1
|
Aran Ö, Swales DA, Bailey NA, Korja R, Holmberg E, Eskola E, Nolvi S, Perasto L, Nordenswan E, Karlsson H, Karlsson L, Sandman CA, Stern HS, Baram TZ, Glynn LM, Davis EP. Across ages and places: Unpredictability of maternal sensory signals and child internalizing behaviors. J Affect Disord 2024; 347:557-567. [PMID: 38007106 PMCID: PMC10843791 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2023.11.068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2023] [Revised: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/18/2023] [Indexed: 11/27/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Patterns of sensory inputs early in life play an integral role in shaping the maturation of neural circuits, including those implicated in emotion and cognition. In both experimental animal models and observational human research, unpredictable sensory signals have been linked to aberrant developmental outcomes, including poor memory and effortful control. These findings suggest that sensitivity to unpredictable sensory signals is conserved across species and sculpts the developing brain. The current study provides a novel investigation of unpredictable maternal sensory signals in early life and child internalizing behaviors. We tested these associations in three independent cohorts to probe the generalizability of associations across continents and cultures. METHOD The three prospective longitudinal cohorts were based in Orange, USA (n = 163, 47.2 % female, Mage = 1 year); Turku, Finland (n = 239, 44.8 % female, Mage = 5 years); and Irvine, USA (n = 129, 43.4 % female, Mage = 9.6 years). Unpredictability of maternal sensory signals was quantified during free-play interactions. Child internalizing behaviors were measured via parent report (Orange & Turku) and child self-report (Irvine). RESULTS Early life exposure to unpredictable maternal sensory signals was associated with greater child fearfulness/anxiety in all three cohorts, above and beyond maternal sensitivity and sociodemographic factors. The association between unpredictable maternal sensory signals and child sadness/depression was relatively weaker and did not reach traditional thresholds for statistical significance. LIMITATIONS The correlational design limits our ability to make causal inferences. CONCLUSIONS Findings across the three diverse cohorts suggest that unpredictable maternal signals early in life shape the development of internalizing behaviors, particularly fearfulness and anxiety.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Özlü Aran
- Department of Psychology, University of Denver, Denver, CO, USA.
| | - Danielle A Swales
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
| | - Natasha A Bailey
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Riikka Korja
- University of Turku, Department of Psychology and Speech-Language Pathology, Turku, Finland; University of Turku, Department of Clinical Medicine, Turku Brain and Mind Center, FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku, Finland; Centre of Excellence in Learning Dynamics and Intervention Research (InterLearn), University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Eeva Holmberg
- University of Turku, Department of Psychology and Speech-Language Pathology, Turku, Finland; University of Turku, Department of Clinical Medicine, Turku Brain and Mind Center, FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku, Finland
| | - Eeva Eskola
- University of Turku, Department of Psychology and Speech-Language Pathology, Turku, Finland; University of Turku, Department of Clinical Medicine, Turku Brain and Mind Center, FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku, Finland
| | - Saara Nolvi
- University of Turku, Department of Psychology and Speech-Language Pathology, Turku, Finland; University of Turku, Department of Clinical Medicine, Turku Brain and Mind Center, FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku, Finland
| | - Laura Perasto
- University of Turku, Department of Clinical Medicine, Turku Brain and Mind Center, FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku, Finland; Centre for Population Health Research, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
| | - Elisabeth Nordenswan
- University of Turku, Department of Psychology and Speech-Language Pathology, Turku, Finland; University of Turku, Department of Clinical Medicine, Turku Brain and Mind Center, FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku, Finland
| | - Hasse Karlsson
- University of Turku, Department of Clinical Medicine, Turku Brain and Mind Center, FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku, Finland; Centre for Population Health Research, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland; Department of Psychiatry, Turku University Hospital and University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Linnea Karlsson
- University of Turku, Department of Clinical Medicine, Turku Brain and Mind Center, FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku, Finland; Centre of Excellence in Learning Dynamics and Intervention Research (InterLearn), University of Turku, Turku, Finland; Department of Clinical Medicine, Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Turku University Hospital and University of Turku
| | - Curt A Sandman
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Hal S Stern
- Department of Statistics, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Tallie Z Baram
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA; Department of Anatomy/Neurobiology, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA; Department of Neurology, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Laura M Glynn
- Department of Psychology, Chapman University, Orange, CA, USA
| | - Elysia Poggi Davis
