD was associated with more infant negative affectivity and mother-infant relationship difficulties. While associations between PPD and infant-focused anxiety were stronger during COVID-19, the pandemic did not otherwise affect associations between PPD and infant temperament. Mediation analyses suggested that aspects of the mother-infant relationship mediated associations between PPD and infant negative affectivity. Findings highlight the importance of detecting PPD and intervening to potentially improve outcomes for mothers and their children.

COVID-19 pandemic effects: Examining prenatal internalizing symptoms and infant temperament

For pregnant women, the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in unprecedented stressors, including uncertainty regarding prenatal care and the long-term consequences of perinatal infection. However, few studies have examined the role of this adverse event on maternal wellbeing and infant socioemotional development following the initial wave of the pandemic when less stringent public health restrictions were in place. The current study addressed these gaps in the literature by first comparing prenatal internalizing symptoms and infant temperament collected after the first wave of the pandemic to equivalent measures in a pre-pandemic sample. Second, associations between prenatal pandemic-related stress and infant temperament were examined. Women who were pregnant during the COVID-19 pandemic endorsed higher pregnancy-specific anxiety relative to the pre-pandemic sample. They also reported greater infant negative emotionality and lower positive affectivity and regulatory capacity at 2 months postpartum. Prenatal infection stress directly predicted infant negative affect. Both prenatal infection and preparedness stress were indirectly related to infant negative emotionality through depression symptoms during pregnancy and at 2 months postpartum. These results have implications for prenatal mental health screening procedures during the pandemic and the development of early intervention programs for infants born to mothers during this adverse event.

Understanding emotion dysregulation from infancy to toddlerhood with a multilevel perspective: The buffering effect of maternal sensitivity

Challenges with childhood emotion regulation may have origins in infancy and forecast later social and cognitive developmental delays, academic difficulties, and psychopathology. This study tested whether markers of emotion dysregulation in infancy predict emotion dysregulation in toddlerhood, and whether those associations depended on maternal sensitivity. When children (N = 111) were 7 months, baseline respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), RSA withdrawal, and distress were collected during the Still Face Paradigm (SFP). Mothers' reports of infant regulation and orientation and maternal sensitivity were also collected at that time. Mothers' reports of toddlers' dysregulation were collected at 18 months. A set of hierarchical regressions indicated that low baseline RSA and less change in RSA from baseline to stressor predicted greater dysregulation at 18 months, but only for infants who experienced low maternal sensitivity. Baseline RSA and RSA withdrawal were not significantly associated with later dysregulation for infants with highly sensitive mothers. Infants who exhibited low distress during the SFP and who had lower regulatory and orienting abilities at 7 months had higher dysregulation at 18 months regardless of maternal sensitivity. Altogether, these results suggest that risk for dysregulation in toddlerhood has biobehavioral origins in infancy but may be buffered by sensitive caregiving.

Joint observation in NICU (JOIN): A randomized controlled trial testing an early, one-session intervention during preterm care to improve perceived maternal self-efficacy and other mental health outcomes

BACKGROUND

Parents of preterm infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) environment may experience psychological distress, decreased perceived self-efficacy, and/or difficulties in establishing an adaptive parent-infant relationship. Early developmental care interventions to support the parental role and infant development are essential and their impact can be assessed by an improvement of parental self-efficacy perception. The aims were to assess the effects of an early intervention provided in the NICU (the Joint Observation) on maternal perceived self-efficacy compared to controls (primary outcome) and to compare maternal mental health measures (perceived stress, anxiety, and depression), perception of the parent-infant relationship, and maternal responsiveness (secondary outcomes).

METHODS

This study was a monocentric randomized controlled trial registered in clinicatrials.gov (NCT02736136), which aimed at testing a behavioural intervention compared with treatment-as-usual. Mothers of preterm neonates born 28 to 32 6/7 weeks gestation were randomly allocated to either the intervention or the control groups. Outcome measures consisted of self-report questionnaires completed by the mothers at 1 and 6 months after enrollment and assessing perceived self-efficacy, mental health, perception of the parent-infant relationship and responsiveness, as well as satisfaction with the intervention.

RESULTS

No statistically significant group effects were observed for perceived maternal self-efficacy or the secondary outcomes. Over time, perceived maternal self-efficacy increased for mothers in both groups, while anxiety and depression symptoms decreased. High satisfaction with the intervention was reported.

CONCLUSIONS

The joint observation was not associated with improved perceived maternal self-efficacy or other mental health outcomes, but may constitute an additional supportive measure offered to parents in a vulnerable situation during the NICU stay.

The Birth and Beyond (BABY) study: protocol for a birth cohort study investigating the social and environmental determinants of pregnancy-related outcomes in Black American families

INTRODUCTION

In the USA, Black birthing people and infants experience disproportionately worse pregnancy-related health outcomes. The causes for these disparities are unknown, but evidence suggests that they are likely socially and environmentally based. Efforts to identify the determinants of these racial disparities are urgently needed to elucidate the highest priority targets for intervention. The Birth and Beyond (BABY) study evaluates how micro-level (eg, interpersonal and family) and macro-level (eg, neighbourhood and environmental) risk and resiliency factors transact to shape birth person-infant health, and underlying psychobiological mechanisms.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

The BABY study will follow 350 Black families (birthing parents, non-birthing parents and infants) from pregnancy through the first postpartum year, with research visits during pregnancy and at infant ages 6 and 12 months. Research visits comprise a combination of interview about a range of recent and life course stress and resiliency exposures and supports, psychophysiological (sympathetic, parasympathetic and adrenocortical) assessment and behavioural observations of parent-infant coregulatory behaviours. Spatial analyses are completed by mapping parent current and past residential addresses onto archival public data (eg, about neighbourhood quality and racial segregation). Finally, EMRs are abstracted for information about birthing parent relevant medical history, pregnancy conditions and infant birth outcomes. Analyses will evaluate the risk and resiliency mechanisms that contribute to pregnancy and birth-related outcomes for Black birthing people and their infants, and the protective role of individual, familial, cultural, and community supports.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

The BABY study has been approved by the Institutional Review Board at Albany Medical Centre. The study team consulted with local organisations and groups comprised of stakeholders and community leaders and continues to do so throughout the study. Research results will be disseminated with the scientific and local community as appropriate.

Exploring the impact of antenatal micronutrients used as a treatment for maternal depression on infant temperament in the first year of life

Antenatal depression and maternal nutrition can influence infant temperament. Although broad-spectrum-micronutrients (BSM: vitamins and minerals) given above Recommended Dietary Allowances during pregnancy can mitigate symptoms of antenatal depression, their associated effects on infant temperament are unknown. One hundred and fourteen New Zealand mother-infant dyads (45 infants exposed to BSM during pregnancy (range of exposure during pregnancy: 12-182 days) to treat antenatal depressive symptoms (measured by Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale) and 69 non-exposed infants) were followed antenatally and for 12 months postpartum to determine the influence of in utero BSM exposure on infant temperament. The Infant Behavior Questionnaire-Revised: Very Short-Form assessed temperament at 4 (T1), 6 (T2) and 12 (T3) months postpartum via online questionnaire. Latent growth curve modeling showed BSM exposure, antenatal depression and infant sex did not statistically significantly predict initial levels or longitudinal changes in orienting/regulatory capacity (ORC), positive affectivity/surgency (PAS) or negative affectivity (NEG). Higher gestational age was positively associated with initial PAS, and smaller increases between T1 and T3. Breastfeeding occurrence was positively associated with initial NEG. Although not significant, BSM exposure exerted small, positive effects on initial NEG (β = -0.116) and longitudinal changes in ORC (β = 0.266) and NEG (β = -0.235). While BSM exposure did not significantly predict infant temperament, it may mitigate risks associated with antenatal depression. BSM-exposed infants displayed temperamental characteristics on par with typical pregnancies, supporting the safety of BSM treatment for antenatal depression.

