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Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jonas G Miller
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Ian H Gotlib
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
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2
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Grossmann T, Wood A. Variability in the expression and perception of positive affect in human infancy. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2023; 18:nsad049. [PMID: 37758645 PMCID: PMC10533321 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsad049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Revised: 05/29/2023] [Accepted: 09/09/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Positive emotions play a critical role in guiding human behavior and social interactions. This study examined whether and how genetic variability in the oxytocin system is linked to individual differences in expressing positive affect in human infants. Our results show that genetic variation in CD38 (rs3796863), previously linked to increased release of oxytocin, was associated with higher rates of positive affective displays among a sample of 7-month-old infants, using established parent-report measures. Moreover, infants displaying increased levels of positive affect (smiling and laughter) also showed enhanced brain responses in the right inferior frontal cortex, a brain region previously linked to perception-action coupling, when viewing others smile at them. These findings suggest that, from early in development, genetic variation in the oxytocin system is associated with individual differences in expressed positive affect, which in turn are linked to differences in perceiving positive affect. This helps uncover the neurobiological processes accounting for variability in the expression and perception of positive affect in infancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobias Grossmann
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22903, USA
| | - Adrienne Wood
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22903, USA
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3
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Troutman B, Momany AM, Elliott KL. Development of negative and positive emotionality in irritable and nonirritable neonates. J Reprod Infant Psychol 2023:1-14. [PMID: 37458119 DOI: 10.1080/02646838.2023.2233987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The current study compares the development of negative and positive emotionality of irritable and nonirritable neonates. BACKGROUND Research indicates that the first few months of life are marked by decreases in negative emotionality and increases in positive emotionality. METHODS The Neonatal Behavioural Assessment Scale (NBAS) was administered twice to 111 neonates at 3 and 4 weeks of age to select a sample of irritable neonates and a comparison group of nonirritable neonates. Mothers completed assessments of negative and positive emotionality at 1, 2, 4, and 9 months of age. RESULTS Both irritable and nonirritable neonates demonstrate a significant decrease in frustration and a significant increase in positive emotionality from 2 to 4 months of age. Irritable neonates also demonstrate a significant decrease in negative emotionality from 4 to 9 months of age. Both irritable and nonirritable neonates demonstrate considerable stability in negative and positive emotionality. CONCLUSION Implications of these results for parent education and early intervention are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beth Troutman
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Allison M Momany
- Stead Family Department of Pediatrics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Kelly L Elliott
- Graduate School of Professional Psychology, University of Denver, Denver, CO, USA
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4
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Morris AR, Saxbe DE. Differences in infant negative affectivity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Infant Ment Health J 2023; 44:466-479. [PMID: 37218428 PMCID: PMC10783853 DOI: 10.1002/imhj.22061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2022] [Revised: 02/22/2023] [Accepted: 04/16/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
This longitudinal study compared infant temperament rated at 3 months postpartum by 263 United-States-based women who gave birth during the COVID-19 pandemic and 72 who gave birth prior to the pandemic. All women completed questionnaires assessing perinatal mental health, social contact, and infant temperament. Mothers whose infants were born during the pandemic reported higher levels of infant negative affectivity as compared with mothers whose infants were born earlier (F(1, 324) = 18.28, p < .001), but did not differ in their ratings of surgency or effortful control. Maternal prenatal depressive symptoms, prenatal stress, and postpartum stress mediated differences in infant negative affectivity between pandemic and pre-pandemic groups. Within the pandemic group, decreased postpartum social contact was associated with higher ratings of infant negative affectivity. These findings suggest that the pandemic has affected maternal perceptions of infant temperament, perinatal mental health, and social contact.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alyssa R Morris
- Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Darby E Saxbe
- Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
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Golm D, Brandt V. The longitudinal association between infant negative emotionality, childhood maltreatment, and ADHD symptoms: A secondary analysis of data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study. Dev Psychopathol 2023:1-8. [PMID: 37138529 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579423000457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Infant temperament predicts harsh parenting, and attention deficit/ hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms. Moreover, childhood maltreatment has consistently been associated with later ADHD symptoms. We hypothesized that infant negative emotionality predicted both ADHD symptoms and maltreatment, and that there was a bidirectional association between maltreatment experiences and ADHD symptoms. METHODS The study used secondary data from the longitudinal Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (N = 2860). A structural equation model was conducted, using maximum likelihood with robust standard errors. Infant negative emotionality acted as a predictor. Outcome variables were childhood maltreatment and ADHD symptoms at ages 5 and 9. RESULTS The model demonstrated good fit (root-mean-square error of approximation = .02, comparative fit index = .99, Tucker-Lewis index = .96). Infant negative emotionality positively predicted childhood maltreatment at ages 5 and 9, and ADHD symptoms at age 5. Age 5 maltreatment/ADHD symptoms predicted age 9 ADHD symptoms/maltreatment. Additionally, both childhood maltreatment and ADHD symptoms at age 5 mediated the association between negative emotionality and childhood maltreatment/ADHD symptoms at age 9. CONCLUSIONS Given the bidirectional relationship between ADHD and experiences of maltreatment, it is vital to identify early shared risk factors to prevent negative downstream effects and support families at risk. Our study showed that infant negative emotionality, poses one of these risk factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dennis Golm