- Department of Psychology, University of Denver, Denver, CO, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Holmberg E, Kataja EL, Davis EP, Pajulo M, Nolvi S, Lahtela H, Nordenswan E, Karlsson L, Karlsson H, Korja R. Unpredictable maternal sensory signals in caregiving behavior are associated with child effortful control. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0279384. [PMID: 36538558 PMCID: PMC9767348 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0279384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Emerging evidence suggests that exposure to unpredictable patterns of maternal sensory signals during infancy is associated with child neurodevelopment, including poorer effortful control. However, longitudinal effects on child development and possible sex differences are understudied. The aims of the present study were to explore whether exposure to unpredictable maternal sensory signals during infancy is related to child effortful control at 5 years of age and whether child sex moderates these associations. In addition, we examined how exposure to very high vs. low/moderate unpredictability using categorical cut-offs is related to child effortful control. Participants (133 mother-child pairs, all Caucasian) were drawn from the FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study in Finland. Maternal sensory signals (auditory, visual, tactile) were coded from the 10-min free-play episode on a moment-on-moment basis using Observer XT 11 (Noldus), and the unpredictability of maternal sensory signals was characterized as the entropy rate when the infant was 8 months of age. Child effortful control was assessed via mother reports using the Child Behavior Questionnaire very short form (CBQ-VSF) when the child was 5 years old. Correlational analyses showed that higher unpredictability of maternal sensory signals had a modest association with children's poorer effortful control at 5 years of age. Notably, the linear regression model showed that child sex moderated these associations, as higher exposure to unpredictable maternal sensory signals was related to poorer effortful control among males, but not among females. Moreover, the general linear model showed that exposure to very high unpredictability was associated with poorer child effortful control at 5 years of age and remained significant when adjusted for possible confounding factors. These results are in line with previous findings and suggest that the unpredictability of maternal sensory signals is potentially an important aspect of early caregiving behavior associated with the development of child effortful control.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eeva Holmberg
- Department of Clinical Medicine, FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku Brain and Mind Center, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Department of Psychology and Speech-Language Pathology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- * E-mail:
| | - Eeva-Leena Kataja
- Department of Clinical Medicine, FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku Brain and Mind Center, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Elysia Poggi Davis
- Department of Psychology, University of Denver, Denver, CO, United States of America
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine, CA, United States of America
| | - Marjukka Pajulo
- Department of Clinical Medicine, FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku Brain and Mind Center, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Department of Child Psychiatry, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Saara Nolvi
- Department of Clinical Medicine, FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku Brain and Mind Center, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Department of Psychology and Speech-Language Pathology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Department of Psychology and Speech-Language Pathology, Turku Institute for Advanced Studies, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Hetti Lahtela
- Department of Clinical Medicine, FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku Brain and Mind Center, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Department of Psychology and Speech-Language Pathology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Elisabeth Nordenswan
- Department of Clinical Medicine, FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku Brain and Mind Center, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Linnea Karlsson
- Department of Clinical Medicine, FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku Brain and Mind Center, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Turku and Hospital District of Southwest Finland, Turku, Finland
- Centre for Population Health Research, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, University of Turku and Hospital District of Southwest Finland, Turku, Finland
| | - Hasse Karlsson
- Department of Clinical Medicine, FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku Brain and Mind Center, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Turku and Hospital District of Southwest Finland, Turku, Finland
- Centre for Population Health Research, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
| | - Riikka Korja
- Department of Clinical Medicine, FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku Brain and Mind Center, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Department of Psychology and Speech-Language Pathology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Smith CG, Jones EJH, Wass SV, Jacobs D, Fitzpatrick C, Charman T. The effect of perinatal interventions on parent anxiety, infant socio‐emotional development and parent‐infant relationship outcomes: A systematic review. JCPP ADVANCES 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/jcv2.12116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Celia G. Smith
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience King's College London London UK
| | | | | | | | | | - Tony Charman
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience King's College London London UK
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Ran-Peled D, Bar-Shachar Y, Horwitz A, Finkelstein O, Bar-Kalifa E, Meiri G, Tikotzky L. Objective and subjective sleep and caregiving feelings in mothers of infants: a longitudinal daily diary study. Sleep 2022; 45:6569230. [DOI: 10.1093/sleep/zsac090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2021] [Revised: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Study Objectives
This study explored the links between mothers’ objective and subjective sleep and their caregiving feelings toward their infant (i.e. patience for the infant, desire to be with the infant, and anger toward the infant), using a diary study design. We were particularly interested in examining whether nights of lower sleep quality within individual mothers predict more negative maternal caregiving feelings the following day.