Integrated Behavioral Health Prevention for Infants in Pediatric Primary Care: A Mixed-Methods Pilot Study

OBJECTIVE

Pediatric primary care is a promising setting in which to deliver preventive behavioral health services to young children and their families. Integrated behavioral health care models typically emphasize treatment rather than prevention. This pilot study examined the efficacy of an integrated behavioral health preventive (IBH-P) intervention delivered by psychologists and focused on supporting parenting in low-income mothers of infants as part of well-child visits in the first 6 months of life.

METHODS

Using a mixed-methods approach that included a pilot randomized clinical trial and post-intervention qualitative interviews, 137 mothers were randomly assigned to receive IBH-P or usual care. Self-report measures of parenting, child behavior, and stress were obtained at pre- and/or post-intervention. Direct observation of mother-infant interactions was conducted at post-intervention.

RESULTS

No differences between groups were found on maternal attunement, knowledge of child development, nurturing parenting, or infant behavior. A secondary analysis on a subsample with no prior exposure to IBH-P with older siblings found that mothers in IBH-P reported increased self-efficacy relative to controls. In the qualitative interviews, mothers stated that they valued IBH-P, learning about their baby, liked the integration in primary care, and felt respected and comfortable with their provider.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings are discussed in terms of the next steps in refining IBH-P approaches to prevention in primary care.

Early Infant Prefrontal Cortical Microstructure Predicts Present and Future Emotionality

BACKGROUND

High levels of infant negative emotionality (NE) and low positive emotionality (PE) predict future emotional and behavioral problems. The prefrontal cortex (PFC) supports emotional regulation, with each PFC subregion specializing in specific emotional processes. Neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging estimates microstructural integrity and myelination via the neurite density index (NDI) and dispersion via the orientation dispersion index (ODI), with potential to more accurately evaluate microstructural alterations in the developing brain. Yet, no study has used these indices to examine associations between PFC microstructure and concurrent or developing infant emotionality.

METHODS

We modeled PFC subregional NDI and ODI at 3 months with caregiver-reported infant NE and PE at 3 months (n = 61) and at 9 months (n = 50), using multivariable and subsequent bivariate regression models.

RESULTS

The most robust statistically significant findings were positive associations among 3-month rostral anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) ODI and caudal ACC NDI and concurrent NE, a positive association between 3-month lateral orbitofrontal cortex ODI and prospective NE, and a negative association between 3-month dorsolateral PFC ODI and concurrent PE. Multivariate models also revealed that other PFC subregional microstructure measures, as well as infant and caregiver sociodemographic and clinical factors, predicted infant 3- and 9-month NE and PE.

CONCLUSIONS

Greater NDI and ODI, reflecting greater microstructural complexity, in PFC regions supporting salience perception (rostral ACC), decision making (lateral orbitofrontal cortex), action selection (caudal ACC), and attentional processes (dorsolateral PFC) might result in greater integration of these subregions with other neural networks and greater attention to salient negative external cues, thus higher NE and/or lower PE. These findings provide potential infant cortical markers of future psychopathology risk.

The association of maternal-infant interactive behavior, dyadic frontal alpha asymmetry, and maternal anxiety in a smartphone-adapted still face paradigm

Mother-infant interactions form a strong basis for emotion regulation development in infants. These interactions can be affected by various factors, including maternal postnatal anxiety. Electroencephalography (EEG) hyperscanning allows for simultaneous assessment of mother-infant brain-to-behavior association during stressful events, such as the still-face paradigm (SFP). This study aimed at investigating dyadic interactive behavior and brain-to-behavior association across SFP and identifying neural correlates of mother-infant interactions in the context of maternal postnatal anxiety. We measured frontal alpha asymmetry (FAA), a physiological correlate of emotion regulation and a potential marker of risk for psychopathology. To emulate real-life interactions, EEG and behavioral data were collected from 38 mother-infant dyads during a smartphone-adapted dual-SFP. Although the behavioral data showed a clear still-face effect for the smartphone-adapted SFP, this was not reflected in the infant or maternal FAA. Brain-to-behavior data showed higher infant negative affect being associated with more infant leftward FAA during the still-face episodes. Finally, mothers with higher postnatal anxiety showed more right FAA during the first still-face episode, suggesting negative affectivity and a need to withdraw from the situation. Our results form a baseline for further research assessing the effects of maternal postnatal anxiety on infants' FAA and dyadic interactive behavior.

A preliminary investigation of epigenome-wide DNA methylation and temperament during infancy

This study provides preliminary evidence for an epigenetic architecture of infant temperament. At 12 months of age, blood was collected and assayed for DNA methylation and maternally reported infant temperament was assessed using the Infant Behavior Questionnaire in 67 mother-infant dyads. Epigenome-wide analyses showed that the higher order temperament dimensions Surgency and Negative Affect were associated with DNA methylation. The epigenetic signatures of Surgency and Negative Affect were situated at genes involved in synaptic signaling and plasticity. Although replication is required, these results are consistent with a biologically based model of temperament, create new avenues for hypothesis-driven research into epigenetic pathways that underlie individual differences in temperament, and demonstrate that infant temperament has a widespread epigenetic signature in the methylome.

What's the point? Infants' and adults' perception of different pointing gestures

Adults and infants as young as 4 months old orient to pointing gestures. Although adults are shown to orient faster to index-finger pointing than other hand shapes, it is unknown whether hand shapes influence infants' perception of pointing. In this study, we used a spatial cueing paradigm on an eye tracker to investigate whether and to what extent adults and 12-month-old infants orient their attention in the direction of pointing gestures with different hand shapes: index finger, whole hand, and pinky finger. Furthermore, we assessed infants' and their parents' pointing production. Results revealed that adults showed a reliable cueing effect: shorter saccadic reaction times (SRTs) to congruent than incongruent targets, for all hand shapes. However, they did not show a larger cueing effect triggered by the index or any other finger. This contradicts previous findings and is discussed with respect to the differences in methodology. Infants showed a cueing effect only for the whole hand but not for the index or pinky fingers. The current results suggest that infants' orienting to pointing may be more robust for the whole hand shape in the first year, and tuning in to the social-communicative relevance of the canonical index finger shape may develop later or require additional social-communicative cues.

Is lower fetal heart rate variability a susceptibility marker to the impact of negative coparenting on infant regulatory capacity?