- Centre for Innovation in Mental Health, School of Psychology, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Valerie Brandt
- Centre for Innovation in Mental Health, School of Psychology, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
- Clinic of Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Hanover Medical School, Hanover, Germany
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Bailes LG, Leerkes EM. Transactional associations between infant negative emotionality and maternal sensitivity: Maternal emotion dysregulation as a moderator. J Fam Psychol 2023; 37:369-379. [PMID: 36689388 PMCID: PMC10124605 DOI: 10.1037/fam0001060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
The relations between maternal sensitivity and infant negative emotionality have been tested extensively in the previous literature. However, the extent to which these associations reflect unidirectional or bidirectional effects over time remains somewhat uncertain. Further, the possibility that maternal characteristics moderate the extent to which infant negative emotionality predicts maternal sensitivity over time has yet to be tested in cross-lag models. The goal of the present study is to address these gaps. First time mothers (N = 259; 50% White; 50% Black) and their infants participated when infants were 6, 14, and 26 months of age. Infant negative emotionality was assessed via maternal report and direct observation during standardized laboratory tasks, which were subsequently combined to yield a multimethod measure at each wave. Maternal sensitivity was observationally coded at each wave and mothers self-reported emotion dysregulation at 6 and 14 months. A random intercepts cross-lagged model with maternal emotion dysregulation specified as a moderator revealed that infant negative emotionality at 6 months was negatively associated with maternal sensitivity at 14 months, but only among mothers higher in emotion dysregulation. Higher maternal sensitivity was in turn associated with lower infant negative emotionality when infants were 26 months of age. The indirect pathway was significant, lending support for the transactional model. Implications for future research and prevention/intervention are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren G. Bailes
- Vanderbilt University, Peabody College, 2201 West End Ave, Nashville, TN 37076
| | - Esther M. Leerkes
- University of North Carolina Greensboro, 2201 West End Ave, Nashville, TN 37076
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Mortaji N, Krzeczkowski J, Atkinson S, Amani B, Schmidt LA, Van Lieshout R. Preliminary findings of emotion regulation in 12-month-old infants of mothers enrolled in a randomized controlled trial assessing a nutrition + exercise intervention. Dev Psychobiol 2023; 65:e22376. [PMID: 36811372 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2022] [Revised: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2023]
Abstract
Improved offspring emotion regulation (ER) has been associated with maternal intake of single nutrients or exercise during pregnancy but has not been examined in randomized trials. We investigated the impact of a maternal nutrition + exercise intervention during pregnancy on offspring ER at 12 months of age. Mothers in the Be Healthy In Pregnancy randomized controlled trial were randomly assigned to an individualized nutrition + exercise intervention plus usual care (UC) or UC alone (control group). A multimethod assessment of infant ER using parasympathetic nervous system function (high frequency heart rate variability [HF-HRV] and root mean square of successive differences [RMSSD]) as well as maternal reports of infant temperament (Infant Behavior Questionnaire- Revised short form) was completed with a subsample of infants of enrolled mothers (intervention = 9, control = 8). The trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT01689961). We observed greater HF-HRV (M = 4.63, SD = 0.50, p = .04, ƞ2 p = .25) and RMSSD (M = 24.25, SD = 6.15, p = .04, ƞ2 p = .25) in infants of mothers in the intervention versus control group. Intervention group infants also had higher maternally rated surgency/extraversion (M = 5.54, SD = 0.38, p = .00, ƞ2 p = .65) and regulation/orienting (M = 5.46, SD = 0.52, p = .02, ƞ2 p = .81), and lower negative affectivity (M = 2.70, SD = 0.91, p = .03, ƞ2 p = .52). These preliminary results suggest that pregnancy nutrition + exercise interventions could improve infant ER but these findings require replication in larger, more diverse samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neda Mortaji
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Stephanie Atkinson
- Department of Pediatrics, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Bahar Amani
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Louis A Schmidt
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ryan Van Lieshout
- Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
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Davis MI, Delfosse CM, Ventura AK. Infant Age Moderates Associations between Infant Temperament and Maternal Technology Use during Infant Feeding and Care. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2022; 19:12858. [PMID: 36232158 PMCID: PMC9565936 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph191912858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2022] [Revised: 10/01/2022] [Accepted: 10/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Previous research illustrated that infants' temperamental traits shape parents' behaviors, but parents' behaviors can also elicit or intensify infants' behaviors in ways that shape temperament. One understudied aspect of parenting that may exhibit bidirectional influences with temperament is parent technology use (e.g., use of mobile devices) within family contexts. To date, few studies have examined whether maternal technology use is associated with infant temperament and whether age-related differences in these associations exist. The present study was a secondary analysis of pooled data from three infant feeding studies. Mothers (n = 374) of young infants (age 16.2 ± 6.2 weeks) completed measures of maternal technology use during infant feeding and care interactions, infant temperament, and family demographics. Maternal technology use was positively associated with negative affectivity and negatively associated with orienting/regulatory capacity but was not associated with positive affectivity/surgency. The association between maternal technology use and negative affectivity was stronger for younger infants than older infants, while the association between maternal technology use and orienting/regulatory capacity was not significant for younger infants but was for older infants. Findings suggest maternal technology use is associated with infant negative affectivity and orienting/regulatory capacity, but the strength of these associations may change with infant age. Further longitudinal research is needed to verify this interpretation and understand mechanisms underlying these associations.