Methods
The sample included 151 women, who were recruited during pregnancy. Data were collected at 4 and 8 months after delivery. Maternal sleep was monitored at home for seven nights using actigraphy and sleep diaries. Mothers rated their caregiving feelings each evening.
Results
Multilevel modeling (controlling for depressive symptoms, feeding method, and background variables) revealed that actigraphic and subjective sleep variables were associated with maternal caregiving feeling, both at the between- and within-person levels. For example, lower sleep percent predicted reduced levels of maternal patience for the infant at 4 and 8 months (between-person effect). Moreover, when a mother had a lower sleep percent on a given night (compared to her average), she reported lower levels of patience for her infant the following day (within-person prospective effect).
Conclusions
The findings demonstrate, for the first time, that maternal nightly variations in objective and subjective sleep quality predict daily changes in maternal feelings toward her infant at two different assessment points. Improving maternal sleep quality might be an important target for future interventions which may help mothers to feel more positively toward their infants.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dar Ran-Peled
- Department of Psychology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev , Beer-Sheva , Israel
| | - Yael Bar-Shachar
- Department of Psychology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev , Beer-Sheva , Israel
| | - Avel Horwitz
- Department of Psychology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev , Beer-Sheva , Israel
| | - Omer Finkelstein
- Department of Psychology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev , Beer-Sheva , Israel
| | - Eran Bar-Kalifa
- Department of Psychology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev , Beer-Sheva , Israel
| | - Gal Meiri
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev , Beer-Sheva , Israel
| | - Liat Tikotzky
- Department of Psychology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev , Beer-Sheva , Israel
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Holmberg E, Kataja EL, Davis EP, Pajulo M, Nolvi S, Hakanen H, Karlsson L, Karlsson H, Korja R. The Connection and Development of Unpredictability and Sensitivity in Maternal Care Across Early Childhood. Front Psychol 2022; 13:803047. [PMID: 35330718 PMCID: PMC8940198 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.803047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2021] [Accepted: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Both patterns of maternal sensory signals and sensitive care have shown to be crucial elements shaping child development. However, research concerning these aspects of maternal care has focused mainly on maternal sensitivity with fewer studies evaluating the impact of patterns of maternal behaviors and changes in these indices across infancy and childhood. The aims of this study were to explore how maternal unpredictability of sensory signals and sensitivity develop and associate with each other from infancy to toddlerhood and whether elevated maternal depressive and anxiety symptoms relate to maternal unpredictable signals and sensitivity in toddlerhood. The study population consisted of 356 mother–child dyads assessed at 30 months; a subset of 103 mother–child dyads additionally participated in 8 months assessment. Maternal unpredictability and sensitivity were assessed from video-recorded free-play episodes at 8 and 30 months. Maternal depressive and anxiety symptoms were assessed with questionnaires at gestational weeks 14, 24, 34 and 3, 6, 12, and 24 months. Mean level of mothers’ unpredictability decreased on average whereas sensitivity did not change between infancy and toddlerhood. Both maternal unpredictability and sensitivity showed moderate level of individual stability from infancy to toddlerhood and these two measures were modestly correlated within each age. Elevated maternal depressive and anxiety symptoms were not related to unpredictability but related to lower maternal sensitivity in toddlerhood. These results identify unpredictable sensory signals as a characteristic of parental care that is independent of standard quality measures and suggest that it may be less influenced by maternal depressive and anxiety symptoms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eeva Holmberg
- FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku Brain and Mind Center, Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Department of Psychology and Speech-Language Pathology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- *Correspondence: Eeva Holmberg,
| | - Eeva-Leena Kataja
- FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku Brain and Mind Center, Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Elysia Poggi Davis
- Department of Psychology, University of Denver, Denver, CO, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Marjukka Pajulo
- FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku Brain and Mind Center, Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Department of Child Psychiatry, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Saara Nolvi
- FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku Brain and Mind Center, Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Department of Psychology and Speech-Language Pathology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Department of Psychology and Speech-Language Pathology, Turku Institute for Advanced Studies, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Hetti Hakanen
- FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku Brain and Mind Center, Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Department of Psychology and Speech-Language Pathology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Linnea Karlsson
- FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku Brain and Mind Center, Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Centre for Population Health Research, Turku University Hospital, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Turku and Hospital District of Southwest Finland, Turku, Finland
| | - Hasse Karlsson
- FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku Brain and Mind Center, Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Centre for Population Health Research, Turku University Hospital, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Turku and Hospital District of Southwest Finland, Turku, Finland
| | - Riikka Korja
- FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku Brain and Mind Center, Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Department of Psychology and Speech-Language Pathology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Reconceptualizing non-pharmacologic approaches to Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) and Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome (NOWS): A theoretical and evidence-based approach. Part II: The clinical application of nonpharmacologic care for NAS/NOWS. Neurotoxicol Teratol 2021; 88:107032. [PMID: 34600100 DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2021.107032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2020] [Revised: 09/22/2021] [Accepted: 09/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
There has been increasing emphasis on the importance of the development of self-regulatory capacities of the individual as the cornerstone of development. The caregivers' abilities to manage their own attention, emotions, physiology and behaviors influence the development of the child's self-regulatory and interactive capacities, and thereby their overall development. Newborns prenatally exposed to psychoactive substances and/or to other prenatal stressors such as maternal poor nutrition, increased maternal stress, trauma, difficult and/or impoverished environments, in tandem with genetic predispositions, can result in alterations to their neurodevelopment that predispose them to self-regulatory problems that can be expressed at any stage of life. The care of infants with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS)/Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome (NOWS) and their mother/caregiver is a window of opportunity to assess the regulatory and co-regulatory capacities of both, and to provide holistic interventions with the goal of empowering the mother/caregiver in their own self-knowledge/self-regulation capacities and their crucial role in promoting the healthy development of their children. Non-pharmacologic care for the infant with NAS/NOWS is the first line of treatment and of paramount importance. Yet, current approaches are based on a limited scope of infant functioning, and the scoring systems in current use do not result in individualized and specific non-pharmacologic care of the infant, which can result in excessive or insufficient medication and a lack of caregiver appreciation for the infant's strengths, difficulties and early development. The interventions described here are based on the infant's signs of dysregulation in four neurobehavioral subsystems that can be dysregulated by NAS/NOWS, the infant's adaptive or maladaptive responses to return to a regulated functioning, and the co-regulatory behaviors of the infant and the mother/caregiver. In Part I of this two-part series on re-conceptualizing non-pharmacologic care for NAS/NOWS we laid the foundation for a new treatment approach, one grounded in developmental theory and evidence-based observations of infant and interpersonal neurobiology. Here, in Part II, we outline actionable, individually tailored evaluations and approaches to non-pharmacologic NAS/NOWS treatment based on strategies to support the regulatory capacities and development of 4 key domains: 1) autonomic; 2) motor/tone; 3) sleep/awake state control; and 4) sensory modulation subsystems.
Collapse
|