Lower fetal heart rate variability (FHRV) may be a prenatal endophenotypic susceptibility marker and increase the impact of both positive and negative coparenting on infant regulatory capacity. This study analyzed the moderator role of FHRV in the association between positive and negative coparenting and infant regulatory capacity at 3 months. The sample comprised 86 first-born infants and their mothers and fathers recruited at a public Health Service in Northern Portugal. FHRV was recorded during routine cardiotocography examination at the third trimester of gestation. Mothers and fathers reported on coparenting and infant regulatory capacity at 2 weeks and 3 months postpartum. FHRV moderated the association between mother's and father's negative coparenting at 2 weeks postpartum and infant regulatory capacity at three months. Infants with low FHRV presented higher regulatory capacity when mothers or fathers reported less negative coparenting, while lower regulatory capacity when mothers or fathers reported more negative coparenting, than infants with high FHRV. Findings suggested lower FHRV as a prenatal endophenotypic susceptibility marker that increases the impact of negative coparenting on infant regulatory capacity.

Predictors of executive function among 2 year olds from a Thai birth cohort

Executive function (EF) is a critical skill for academic achievement. Research on the psychosocial and environmental predictors of EF, particularly among Southeast Asian, agricultural, and low income/rural populations, is limited. Our longitudinal study explored the influence of agricultural environmental, psychosocial, and temperamental factors on children's emerging EF. Three-hundred and nine farm worker women were recruited during the first trimester of pregnancy. We evaluated the effects of prenatal insecticide exposure and psychosocial factors on "cool" (i.e., cognitive: A-not-B task, looking version) and "hot" EF (i.e., affective, response inhibition) measures of emerging EF. Maternal urine samples were collected monthly during pregnancy, composited, and analyzed for dialkylphosphate (DAP) metabolites of organophosphate insecticides. Psychosocial factors included socioeconomic status, maternal psychological factors, and quality of mother-child behavioral interactions. Backward stepwise regressions evaluated predictors of children's EF at 12 (N = 288), 18 (N = 277) and 24 (N = 280) months of age. We observed different predictive models for cool EF, as measured by A-not-B task, vs. hot EF, as measured by response inhibition tasks. Report of housing quality as a surrogate for income was a significant predictor of emerging EF. However, these variables had opposite effects for cool vs. hot EF. More financial resources predicted better cool EF performance but poorer hot EF performance. Qualitative findings indicate that homes with fewer resources were in tribal areas where children must remain close to an adult for safety reasons. This finding suggests that challenging physical environments (e.g., an elevated bamboo home with no electricity or running water), may contribute to development of higher levels of response inhibition through parental socialization methods that emphasize compliance. Children who tended to show more arousal and excitability, and joy reactivity as young infants in the laboratory setting had better cognitive performance. In contrast, maternal emotional availability was a significant predictor of hot EF. As expected, increased maternal exposure to pesticides during pregnancy was associated with worse cognitive performance but was not associated with inhibitory control. Identifying risk factors contributing to the differential developmental pathways of cool and hot EF will inform prevention strategies to promote healthy development in this and other unstudied rural, low income Southeast Asian farming communities.

Infant screen media and child development: A prospective community study

The current study examined longitudinal associations between early screen media exposure (assessed at 6, 12, and 24 months) and the child's motor and language/communication development at the ages of 24 and 36 months. We also aimed to study whether these associations varied by socioeconomic status (SES). Participants were 179 parent-infant dyads, recruited from well-baby clinic services during routine visits. Child development measures included standardized measures of developmental milestones as assessed by professionals and referral data to child developmental centers. Both measures were retrieved from the official health maintenance organization records by an expert in child development. Results indicated that screen exposure at 6 and 12 months was associated with a higher risk for language/communication deficits at 36 months in children with moderate or high SES but not in children with low SES. Our findings are consistent with existing literature demonstrating cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between early screen exposure and language development deficits. Given that media use practices and motivations vary among families from different backgrounds, further investigation of the interaction between SES and screen exposure is needed.

Childhood Predictors of Nonsuicidal Self-injury in Adolescence: A Birth Cohort Study

OBJECTIVE

Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) is rare in childhood but becomes prevalent in adolescence, which suggests that early intervention might be indicated. As childhood predictors of NSSI in adolescence are largely unknown, identifying these predictors was the aim of this study.

METHOD

In a birth cohort sample (n = 759) of Norwegian children, NSSI at 12, 14, or 16 years of age was regressed on predictors of NSSI at age 6 (parental factors: depression, parenting stress, negativity/hostility, emotional availability to the child; child factors: temperamental negative affectivity, emotion regulation, symptoms of emotional and behavioral disorders; external events: victimization from bullying, serious negative life events). Semistructured clinical interviews with adolescents and their parents were used to assess DSM-5-defined NSSI and NSSI disorder.

RESULTS

NSSI during the preceding 12 months at 12, 14, or 16 years of age was reported by 81 adolescents (10.0%, 95% CI 8.2-11.9), and NSSI disorder was reported by 20 adolescents (2.7%, 95% CI 1.9-3.8). In multivariable logistic regression analysis, female gender (odds ratio 11.6, 95% CI 4.0-33.5), parenting stress (odds ratio 4.8, 95% CI 1.4-16.5), and parental negativity/hostility (odds ratio 1.8, 95% CI 1.2-2.7) predicted NSSI, whereas child factors and external events were not predictive.

CONCLUSION

Parental factors when the child is 6 years of age-parenting stress and negativity/hostility toward the child-predict NSSI in adolescence. Universal and indicated programs targeting these aspects of parenting during childhood might reduce NSSI in adolescence.

DIVERSITY & INCLUSION STATEMENT

We worked to ensure race, ethnic, and/or other types of diversity in the recruitment of human participants. We worked to ensure sex and gender balance in the recruitment of human participants. We worked to ensure that the study questionnaires were prepared in an inclusive way. We actively worked to promote sex and gender balance in our author group. The author list of this paper includes contributors from the location and/or community where the research was conducted who participated in the data collection, design, analysis, and/or interpretation of the work.

Resting EEG correlates of neurodevelopment in a socioeconomically and linguistically diverse sample of toddlers: Wave 1 of the Kia Tīmata Pai best start New Zealand study

Development of communication and self-regulation skills is fundamental to psychosocial maturation in childhood. The Kia Tīmata Pai Best Start (KTP) longitudinal study aims to promote these skills through interventions delivered at early childcare centers across New Zealand. In addition to evaluating effects of the interventions on behavioral and cognitive outcomes, the study utilizes electroencephalography (EEG) to characterize cortical development in a subsample of participating children. Here, we present results of the baseline resting EEG assessment with 193 children aged 15 to 33 months. We identified EEG correlates of individual differences in demographics, communication abilities, and temperament. We obtained communication and behavior ratings from multiple informants, and we applied contemporary analytic methods to the EEG data. Periodic spectral power adjusted for aperiodic activity was most closely associated with demographic, language, and behavioral measures. As in previous studies, gamma power was positively associated with verbal language. Alpha power was positively associated with effortful control. Nonverbal and verbal language measures showed distinct associations with EEG indices, as did the three temperament domains. Our results identified a number of candidate EEG measurements for use as longitudinal markers of optimal cortical development and response to interventions in the KTP cohort.