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Ventura AK, Whaley SE. Strategies to promote responsive bottle-feeding in WIC predict less frequent use of food to soothe and healthier weight status for infants with negative temperaments. Pediatr Obes 2022; 17:e12908. [PMID: 35224881 DOI: 10.1111/ijpo.12908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2021] [Revised: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 02/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Infants with greater temperamental negative affectivity are at higher risk for overfeeding and excess weight gain. OBJECTIVE To examine whether strategies to promote responsive bottle-feeding within WIC promoted healthier maternal feeding practices and infant weight status among infants with greater negative affectivity. METHODS Secondary analysis of data from a matched-pair cluster randomized trial. Policy, systems and environmental change (PSE) strategies to promote responsive bottle-feeding were implemented at three WIC clinics; these clinics were compared with three matched control clinics. Linear mixed models tested whether infant negative affectivity interacted with PSE strategies to predict feeding and weight outcomes when infants were 4-6 months old. RESULTS Significant interactions between infant negative affectivity and PSE strategies were noted. Among infants with high negative affectivity, mothers in PSE clinics reported less frequent use of food to soothe (p = 0.009) compared with mothers in control clinics. Among infants with moderate (p = 0.008) or high (p = 0.029) negative affectivity, infants in PSE clinics had healthier weight status compared with infants in control clinics. CONCLUSIONS Promotion of responsive bottle-feeding is an effective way to support WIC mothers and reduce risk for overfeeding and excess weight gain, particularly for mothers of infants with greater negative affectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison K Ventura
- Department of Kinesiology and Public Health, Center for Health Research, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, California, USA
| | - Shannon E Whaley
- Division of Research and Evaluation, Public Health Foundation Enterprises WIC Program, Irwindale, California, USA
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10
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Gustafsson HC, Nolvi S, Sullivan EL, Rasmussen JM, Gyllenhammer LE, Entringer S, Wadhwa PD, O’Connor TG, Karlsson L, Karlsson H, Korja R, Buss C, Graham AM, Nigg JT. Early development of negative and positive affect: Implications for ADHD symptomatology across three birth cohorts. Dev Psychopathol 2021; 33:1837-1848. [PMID: 36238202 PMCID: PMC9555229 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579421001012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
High levels of early emotionality (of either negative or positive valence) are hypothesized to be important precursors to early psychopathology, with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) a prime early target. The positive and negative affect domains are prime examples of Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) concepts that may enrich a multilevel mechanistic map of psychopathology risk. Utilizing both variable-centered and person-centered approaches, the current study examined whether levels and trajectories of infant negative and positive emotionality, considered either in isolation or together, predicted children's ADHD symptoms at 4 to 8 years of age. In variable-centered analyses, higher levels of infant negative affect (at as early as 3 months of age) were associated with childhood ADHD symptoms. Findings for positive affect failed to reach statistical threshold. Results from person-centered trajectory analyses suggest that additional information is gained by simultaneously considering the trajectories of positive and negative emotionality. Specifically, only when exhibiting moderate, stable or low levels of positive affect did negative affect and its trajectory relate to child ADHD symptoms. These findings add to a growing literature that suggests that infant negative emotionality is a promising early life marker of future ADHD risk and suggest secondarily that moderation by positive affectivity warrants more consideration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanna C. Gustafsson
- Department of Psychiatry, Oregon Health and Science
University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Saara Nolvi
- Department of Psychology and Speech-Language Pathology,
Turku Institute for Advanced Studies, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku Brain and Mind Center,
Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Elinor L. Sullivan
- Department of Psychiatry, Oregon Health and Science
University, Portland, OR, USA
- Divisions of Neuroscience and Cardiometabolic Health,
Oregon National Primate Research Center, Beaverton, OR, USA
| | - Jerod M. Rasmussen
- Development, Health, and Disease Research Program,
University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of
California Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Lauren E. Gyllenhammer
- Development, Health, and Disease Research Program,
University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of
California Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Sonja Entringer
- Development, Health, and Disease Research Program,
University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of
California Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
- Institute of Medical Psychology, Charité University,
Berlin, Germany
| | - Pathik D. Wadhwa
- Development, Health, and Disease Research Program,
University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of
California Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, School of
Medicine, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of
Medicine, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Medicine,
University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Thomas G. O’Connor
- Departments of Psychiatry, Psychology, Neuroscience, and
Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY,
USA
| | - 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 and University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Turku
University Hospital and University of Turku, 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 and University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Department of Psychiatry, Turku University Hospital and
University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Riikka Korja
- Department of Psychology and Speech-Language Pathology,
Turku Institute for Advanced Studies, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku Brain and Mind Center,
Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Claudia Buss
- Development, Health, and Disease Research Program,
University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
- Institute of Medical Psychology, Charité University,
Berlin, Germany
| | - Alice M. Graham
- Department of Psychiatry, Oregon Health and Science
University, Portland, OR, USA
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and
Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Joel T. Nigg
- Department of Psychiatry, Oregon Health and Science
University, Portland, OR, USA