Maternal-prenatal stress and depression predict infant temperament during the COVID-19 pandemic

Researchers have begun to examine the psychological toll of the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic. Data are now emerging indicating that there may be long-term adverse effects of the pandemic on new mothers and on children born during this period. In a longitudinal study of maternal mental health and child emotional development during the pandemic, we conducted online assessments of a cohort of women at two time points: when they were pregnant at the beginning of the surge of the pandemic in the United States (baseline, N = 725), and approximately 1 year postpartum (follow-up, N = 296), examining prenatal and postnatal maternal mental health, prenatal pandemic-related stress, and infant temperament. Pandemic-related stress at baseline was associated with concurrent depressive symptoms and infant negative affect at follow-up. Baseline maternal depressive symptoms were associated with follow-up depressive symptoms, which in turn were also associated with infant negative affect. Pandemic-related stress during pregnancy may have enduring effects on infant temperament. These findings have important implications for our understanding of the emotional development of children who were in utero during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Public health nurse-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy for postpartum depression: Assessing the effects of maternal treatment on infant emotion regulation

The effects of maternal postpartum depression (PPD) on offspring emotion regulation (ER) are particularly deleterious as difficulties with ER predict an increased risk of psychopathology. This study examined the impact of maternal participation in a public health nurse (PHN)-delivered group cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) intervention on infant ER. Mothers/birthing parents were ≥ 18 years old with an Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) score ≥ 10, and infants were < 12 months. Between 2017 and 2020, 141 mother-infant dyads were randomized to experimental or control groups. Infant ER was measured at baseline (T1) and nine weeks later (T2) using two neurophysiological measures (frontal alpha asymmetry (FAA) and high-frequency heart rate variability (HF-HRV)), and informant-report of infant temperament. Mothers were a mean of 30.8 years old (SD = 4.7), 92.3% were married/ common-law, and infants were a mean of 5.4 months old (SD = 2.9) and 52.1% were male. A statistically significant group-by-time interaction was found to predict change in HF-HRV between T1 and T2 (F(1,68.3) = 4.04, p = .04), but no significant interaction predicted change in FAA or temperament. Results suggest that PHN-delivered group CBT for PPD may lead to adaptive changes in a neurophysiological marker of infant ER, highlighting the importance of early maternal intervention.

Infant emotion regulation in the context of stress: Effects of heart rate variability and temperament

Stressful events are inherently emotional. As a result, the ability to regulate emotions is critical in responding effectively to stressors. Differential abilities in the management of stress appear very early in life, compelling a need to better understand factors that may shape the capacity for emotion regulation (ER). Variations in both biologic and behavioural characteristics are thought to influence individual differences in ER development. We sought to determine the differential contributions of temperament and heart rate variability (HRV; an indicator of autonomic nervous system function) to infant resting state emotionality and emotional reactivity in response to a stressor at 6 months of age. Participants included 108 mother-infant dyads. Mothers completed a measure of infant temperament at 6 months postnatal. Mother and infant also participated in a standardized stressor (the Repeated Still Face Paradigm) at that time. Electrocardiographic data were acquired from the infant during a baseline resting state and throughout the stressor. Fast Fourier Transformation was used to analyse the high frequency (HF) domain of HRV, a measure of parasympathetic nervous system activity. Infant ER was measured via standardized coding of emotional distress behaviours from video-records at baseline and throughout the stressor. Severity of mothers' depressive symptoms was included as a covariate in analyses. Results of linear regression indicate that neither temperament nor HRV were associated significantly with an infant's emotional resting state, although a small effect size was found for the relationship between infant negative affectivity and greater emotional distress (β = 0.23, p = 0.08) prior to the stressor. Higher HF-HRV (suggesting parasympathetic dominance) was related to greater emotional distress in response to the stressor (β = 0.34, p = 0.009). This greater emotional reactivity may reflect a more robust capacity to mount an emotional response to the stressor when infants encounter it from a bedrock of parasympathetic activation. Findings may inform eventual markers for assessment of ER in infancy and areas for intervention to enhance infant management of emotions, especially during stressful events.

Association of the Infant Gut Microbiome with Temperament at Nine Months of Age: A Michigan Cohort Study

Though studies in animals and humans link the gut microbiota to brain development and control of behavior, little research has examined this connection in healthy infants. This prospective study could determine associations between infant gut microbiota at 3 months, and infant temperament at 9 months, in a prospective pregnancy cohort (Michigan Archive for Research on Child Health; n = 159). Microbiota profiling with 16S rRNA gene sequencing was conducted on fecal samples obtained at 3 months of age. Based on the relative abundance of gut microbiotas, three groups were identified, and each group was characterized by different microbes. Infant temperament outcomes were reported by mothers using the Infant Behavior Questionnaire-Revised Very Short Form at a mean age of 9.4 months. Fully adjusted multivariate linear regression models showed that certain clusters were associated with higher negative emotionality scores, prominently among infants who had poor vitamin D intake. However, no associations were evident between gut microbiota clusters and temperament scales after FDR correction. After using three differential abundance tools, Firmicutes was associated with higher positive affect/surgency scores, whereas Clostridioides was associated with lower scores. An association between the gut microbiota and early infancy temperament was observed; thus, this study warrants replication, with a particular focus on vitamin D moderation.

Microbiome function and neurodevelopment in Black infants: vitamin B12 emerges as a key factor

The early life gut microbiome affects the developing brain, and therefore may serve as a target to support neurodevelopment of children living in stressful and under-resourced environments, such as Black youth living on the South Side of Chicago, for whom we observe racial disparities in health. Microbiome compositions/functions key to multiple neurodevelopmental facets have not been studied in Black children, a vulnerable population due to racial disparities in health; thus, a subsample of Black infants living in urban, low-income neighborhoods whose mothers participated in a prenatal nutrition study were recruited for testing associations between composition and function of the gut microbiome (16S rRNA gene sequencing, shotgun metagenomics, and targeted metabolomics of fecal samples) and neurodevelopment (developmental testing, maternal report of temperament, and observed stress regulation). Two microbiome community types, defined by high Lachnospiraceae or Enterobacteriaceae abundance, were discovered in this cohort from 16S rRNA gene sequencing analysis; the Enterobacteriaceae-dominant community type was significantly negatively associated with cognition and language scores, specifically in male children. Vitamin B12 biosynthesis emerged as a key microbiome function from shotgun metagenomics sequencing analysis, showing positive associations with all measured developmental skills (i.e., cognition, language, motor, surgency, effortful control, and observed stress regulation). Blautia spp. also were identified as substantial contributors of important microbiome functions, including vitamin B12 biosynthesis and related vitamin B12-dependent microbiome functions, anti-inflammatory microbial surface antigens, competitive mechanisms against pathobionts, and production of antioxidants. The results are promising with respect to the potential for exploring therapeutic candidates, such as vitamin B12 nutritional or Blautia spp. probiotic supplementation, to support the neurodevelopment of infants at risk for experiencing racial disparities in health.

Sleep SAAF Responsive Parenting Intervention for Black Mothers Impacts Response to Infant Crying: A Randomized Clinical Trial

OBJECTIVE

Many parents use food to soothe their infant, regardless of infant hunger, which can increase risk for rapid weight gain. Interventions promoting alternative soothing strategies may help parents respond more appropriately to crying. This secondary analysis aimed to examine effects of the Sleep SAAF (Strong African American Families) responsive parenting (RP) intervention on maternal responses to infant crying and to explore moderating effects of infant negativity.

METHODS

Primiparous Black mothers (n = 212) were randomized to an RP or safety control intervention, delivered during home visits at 3 and 8 weeks postpartum. Parents were empowered to first use non-food soothing strategies (eg, white noise, swaddling) when responding to crying. Mothers completed the Babies Need Soothing questionnaire at 8 and 16 weeks, and the Infant Behavior Questionnaire at 16 weeks. Data were analyzed using linear or logistic regression.

RESULTS

RP mothers were significantly more likely than controls to use shushing/white noise to soothe their infant at 8 (OR = 4.9, 95% CI: 2.2-10.6) and 16 weeks (OR = 4.8, 95% CI: 2.2-10.5), to go for a walk in stroller/ride in car at 8 weeks (OR = 2.3, 95% CI: 1.2-4.6), and to swing/rock/bounce their infant at 16 weeks (OR = 5.5, 95% CI: 1.2-25.7). RP mothers also reported significantly more frequent use of deep breathing, exercising, and bathing/showering than controls when frustrated with crying. Infant negativity moderated some intervention effects such that the RP intervention was more effective at increasing use of some soothing practices among mothers with less negative infants.

CONCLUSIONS

An RP intervention positively impacted first-time Black mothers' responses to infant crying.

Household chaos, child temperament, and structure-related feeding practices in toddlerhood: A moderation analysis

Structure-related feeding practices may promote intuitive child eating behaviors and foster responsiveness to internal cues of hunger and satiety. Caregivers' ability to engage in structure-related feeding practices likely depends on a complex ecology of factors, including household- and child-characteristics. This study examined associations between household chaos and structure-related feeding practices, and the moderating effect of child temperament. Data were from 275 caregiver-toddler dyads from central Ohio. Child temperament was reported by caregivers when children were 18 months of age, whereas household chaos and structure-related feeding practices were reported by caregivers when children were 36 months of age. Multivariable linear regression models were constructed to assess the relationship between chaos and structure-related feeding practices. Interaction terms between household chaos and three dimensions of child temperament were tested to determine whether temperament moderated the relationship between chaos and structure-related feeding practices. Household chaos was not independently associated with structure-related feeding practices, but higher levels of child effortful control were associated with greater mealtime structure. There was a statistically significant interaction between household chaos and child temperamental surgency, such that greater levels of chaos were associated with less structured mealtimes, but only when children had low-surgency. Findings suggest household chaos and child temperament inform caregiver feeding practices, but the influence of chaos may depend on more proximal factors, like child temperament. Recommendations to improve caregiver-child feeding interactions should be sensitive to characteristics of the broader family home environment.

Cardiac interoception in infants: Behavioral and neurophysiological measures in various emotional and self-related contexts

Interoception, the perception of internal bodily signals, is fundamental to our sense of self. Even though theoretical accounts suggest an important role for interoception in the development of the self, empirical investigations are limited, particularly in infancy. Previous studies used preferential-looking paradigms to assess the detection of sensorimotor and multisensory contingencies in infancy, usually related to proprioception and touch. So far, only one recent study reported that infants discriminated between audiovisual stimuli presented synchronously or asynchronously with their heartbeat. This discrimination was related to the amplitude of the infant's heartbeat evoked potentials (HEP), a neural correlate of interoception. In the current study, we measured looking preferences between synchronous and asynchronous visuocardiac (bimodal), and audiovisuocardiac (trimodal) stimuli as well as the HEP in conditions of different emotional contexts and with different degrees of self-relatedness in a mirror-like setup. While the infants preferred trimodal to bimodal stimuli, we did not observe the predicted differences between synchronous and asynchronous stimulation. Furthermore, the HEP was not modulated by emotional context or self-relatedness. These findings do not support previously published results and highlight the need for further studies on the early development of interoception in relation to the development of the self.

Towards Preventative Psychiatry: Concurrent and Longitudinal Predictors of Postnatal Maternal-Infant Bonding

Maternal-infant bonding is important for children's positive development. Poor maternal-infant bonding is a risk factor for negative mother and infant outcomes. Although researchers have examined individual predictors of maternal-infant bonding, studies typically do not examine several concurrent and longitudinal predictors within the same model. This study aimed to evaluate the unique and combined predictive power of cross-sectional and longitudinal predictors of maternal-infant bonding. Participants were 372 pregnant women recruited from an Australian hospital. Data were collected from mothers at antenatal appointments (T0), following their child's birth (T1), and at a laboratory assessment when their child was 5-11-months-old (T2). Poorer bonding at T2 was predicted at T0 by younger maternal age, higher education, and higher antenatal depressive symptoms. Poorer bonding at T2 was predicted at T1 by younger maternal age, higher education, and higher postnatal depressive symptoms. Poorer bonding at T2 was predicted at T2 by younger maternal age, higher education, higher postnatal depression symptoms, higher concurrent perceived social support, and more difficult infant temperament, when controlling for child age at T2. To promote positive maternal-infant bonding, global and targeted interventions in the perinatal period may benefit from targeting maternal psychopathology, perceived lack of social support, and coping with difficult infant temperament.

Child and Maternal Factors Associated with Feeding Practices in Children with Poor Growth

The development of adequate growth and healthy eating behaviors depends on nutritious food and responsive feeding practices. Our study examined (1) the relationship between maternal concern about child weight or perceived feeding difficulties and their feeding practices, and (2) the moderating role of child temperament and maternal mental health on their feeding practices. A cross-sessional study included mother-child dyads (n = 98) from a tertiary growth and feeding clinic. Children had a mean age of 12.7 ± 5.0 months and a mean weight-for-age z-score of -2.0 ± 1.3. Responsive and controlling feeding practices were measured with the Infant Feeding Styles Questionnaire. Spearman correlation and moderation analysis were performed. Maternal concern about child weight and perceived feeding difficulties were negatively correlated with responsive feeding (r = -0.40, -0.48, p < 0.001). A greater concern about child weight or perceived feeding difficulties was associated with greater use of pressure feeding practices when effortful control was low (B = 0.49, t = 2.47, p = 0.01; B = -0.27, p = 0.008). Maternal anxiety had a significant moderation effect on the relationship between feeding difficulty and pressure feeding (B = -0.04, p = 0.009). Higher maternal concern about child weight and perceived feeding difficulties were associated with less responsive satiety feeding beliefs and behaviors. Both child effortful control and maternal anxiety influenced the relationship between weight and feeding concerns and the use of pressure feeding practices.

Infant gut microbiota and negative and fear reactivity

BACKGROUND

Studies indicate that gut microbiota is related to neurodevelopmental and behavioral outcomes. Accordingly, early gut microbiota composition (GMC) has been linked to child temperament, but research is still scarce. The aim of this study was to examine how early GMC at 2.5 months is associated with child negative and fear reactivity at 8 and 12 months since they are potentially important intermediate phenotypes of later child psychiatric disorders.