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Aushev VN, Li Q, Deyssenroth M, Zhang W, Finik J, Hurd YL, Nomura Y, Chen J. Placental gene network modules are associated with maternal stress during pregnancy and infant temperament. FASEB J 2021; 35:e21922. [PMID: 34533879 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202100144rrr] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Revised: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Maternal psychosocial stress during pregnancy (MPSP) is a known contributor to maladaptive neurobehavioral development of the offspring; however, the underlying molecular mechanisms linking MPSP with childhood outcome remain largely unknown. Transcriptome-wide gene expression data were generated using RNA-seq from placenta samples collected in a multi-ethnic urban birth cohort in New York City (n = 129). Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was used to characterize placental co-expression modules, which were then evaluated for their associations with MPSP and infant temperament. WGCNA revealed 16 gene coexpression modules. One module, enriched for regulation of chromosome organization/gene expression, was positively associated with MPSP and negatively associated with Regulatory Capacity (REG), a component of infant temperament. Two other modules, enriched for cotranslational protein targeting and cell cycle regulation, respectively, displayed negative associations with MPSP and positive associations with REG. A module enriched with oxidative phosphorylation/mitochondrial translation was positively associated with REG. These findings support the notion that the placenta provides a functional in utero link between MPSP and infant temperament, possibly through transcriptional regulation of placental gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vasily N Aushev
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Qian Li
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Maya Deyssenroth
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Wei Zhang
- Department of Psychology, New Jersey City University, Jersey City, New Jersey, USA
| | - Jackie Finik
- Department of Psychology at Queens College, City University of New York, Flushing, New York, USA.,Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, City University of New York Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy, New York, New York, USA
| | - Yasmin L Hurd
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Addiction Institute of Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Yoko Nomura
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA.,Department of Psychology at Queens College, City University of New York, Flushing, New York, USA
| | - Jia Chen
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA.,Department of Medicine, Hematology and Medical Oncology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA.,Department of Oncological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
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Stark EA, Cabral J, Riem MME, Van IJzendoorn MH, Stein A, Kringelbach ML. The Power of Smiling: The Adult Brain Networks Underlying Learned Infant Emotionality. Cereb Cortex 2021; 30:2019-2029. [PMID: 32129828 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhz219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2019] [Revised: 07/03/2019] [Accepted: 08/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The perception of infant emotionality, one aspect of temperament, starts to form in infancy, yet the underlying mechanisms of how infant emotionality affects adult neural dynamics remain unclear. We used a social reward task with probabilistic visual and auditory feedback (infant laughter or crying) to train 47 nulliparous women to perceive the emotional style of six different infants. Using functional neuroimaging, we subsequently measured brain activity while participants were tested on the learned emotionality of the six infants. We characterized the elicited patterns of dynamic functional brain connectivity using Leading Eigenvector Dynamics Analysis and found significant activity in a brain network linking the orbitofrontal cortex with the amygdala and hippocampus, where the probability of occurrence significantly correlated with the valence of the learned infant emotional disposition. In other words, seeing infants with neutral face expressions after having interacted and learned their various degrees of positive and negative emotional dispositions proportionally increased the activity in a brain network previously shown to be involved in pleasure, emotion, and memory. These findings provide novel neuroimaging insights into how the perception of happy versus sad infant emotionality shapes adult brain networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eloise A Stark
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, UK
| | - Joana Cabral
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, UK.,Center for Music in the Brain, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.,Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
| | - Madelon M E Riem
- Department of Medical and Clinical Psychology, Tilburg University, Tilburg, The Netherlands
| | - Marinus H Van IJzendoorn
- Primary Care Unit, School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Alan Stein
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, UK.,MRC/Wits Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt), School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Morten L Kringelbach
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, UK.,Center for Music in the Brain, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
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13
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Vaccaro SM, Tofighi D, Moss N, Rieger R, Lowe JR, Phillips J, Erickson SJ. The association of infant temperament and maternal sensitivity in preterm and full-term infants. Infant Ment Health J 2021; 42:374-385. [PMID: 33836096 DOI: 10.1002/imhj.21915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2020] [Revised: 09/20/2020] [Accepted: 11/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Infants who experience sensitive caregiving are at lower risk for numerous adverse outcomes. This is especially true for infants born preterm, leading them to be more susceptible to risks associated with poorer quality caregiving. Some research suggests that preterm and full-term infants differ on temperament, which may contribute to these findings. This study aimed to investigate associations between infant temperament (negative emotionality, positive affectivity/surgency, and orienting/regulatory capacity) and maternal sensitivity among infants born preterm (M = 30.2 weeks) and full term. It was hypothesized that mothers of infants born preterm and mothers of infants with more difficult temperaments would display lower sensitivity, indicated by lower responsiveness to nondistress, lower positive regard, and higher intrusiveness. Videotaped play interactions and a measure of temperament (Infant Behavior Questionnaire) were coded for 18 preterm and 44 full-term infants at 9 months (corrected) age. Results suggest that mothers of preterm and full-term infants differed significantly in responding to their infants, but these results cannot be explained by infant temperament. Preterm status and sociodemographic risk emerged as correlates of maternal behavior, such that mothers of infants born preterm and mothers with greater sociodemographic risk displayed lower levels of maternal sensitivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suzanne M Vaccaro
- Department of Psychology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - Davood Tofighi
- Department of Psychology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - Natalia Moss
- Department of Psychology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - Rebecca Rieger