METHODS

Our study population was 330 infants enrolled in the longitudinal FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study. Gut microbiota composition was analyzed using stool sample 16s rRNA sequencing. Negative and fear reactivity were assessed using the Laboratory Temperament Assessment Battery (Lab-TAB) at child's age of 8 months (n =150) and the Infant Behavior Questionnaire-Revised Short Form (IBQ-R SF) at child's age of 12 months (n = 276).

CONCLUSIONS

We found a positive association between alpha diversity and reported fear reactivity and differing microbial community composition based on negative reactivity for boys. Isobutyric acid correlated with observed negative reactivity, however, this association attenuated in the linear model. Several genera were associated with the selected infant temperament traits. This study adds to the growing literature on links between infant gut microbiota and temperament informing future mechanistic studies.

Evaluating the impact of sling provision and training upon maternal mental health, wellbeing and parenting: A randomised feasibility trial

BACKGROUND

Close body contact interventions such as Kangaroo Mother Care have been shown to improve maternal mental health following birth. Infant carriers ('slings') facilitate hands-free close body contact. No studies have specifically examined whether sling use improves maternal mental health. A full-scale efficacy study is needed to examine whether sling use is beneficial to maternal mental health. The current study is a feasibility study designed to gather information to support the design of a future RCT, such as acceptability and study parameters, including recruitment rates, consent rate and attrition.

METHOD

Mothers of infants aged 0-6 weeks were randomised to one of two conditions: intervention (n = 35) vs. waitlist control (n = 32). Intervention participants received sling training, support, and free sling hire for 12 weeks. Participants completed self-report measures of mood, wellbeing and parenting at baseline (Time 1), and 6- (Time 2) and 12- (Time 3) weeks post-baseline.

RESULTS

Eligibility and consent rates met feasibility objectives, though there were some difficulties with retention of participants in the study. Preliminary effectiveness analyses showed a non-significant improvement with a small effect size in postnatal depression from T1 to T3, and a significant improvement with a medium effect size in maternal self-efficacy from T1 to T3. Qualitative feedback indicated acceptability of the intervention and study participation. Intervention participants attributed greater autonomy, bonding with their baby, and parental self-confidence, to the intervention.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings indicate a randomised study of the impact of a sling and related support intervention upon maternal mental health is feasible. These findings should be interpreted within the context of sampling bias (due to the use of volunteer sampling methods), an absence of feedback from those who discontinued participation in the study, and the study not being adequately powered.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Registration number ISRCTN88575352.

Socioeconomic resources moderate the relationship between maternal prenatal obsessive-compulsive symptoms and infant negative affectivity

Perinatal maternal depression, anxiety, and stress are associated with poor infant outcomes. However, no known study has investigated the effects of perinatal maternal obsessive-compulsive symptomatology on infant outcomes while considering important situational factors such as socioeconomic resources. Therefore, we investigated the effects of prenatal and postnatal obsessive-compulsive symptomatology on infant behavioral reactivity, beyond the effects of postnatal depressive symptomatology, at 6 months of age. It was expected that socioeconomic resources would moderate this relationship. We recruited 125 pregnant women from a Health Professional Shortage Area for mental health and primary care in the Midwest United States and interviewed them at approximately 34 weeks gestation and again at 6 months postnatally. They were administered questionnaires at both time points measuring obsessive-compulsive and depressive symptoms. Infant behavioral reactivity was gathered during 6-month follow-up through behavioral observation coding and maternal-report modalities. Maternal-reported infant negative affectivity at 6 months was related to greater severity of maternal postnatal depressive symptomatology, and socioeconomic resources moderated the relationship between maternal prenatal obsessive-compulsive symptoms and maternal-reported infant negative affectivity. However, neither of these relations was statistically significant when infant reactivity was quantified using behavioral observations.

Concurrent and prospective associations between infant frontoparietal and default mode network connectivity and negative affectivity

Emotion dysregulation is linked to differences in frontoparietal (FPN) and default mode (DMN) brain network functioning. These differences may be identifiable early in development. Temperamental negative affectivity has been identified as a precursor to later emotion dysregulation, though the underlying neurodevelopmental mechanism is unknown. The present study explores concurrent and prospective associations between FPN and DMN connectivity in infants and measures of negative affectivity. 72 infants underwent 5.03-13.28 min of resting state fMRI during natural sleep (M±SD age=4.90 ± 0.84 weeks; 54% male; usable data=9.92 ± 2.15 min). FPN and DMN intra- and internetwork connectivity were computed using adult network assignments. Crying was obtained from both parent-report and day-long audio recordings. Temperamental negative affectivity was obtained from a parent-report questionnaire. In this preregistered study, based on analyses conducted with a subset of this data (N = 32), we hypothesized that greater functional connectivity within and between FPN and DMN would be associated with greater negative affectivity. In the full sample we did not find support for these hypotheses. Instead, greater DMN intranetwork connectivity at age one month was associated with lower concurrent parent-reported crying and temperamental negative affectivity at age six months (ßs>-0.35, ps<.025), but not crying at age six months. DMN intranetwork connectivity was also negatively associated with internalizing symptoms at age eighteen-months (ß=-0.58, p = .012). FPN intra- and internetwork connectivity was not associated with negative affectivity measures after accounting for covariates. This work furthers a neurodevelopmental model of emotion dysregulation by suggesting that infant functional connectivity at rest is associated with later emotional functioning.

Positive coparenting previous to the COVID-19 pandemic can buffer regulatory problems in infants facing the COVID-19 pandemic

Coparenting can be a development-enhancing or risk-promoting environment for infant regulatory capacity, mainly in the presence of adversity. This study aimed to analyze the association between positive and negative coparenting previous to the COVID-19 pandemic and infant regulatory capacity in the presence of the COVID-19 pandemic, an adverse condition. A sample of 71 first-born infants and their mothers and fathers from a longitudinal cohort in Portugal were assessed at 2 weeks postpartum before the COVID-19 pandemic and again at 6 months postpartum, before (n = 35) or during the COVID-19 pandemic (n = 36). Parents completed measures of positive and negative coparenting and infant regulatory capacity in both assessment waves. Results revealed that the presence of the COVID-19 pandemic moderates the association between mothers' and fathers' positive coparenting previous to the COVID-19 pandemic and infant regulatory capacity at 6 months. The association between positive coparenting and regulatory capacity was stronger in infants facing the COVID-19 pandemic, than in infants who did not face the COVID-19 pandemic. Positive coparenting previous to the COVID-19 pandemic may be a development-enhancing environment for infant regulatory capacity in the presence of the COVID-19 pandemic. Positive coparenting may buffer regulatory problems in infants facing adverse conditions.