- Department of Psychology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - Jean R Lowe
- Department of Pediatrics, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - John Phillips
- The Mind Research Network, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 87106, USA
| | - Sarah J Erickson
- Department of Psychology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
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Abuhammad S, AlAzzam M, AbuFarha R. Infant temperament as a predictor of maternal attachment: A Jordanian study. Nurs Open 2021; 8:636-645. [PMID: 33570267 PMCID: PMC7877151 DOI: 10.1002/nop2.668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2020] [Revised: 07/25/2020] [Accepted: 10/05/2020] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
AIM To investigate the relationship between maternal bonding and infant temperament during the first year of infant's life. Moreover, it also wanted to explore which perinatal factors could influence the quality of maternal attachment. METHOD A cross-sectional study design was used to collect data from a sample of 277 mothers during the period of May-October 2018. The participants were asked to complete a three-part survey that was developed to collect data on maternal attachment and infant temperament. Data was collected between March 2019-June 2019. RESULTS The analysis of the data revealed that there was a significant relationship between infant temperament and maternal attachment [F(2, 95) = 6.783, p-value = .001]. It also revealed that the factors that most influenced maternal attachment were infant temperament and planned pregnancy, which together explained 54% of the variance in maternal attachment (R2 = 7.5). CONCLUSION Maternal attachment in Jordanian mothers can be explained by two significant factors: infant temperament and planning for pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sawsan Abuhammad
- Faculty of NursingJordan University of Science and TechnologyIrbidJordan
| | - Manar AlAzzam
- Princess Salma Faculty of NursingAl‐Albayt UniversityMafraqJordan
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15
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Campbell RK, Curtin P, Bosquet Enlow M, Brunst KJ, Wright RO, Wright RJ. Disentangling Associations Among Maternal Lifetime and Prenatal Stress, Psychological Functioning During Pregnancy, Maternal Race/Ethnicity, and Infant Negative Affectivity at Age 6 Months: A Mixtures Approach. Health Equity 2020; 4:489-499. [PMID: 33269333 PMCID: PMC7703133 DOI: 10.1089/heq.2020.0032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/25/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose: Maternal stress and psychological dysfunction in pregnancy are independently linked with fetal neurodevelopment. Stress encompasses environmental stressors and psychological and physiological responses. Stressors and psychopathology co-occur with patterns differing by race/ethnicity. We aimed to extend environmental mixtures methodology to elucidate prenatal stress associations with infant negative affectivity (NA) in a racially/ethnically mixed cohort. Methods: Participants were mother/infant dyads (n=445) in a prospective pregnancy cohort study in two urban US settings in 2011-2018. During pregnancy, women completed the Life Stressor Checklist-Revised, Crisis in Family Systems-Revised, Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) Checklist-Civilian version; the Infant Behavior Questionnaire-Revised assessed NA in 6-month olds. Using weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression, we developed a weighted maternal stress index encompassing lifetime and current life events and symptoms of depression and PTSD. Stress-by-race/ethnicity interactions allowed differential contributions of individual stress domains by maternal race/ethnicity. Results: Mothers were majority black (44%) or Hispanic (37%). Stress questionnaire and infant NA scores were similar by race/ethnicity. The WQS prenatal stress score was positively associated with infant NA (β: 0.40 [95% confidence interval 0.16-0.64]). PTSD was the strongest contributor to the WQS score in Hispanic women (59%), whereas in black women, lifetime stress and depressive symptoms accounted for 38% and 35%, respectively, of the association with NA. Conclusions: Extending environmental mixtures methodology to stress research may disentangle complex associations among lifetime and current stressful life events and psychological symptomatology and their contributions to early childhood neurobehavioral outcomes. Consideration of effect modification by race/ethnicity may inform understanding of differing vulnerability across racial/ethnic groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca K Campbell
- Department of Pediatrics, Kravis Children's Hospital, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Paul Curtin
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Michelle Bosquet Enlow
- Department of Psychiatry, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Kelly J Brunst
- Department of Environmental and Public Health Sciences, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Robert O Wright
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA.,Institute for Exposomic Research, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Rosalind J Wright
- Department of Pediatrics, Kravis Children's Hospital, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA.,Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA.,Institute for Exposomic Research, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
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16
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Vismara L, Sechi C, Neri M, Paoletti A, Lucarelli L. Maternal perinatal depression, anxiety, fear of birth, and perception of infants' negative affectivity at three months. J Reprod Infant Psychol 2020; 39:532-543. [PMID: 33172285 DOI: 10.1080/02646838.2020.1843612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
The present study aimed to investigate whether a mother's anxiety, depression, prenatal perception of childbirth, and experience with delivery, assessed from pregnancy to three months postpartum, were associated with her perception of her infant's negative affectivity (NA). The participant sample was composed of 76 primiparous mothers and their healthy babies (58% boys, 42% girls). During pregnancy, mothers independently filled out the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), and the Wijma Delivery Expectancy/Experience Questionnaires (W-DEQ) version A. One month after giving birth, the mothers filled out the W-DEQ version B. Finally, three months after giving birth, they completed the EPDS, the STAI, and the four Infant Behaviour Questionnaire (IBQ-R) scales of NA. Linear regression analyses showed that perinatal FoB, trait anxiety, and depression were associated with a maternal perception of higher infant NA. Studies on perinatal parental health and child outcomes should include assessments of the relation between anxiety during pregnancy and postpartum depression in order to prevent any negative impacts on the temperaments of children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Vismara
- Department of Education, Psychology, Philosophy, Faculty of Human Studies, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Cristina Sechi
- Department of Education, Psychology, Philosophy, Faculty of Human Studies, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Manuela Neri
- Department of Surgical Science, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Anna Paoletti