Temperamental and psychomotor predictors of ADHD symptoms in children born after a threatened preterm labour: a 6-year follow-up study

Children born after threatened preterm labour (TPL), regardless of whether it ends in preterm birth, may represent an undescribed "ADHD cluster". The aim of this cohort study is to identify early temperament and psychomotor manifestations and risk factors of TPL children who present ADHD symptoms. One hundred and seventeen mother-child pairs were followed from TPL diagnosis until the child's 6 years of life. TPL children were divided according to the prematurity status into three groups: full-term TPL (n = 26), late-preterm TPL (n = 53), and very-preterm TPL (n = 38). A non-TPL group (n = 50) served as control. Temperament and psychomotor development at age 6 months and ADHD symptoms at age 6 years were assessed. Perinatal and psychosocial factors were also recorded. All TPL groups showed higher severity of ADHD symptoms compared with non-TPL children (difference in means + 4.19 for the full-term group, + 3.64 for the late-preterm group, and  + 4.99 for the very-preterm group, all ps < 0.021). Concretely, very-preterm and late-preterm TPL children showed higher restless/impulsive behaviours, whereas full-term TPL children showed higher emotional lability behaviours. Higher surgency/extraversion and delayed fine motor skills at age 6 months predicted ADHD symptoms at 6 years in TPL children. Male sex, maternal state anxiety symptoms at TPL diagnosis, low parental education, and past maternal experience of traumatic events predicted higher ADHD symptoms in TPL children. Therefore, TPL children may have a higher risk for developing ADHD symptoms, presenting a phenotype that depends on the prematurity status. Moreover, the specific combination of early manifestations and risk factors suggests that TPL children may conform an undescribed group at-risk of ADHD symptoms.

Spontaneous infant crying modulates vagal activity in real time

Porges' polyvagal theory (1991) proposes that the activity of the vagal nerve modulates moment-by-moment changes in adaptive behavior during stress. However, most work, including research with infants, has only examined vagal changes at low temporal resolutions, averaging 30+ s across phases of structured stressor paradigms. Thus, the true timescale of vagal regulation-and the extent to which it can be observed during unprompted crying-is unknown. The current study utilized a recently validated method to calculate respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) dynamically at a high resolution of 5 Hz (updated every 200 ms) in a home-based infant study. Using an event-related analysis, we calculated the relative change in RSA around the onset of naturally occurring unprompted instances of n = 41 infants' 180 crying events. As predicted, RSA significantly decreased after the onset of crying compared to non-crying chance changes in RSA. Decreasing trends in RSA were driven by infants with higher pre-cry RSA values, infants rated lower in Negative Affectivity, and those rated both high and low in Orienting by their mothers. Our results display the timescale of RSA in spontaneous and naturalistic episodes of infant crying and that these dynamic RSA patterns are aligned with real-time levels of RSA and also caregiver-reported temperament.

Impact of a Nutrient Formulation on Longitudinal Myelination, Cognition, and Behavior from Birth to 2 Years: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Observation studies suggest differences in myelination in relation to differences in early life nutrition. This two-center randomized controlled trial investigates the effect of a 12-month nutritional intervention on longitudinal changes in myelination, cognition, and behavior. Eighty-one full-term, neurotypical infants were randomized into an investigational (N = 42) or a control group (N = 39), receiving higher versus lower levels of a blend of nutrients. Non-randomized breastfed infants (N = 108) served as a reference group. Main outcomes were myelination (MRI), neurodevelopment (Bayley-III), social-emotional development (ASQ:SE-2), infant and toddler behavior (IBQ-R and TBAQ), and infant sleep (BISQ) during the first 2 years of life. The full analysis set comprised N = 67 infants from the randomized groups, with 81 myelin-sensitive MRI sequences. Significantly higher myelination was observed in the investigational compared to the control group at 6, 12, 18, and 24 months of life, as well as significantly higher gray matter volume at 24 months, a reduced number of night awakenings at 6 months, increased day sleep at 12 months, and reduced social fearfulness at 24 months. The results suggest that brain development may be modifiable with brain- and age-relevant nutritional approaches in healthy infants and young children, which may be foundational for later learning outcomes.

Variability in caregiver attention bias to threat: A Goldilocks effect in infant emotional development?

Attention biases to threat are considered part of the etiology of anxiety disorders. Attention bias variability (ABV) quantifies intraindividual fluctuations in attention biases and may better capture the relation between attention biases and psychopathology risk versus mean levels of attention bias. ABV to threat has been associated with attentional control and emotion regulation, which may impact how caregivers interact with their child. In a relatively diverse sample of infants (50% White, 50.7% female), we asked how caregiver ABV to threat related to trajectories of infant negative affect across the first 2 years of life. Families were part of a multi-site longitudinal study, and data were collected from 4 to 24 months of age. Multilevel modeling examined the effect of average caregiver attention biases on changes in negative affect. We found a significant interaction between infant age and caregiver ABV to threat. Probing this interaction revealed that infants of caregivers with high ABV showed decreases in negative affect over time, while infants of caregivers with low-to-average ABV showed potentiated increases in negative affect. We discuss how both high and extreme patterns of ABV may relate to deviations in developmental trajectories.

The impact of peer-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy for postpartum depression on infant emotion regulation

BACKGROUND

Postpartum depression (PPD) affects up to one in five and negatively affects mothers, birthing parents, and their infants. The impact of PPD exposure on infant emotion regulation (ER) may be particularly harmful given its associations with later psychiatric problems. It remains unclear if treating maternal PPD can improve infant ER.

OBJECTIVE

To examine the impact of a nine-week peer-delivered group cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) intervention on infant ER assessed across physiological and behavioral levels.

METHODS

Seventy-three mother-infant dyads were enrolled in a randomized controlled trial from 2018 to 2020. Mothers/birthing parents were randomized to the experimental group or waitlist control group. Measures of infant ER were collected at baseline (T1) and nine weeks later (T2). Infant ER was assessed using two physiological measures (frontal alpha asymmetry (FAA) and High Frequency-Heart Rate Variability (HF-HRV)), and parental-report of infant temperament.

RESULTS

Experimental group infants displayed more adaptive changes in both physiological markers of infant ER from T1 to T2 (FAA (F(1,56) = 4.16, p = .046) and HF-HRV (F(1,28.1) = 5.57, p = .03)) than those in the waitlist control group. Despite improvements in maternal PPD, no differences were noted in infant temperament from T1 to T2.

LIMITATIONS

A limited sample size, potential lack of generalizability of our results to other populations, and an absence of long-term data collection.

CONCLUSIONS

A scalable intervention designed for those with PPD may be capable of adaptively improving infant ER. Replication in larger samples is needed to determine if maternal treatment can help disrupt the transmission of psychiatric risk from mothers/birthing parents to their infants.

Effects of social and sensory deprivation in newborns: A lesson from the Covid-19 experience

BACKGROUND

Infancy is a complex period of human life, in which environmental experiences have a fundamental role for neurodevelopment. Although conditions of social and sensory deprivation are uncommon in high income countries, the Covid-19 pandemic abruptly modified this condition, by depriving people of their social stimuli of daily life.

AIM

To understand the impact of this deprivation on infants' behaviour, we investigated the short-term effects of isolation and use of individual protective systems by mothers during the first two weeks of life.

METHODS

The study included 11 mother-infant dyads with mothers tested positive to SARS-CoV-2 at the time of delivery (Covid group) and 11 dyads with a SARS-CoV-2 negative mother as controls. Neurobehavioral, visual, and sensory processing assessments were performed from birth to 3 months of age.