- Department of Surgical Science, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Loredana Lucarelli
- Department of Education, Psychology, Philosophy, Faculty of Human Studies, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
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17
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Abstract
Intimate partner violence (IPV) during the first year postpartum is common in Bangladesh, and many infants are exposed to hostile and aggressive environment. The aim of the current study was to investigate how IPV (physical, emotional, and sexual) impacts on the mother's perception of her infant's temperament 6 to 8 months postpartum, and whether maternal depressive symptom at 6 to 8 months postpartum is a mediator in this association. A total of 656 rural Bangladeshi women and their children 6 to 8 months postpartum were included in this study. Data were collected by structured interviews. The women were asked about physical, sexual, and emotional IPV; depressive symptoms (Edinburgh Postnatal Depressive Symptoms [EPDS]); and their perception of infant temperament assessed by the Infant Characteristic Questionnaire (ICQ). Descriptive analyses were conducted for prevalence of IPV and maternal depressive symptoms. Mediation analysis was conducted with a series of linear regressions with types of IPV as independent variables, ICQ including its subscales as dependent variables and maternal depressive symptoms as potential mediator. All the analyses were adjusted for the woman's and her husband's ages and number of children of the couple. Nearly 90% of the mothers reported some kind of IPV at 6 to 8 months postpartum. All types of IPV were directly associated with the mother's perception of her infant as unadaptable. Maternal depressive symptom was a mediating factor between physical IPV and the ICQ subscales fussy-difficult and unpredictable. In addition, depressive symptoms mediated between sexual and emotional IPV, and the mother's perception of the infant as unpredictable. The results showed that IPV influenced how mothers perceived their infant's temperament. It is important that health care professionals at maternal and child health services enquire about IPV with possibilities to refer the family or the mother and infant for appropriate support.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hashima E-Nasreen
- International Islamic University Malaysia, Kuantan, Malaysia
- BRAC, Dhaka, Bangladesh
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18
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Giesbrecht GF, Letourneau N, Dewey D; APrON Study Team. Latent class trajectories of infant temperament and associations with problem behavior at two years of age. Dev Psychopathol 2020;:1-16. [PMID: 32938514 DOI: 10.1017/S0954579420000991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Individual differences in temperament have been well-described, but individual differences in temperament trajectories require elaboration. Specifically, it is unknown if subgroups of infants display different developmental patterns and if these patterns relate to later behavioral problems. The aims were to identify distinct developmental patterns in broad dimensions of temperament among typically developing infants, to determine whether these developmental patterns differ by sex, to evaluate how developmental patterns within each dimension of temperament relate to developmental patterns within other dimensions of temperament, and to determine whether developmental patterns of infant temperament are associated with internalizing and externalizing behavior at 2 years of age. Data from the longitudinal Alberta Pregnancy Outcomes and Nutrition study (n = 1,819) were used to model latent class trajectories of parent-reported infant temperament at 3, 6, and 12 months. Four to five unique latent trajectories were identified within each temperament dimension. Sex was not associated with trajectory groups. Developmental coordination was observed between trajectories of negative emotionality and regulatory capacity, and between regulatory capacity and positive affect, but not between positive affect and negative emotionality. Negative emotionality and regulatory capacity predicted internalizing and externalizing behavior. Patterns of development in infant temperament, and not just intensity of temperament, contribute toward later problem behavior.
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19
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Sechi C, Vismara L, Rollè L, Prino LE, Lucarelli L. First-Time Mothers' and Fathers' Developmental Changes in the Perception of Their Daughters' and Sons' Temperament: Its Association With Parents' Mental Health. Front Psychol 2020; 11:2066. [PMID: 32973623 PMCID: PMC7468484 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.02066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2020] [Accepted: 07/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Most studies investigating the role of parenting behaviors on a child's development are directed to mothers. However, recent analyses show that mothers and fathers have a different influence on a child's functioning, specifically her/his temperament. The present study explored the developmental change of parents' perception of their daughters' and sons' temperament and its association with parental mental health problems. METHODS The sample included 188 parents (94 couples) and their at-term 94 babies (55.3% boys, 44.7% girls). Assessments by self-reports were conducted at 3 (Time 1) and 12 (Time 2) months after the children's birth; at Time 1, mothers and fathers independently answered: the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), and the Infant Behavior Questionnaire (IBQ-R). At Time 2, EPDS, STAI, and IBQ-R were again administered to mothers and fathers. RESULTS In general, mothers and fathers would give similar descriptions of their child's temperament throughout the first year of life; however, infant temperament showed developmental changes as well as gender differences. Mother and father anxiety and depression symptoms are associated with the infants' negative affectivity. Also, mothers with high anxiety and depression levels perceive their infants with a minor tendency to approach novelty, to seek environmental stimulation, and to express/experience positive emotions. CONCLUSION The results highlight the need to screen for infants' temperament vulnerabilities in the context of maternal and paternal depression in order to protect the child from behavioral, cognitive, and emotional difficulties and to create specific programs aimed at preventing dysfunctional parent-infant relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Sechi
- Department of Pedagogy, Psychology, Philosophy, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Laura Vismara
- Department of Pedagogy, Psychology, Philosophy, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Luca Rollè
- Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | | | - Loredana Lucarelli
- Department of Pedagogy, Psychology, Philosophy, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
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20
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Wood EK, Higley JD, Champoux M, Marsiske M, Olsen JA, Suomi SJ, Kay DB. Multi-group multi-time point confirmatory factor analysis of the triadic structure of temperament: A nonhuman primate model. Dev Psychobiol 2020; 63:65-73. [PMID: 32469093 DOI: 10.1002/dev.21985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2019] [Revised: 03/06/2020] [Accepted: 03/31/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Attempts to describe the latent structure of human infant temperament have led some to suggest the existence of three major dimensions. An earlier exploratory factor analysis (EFA) supported a triadic structure of temperament in week-old rhesus monkey infants, paralleling the structure in human infants. This study sought to confirm the latent triadic structure of temperament across the first month of life in a larger sample of rhesus monkey infants (N = 668), reared by their mothers or in a neonatal nursery. A weekly behavioral assessment was obtained during the first month of life using a subset of items from the widely utilized Infant Behavioral Assessment Scale (IBAS), an instrument designed to measure temperament in infant monkeys. Using the latent constructs proposed by the earlier EFA (Orienting/Regulation, Negative Affectivity, Surgency/Extraversion), multi-group, multi-time point confirmatory factor analyses were conducted to confirm the latent temperament structure across rearing groups at each time point (weeks 1-4). Results confirm and extend those of the earlier EFA: latent Orienting/Regulation, Negative Affectivity, and Surgency/Extraversion constructs were present across the rearing groups at each time point, with the IBAS items consistently loading onto the latent factors to a similar degree across rearing groups at each time point. These findings suggest foundational evolutionary roots for the triadic structure of human infant temperament, but that its behavioral manifestations vary across maturation and rearing condition. Similarities in latent temperament structure in humans and a representative nonhuman primate highlights the potential for utilizing translational nonhuman primate models to increase understanding of human temperament.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth K Wood
- Department of Psychology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, USA
| | - James D Higley
- Department of Psychology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, USA
| | - Maribeth Champoux
- Center for Scientific Review, Division of AIDS, Behavior and Population Sciences, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Michael Marsiske
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Joseph A Olsen
- College of Family, Home, and Social Sciences, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, USA
| | - Stephen J Suomi
- Laboratory of Comparative Ethology, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NIH Animal Center, Poolesville, MD, USA
| | - Daniel B Kay
- Department of Psychology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, USA
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21
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Spry E, Moreno-Betancur M, Becker D, Romaniuk H, Carlin JB, Molyneaux E, Howard LM, Ryan J, Letcher P, McIntosh J, Macdonald JA, Greenwood CJ, Thomson KC, McAnally H, Hancox R, Hutchinson DM, Youssef GJ, Olsson CA, Patton GC. Maternal mental health and infant emotional reactivity: a 20-year two-cohort study of preconception and perinatal exposures. Psychol Med 2020; 50:827-837. [PMID: 30968786 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291719000709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Maternal mental health during pregnancy and postpartum predicts later emotional and behavioural problems in children. Even though most perinatal mental health problems begin before pregnancy, the consequences of preconception maternal mental health for children's early emotional development have not been prospectively studied. METHODS We used data from two prospective Australian intergenerational cohorts, with 756 women assessed repeatedly for mental health problems before pregnancy between age 13 and 29 years, and during pregnancy and at 1 year postpartum for 1231 subsequent pregnancies. Offspring infant emotional reactivity, an early indicator of differential sensitivity denoting increased risk of emotional problems under adversity, was assessed at 1 year postpartum. RESULTS Thirty-seven percent of infants born to mothers with persistent preconception mental health problems were categorised as high in emotional reactivity, compared to 23% born to mothers without preconception history (adjusted OR 2.1, 95% CI 1.4-3.1). Ante- and postnatal maternal depressive symptoms were similarly associated with infant emotional reactivity, but these perinatal associations reduced somewhat after adjustment for prior exposure. Causal mediation analysis further showed that 88% of the preconception risk was a direct effect, not mediated by perinatal exposure. CONCLUSIONS Maternal preconception mental health problems predict infant emotional reactivity, independently of maternal perinatal mental health; while associations between perinatal depressive symptoms and infant reactivity are partially explained by prior exposure. Findings suggest that processes shaping early vulnerability for later mental disorders arise well before conception. There is an emerging case for expanding developmental theories and trialling preventive interventions in the years before pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Spry
- Deakin University Geelong, Centre for Social and Early Emotional Development, School of Psychology, Faculty of Health, Geelong, Australia
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Centre for Adolescent Health, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Margarita Moreno-Betancur
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Clinical Epidemiology & Biostatistics Unit; Melbourne, Australia
- The University of Melbourne, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Denise Becker
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Centre for Adolescent Health, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Helena Romaniuk
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Clinical Epidemiology & Biostatistics Unit; Melbourne, Australia
- Deakin University Burwood, Biostatistics Unit, Faculty of Health, Melbourne, Australia
| | - John B Carlin
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Clinical Epidemiology & Biostatistics Unit; Melbourne, Australia
- The University of Melbourne, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, Melbourne, Australia
- Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Emma Molyneaux
- Section of Women's Mental Health, Health Service and Population Research Department, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience; King's College London, UK & South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, UK
| | - Louise M Howard
- Section of Women's Mental Health, Health Service and Population Research Department, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience; King's College London, UK & South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, UK
| | - Joanne Ryan
- Monash University, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Primrose Letcher
- Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Jennifer McIntosh
- Deakin University Geelong, Centre for Social and Early Emotional Development, School of Psychology, Faculty of Health, Geelong, Australia
| | - Jacqui A Macdonald
- Deakin University Geelong, Centre for Social and Early Emotional Development, School of Psychology, Faculty of Health, Geelong, Australia
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Centre for Adolescent Health, Melbourne, Australia
- Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Christopher J Greenwood