RESULTS

Findings showed the effect of deprivation on some neurobehavioral abilities of infants in the Covid group; in addition, differences in sensory maturation trends were observed, although they tended to gradually decrease until disappearance at 3 months of age.

CONCLUSION

These findings suggest the significant effects of early sensory and social deprivation during the first two weeks of life, but also provide several insights on the ability of the brain to restore its aptitudes by deleting or reducing the effects of early deprivation before the critical periods' closure.

Maternal childbirth-related posttraumatic stress symptoms, bonding, and infant development: a prospective study

BACKGROUND

Childbirth-related posttraumatic stress symptoms (CB-PTSS) including general symptoms (GS, i.e., mainly negative cognitions and mood and hyperarousal symptoms) and birth-related symptoms (BRS, i.e., mostly re-experiencing and avoidance symptoms) may disrupt mother-infant bonding and infant development. This study investigated prospective and cross-sectional associations between maternal CB-PTSS and mother-infant bonding or infant development (language, motor, and cognitive).

METHOD

We analysed secondary data of the control group of a randomised control trial (NCT03576586) with full-term French-speaking mother-infant dyads (n = 55). Maternal CB-PTSS and mother-infant bonding were assessed via questionnaires at six weeks (T1) and six months (T2) postpartum: PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) and Mother-Infant Bonding Scale (MIBS). Infant development was assessed with the Bayley Scales of Infant Development at T2. Sociodemographic and medical data were collected from questionnaires and medical records. Bivariate and multivariate regression were used.

RESULTS

Maternal total CB-PTSS score at T1 was associated with poorer bonding at T2 in the unadjusted model (B = 0.064, p = 0.043). In the adjusted model, cross-sectional associations were found at T1 between a higher total CB-PTSS score and poorer bonding (B = 0.134, p = 0.017) and between higher GS and poorer bonding (B = 0.306, p = 0.002). Higher BRS at T1 was associated with better infant cognitive development at T2 in the unadjusted model (B = 0.748, p = 0.026).

CONCLUSIONS

Results suggest that CB-PTSS were associated with mother-infant bonding difficulties, while CB-PTSS were not significantly associated with infant development. Additional studies are needed to increase our understanding of the intergenerational consequences of perinatal trauma.

Fetal heart rate variability and infant self-regulation: the impact of mother's prenatal depressive symptoms

BACKGROUND

Foetal heart rate (FHR) variability is considered a marker of foetal neurobehavioral development associated with infant self-regulation and thus may be an early precursor of the adverse impact of mother's prenatal depressive symptoms on infant self-regulation.

OBJECTIVE

This study analysed the mediator role of FHR variability in the association between mother's prenatal depressive symptoms and infant self-regulation at three months.

METHODS

The sample comprised 86 first-born infants and their mothers. Mothers reported on depressive symptoms at the first trimester of pregnancy and on depressive symptoms and infant self-regulation at three months postpartum. FHR variability was recorded during routine cardiotocography at the third trimester of pregnancy. A mediation model was tested, adjusting for mother's postnatal depressive symptoms.

RESULTS

Higher levels of mother's prenatal depressive symptoms were associated with both lower FHR variability and lower infant self-regulation at three months. FHR variability was associated with infant self-regulation and mediated the association between mother's prenatal depressive symptoms and infant self-regulation at three months.

CONCLUSION

Findings suggested FHR variability as an early precursor of infant self-regulation that underlies the association between mother's prenatal depressive symptoms and infant self-regulation. Infants of mothers with higher levels of prenatal depressive symptoms could be at risk of self-regulation problems, partially due to their lower FHR variability.

Proximal Processes and Contextual Factors Associated with Early Socio-emotional Competence Development

There is growing interest in child socio-emotional competence from parents, educators, employers and policy makers, with emphasis on developing it as early as possible. The aim of the present study was to examine contextual and proximal factors that influence socio-emotional competence development across the first five years of a child's life. We used data from 3200 mothers and their children drawn mostly from four major data collection waves (antenatal, 9 months, 2 years and 4.5 years) of the population-based longitudinal study, Growing Up in New Zealand. Regression analyses were carried out to identify the predictors of socio-emotional competence after controlling for demographics and prior score(s) of socio-emotional competence. We found that specific maternal behaviours, such as playing games and playing with toys with children, singing songs or telling stories to them, reading books with them, having rules around viewing TV, DVDs and videos, and praising children have a positive effect on socio-emotional competence. Parental relationship warmth and less family stress at 9 months also made positive contributions to socio-emotional competence at 9 months and 2 years. In contrast, attending childcare and having more siblings at home negatively predicted socio-emotional competence at 9 months. Mother's unemployment, living in neighbourhoods perceived as negative and being in contact with family and social services were negatively associated with concurrent socio-emotional competence at 2 years. Overall, more and/or stronger contemporaneous effects were found suggesting that negative effects of contextual factors may not have lasting impact on socio-emotional competence. In addition, the results showed that maternal behaviours need to be practised regularly to have positive impact on child's socio-emotional development.

Sequential mediation of early temperament and eating behaviors in the pathways from feeding practices to childhood overweight and obesity

Introduction

Childhood eating behaviors and temperament may have important implication for constructing the pathways from maternal feeding practices to childhood overweight and obesity (OW/OB). Examining multiple feeding styles simultaneously to childhood OW/OB is critical through the mediators of early childhood temperament and eating behaviors.

Methods

This cross-sectional study recruited mothers mainly responsible for child care from two hospitals and two healthcare centers in eastern China. Sociodemographic characteristics, and data from the Infant Feeding Style Questionnaire (IFSQ), the short form of Children Behavior Questionnaire [Revised (IBQ-RSF)], and the Child Eating Behavior Questionnaire for toddler (CEBQ-T) were collected. Weight and recumbent length were measured to calculate the age- and sex-specific body mass index (BMI) z-scores (BMIz). The structural equation modeling (SEM) approach was used to examine direct and indirect pathways from five maternal feeding styles to childhood OW/OB through temperament and eating behaviors.

Results

A total of 486 children were recruited, 73 (15.02%) children were OW/OB; the age of the children was 14.55 (SD = 5.14) months, and the age of the mothers was 29.90 (SD = 3.63) years. The responsive feeding exerted significant direct (β = -0.098), indirect (β = -0.136) and total (β = -0.234) effects on childhood OW/OB. Restrictive feeding had significant direct (β = 0.222), indirect (β = 0.102) and total (β = 0.324) effects on childhood OW/OB. Indulgent feeding had significant direct (β = 0.220), indirect (β = 0.063), and total (β = 0.283) effects on childhood OW/OB. Pressuring feeding had significant direct (β = -0.116), indirect (β = -0.096) and total (β = -0.212) effects on childhood OW/OB.

Discussion

There was a direct effect of feeding practices on childhood OW/OB; feeding practices indirectly predicted childhood OW/OB through temperament and eating behaviors in children aged 6-23 months. This study could help governments agencies, policymakers, and healthcare workers to establish optimal intervention programs targeting feeding practices through childhood eating behaviors and temperament to prevent childhood OW/OB.