- Deakin University Geelong, Centre for Social and Early Emotional Development, School of Psychology, Faculty of Health, Geelong, Australia
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Centre for Adolescent Health, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Kimberley C Thomson
- Deakin University Geelong, Centre for Social and Early Emotional Development, School of Psychology, Faculty of Health, Geelong, Australia
- Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Helena McAnally
- Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Robert Hancox
- Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Delyse M Hutchinson
- Deakin University Geelong, Centre for Social and Early Emotional Development, School of Psychology, Faculty of Health, Geelong, Australia
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Centre for Adolescent Health, Melbourne, Australia
- Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Australia
| | - George J Youssef
- Deakin University Geelong, Centre for Social and Early Emotional Development, School of Psychology, Faculty of Health, Geelong, Australia
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Centre for Adolescent Health, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Craig A Olsson
- Deakin University Geelong, Centre for Social and Early Emotional Development, School of Psychology, Faculty of Health, Geelong, Australia
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Centre for Adolescent Health, Melbourne, Australia
- Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - George C Patton
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Centre for Adolescent Health, Melbourne, Australia
- Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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Tolja R, Nakić Radoš S, Anđelinović M. The role of maternal mental health, infant temperament, and couple's relationship quality for mother-infant bonding. J Reprod Infant Psychol 2020; 38:395-407. [PMID: 32118491 DOI: 10.1080/02646838.2020.1733503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mother-infant bonding is the early emotional connection between mother and infant. It is affected by some aspects of maternal mental health, infant temperament, and the quality of a couple's relationship. OBJECTIVE This research aimed to determine the associations of the mother's postnatal depression and anxiety symptoms, infant temperament, and the quality of the couple's relationship with mother-infant bonding. METHODS This cross-sectional study was conducted on a sample of 241 Croatian mothers of infants aged between one month and one year (Mage = 6.34 months). The psychological instruments used in this study were: Postpartum Bonding Questionnaire, Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, Depression Anxiety Stress Scale, Infant Characteristic Questionnaire, and Perceived Quality of Marital Relationship Scale . RESULTS Hierarchical regression analyses showed that previous maternal depression longer than two weeks, postnatal depression and anxiety symptoms, and difficult and unpredictable infant temperament were associated with self-report of poorer mother-infant bonding. Of the examined variables, the quality of the couple's relationship was in the lowest association with mother-infant bonding. CONCLUSION Given the importance of, in particular, the maternal depression and infant temperament for poor mother-infant bonding, early intervention and the reduction of risks factors may be necessary to prevent the development of such difficulties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renata Tolja
- Primary School Ivan Gundulić , Dubrovnik, Croatia
| | - Sandra Nakić Radoš
- Department of Psychology, Catholic University of Croatia , Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Maja Anđelinović
- Department of Psychology, Catholic University of Croatia , Zagreb, Croatia
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Bajgarova Z, Bajgar A. The relationships among MAOA, COMT Val158Met, and 5-HTTLPR polymorphisms, newborn stress reactivity, and infant temperament. Brain Behav 2020; 10:e01511. [PMID: 31884721 PMCID: PMC7010585 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.1511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2019] [Revised: 11/23/2019] [Accepted: 11/27/2019] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Variance in hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis reactivity is considered to be one of the sources of differences in infant temperament. The cortisol enters into interactions with dopamine and serotonin, so it is expected that polymorphisms in genes coding monoamine metabolism influence both HPA axis reactivity and temperament. METHODS We therefore explore the relationship among 5-HTTLPR S/L, MAOA H/L, and COMT Val158Met polymorphisms, the stress reaction of newborn infants after a heel stick blood draw (measured by determining salivary cortisol at three time points), and temperament assessed at the age of 3 months using Rothbart's Infant Behavior Questionnaire-Revised (IBQ-R) with a sample of 84 infants. RESULTS The decrease in the salivary cortisol correlated with nine primary scales and all three secondary scales of IBQ-R. Children with a greater cortisol decrease were assessed as less susceptible to negative emotions, more extraverted, and more regulated. The polymorphisms that were observed were related both to the course of the stress reaction and to temperament. The 5-HTTLPR S allele was connected to higher scores for Negative Emotionality and lower scores for Orienting/Regulatory Capacity. The presence of the MAOA L allele predisposed its carriers to higher scores for Negative Emotionality, lower scores for Orienting/Regulatory Capacity, and a lower decrease in cortisol. The Met allele of COMT Val158Met polymorphism was connected to a higher Positive Affectivity/Surgency and Orienting/Regulatory Capacity and a greater cortisol decrease. CONCLUSIONS Contrary to previous studies referring mainly basal cortisol and its increase, the results of our study emphasize the importance of cortisol elimination in infant temperament. Another interesting finding was a higher cortisol increase, higher Distress to Limitations, Negative Emotionality, and Approach in MAOA LL homozygotes which are traditionally understood as more vulnerable toward early stress in developing later externalizing behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zdenka Bajgarova
- Department of Pedagogy and Psychology, Faculty of Education, University of South Bohemia, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Adam Bajgar
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
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24
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Sujan AC, Class QA, Rickert ME, Van Hulle C, D'Onofrio BM. Risk factors and child outcomes associated with short and long interpregnancy intervals. Early Child Dev Care 2019; 191:2281-2292. [PMID: 34924676 PMCID: PMC8673594 DOI: 10.1080/03004430.2019.1703111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2019] [Accepted: 12/07/2019] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Previous research assessing consequences of interpregnancy intervals (IPIs) on child development is mixed. Utilizing a population-based US sample (n=5,339), we first estimated the associations between background characteristics (e.g., sociodemographic and maternal characteristics) and short (≤ 1 year) and long (> 3 years) IPI. Then, we estimated associations between IPI and birth outcomes, infant temperament, cognitive ability, and externalizing symptoms. Several background characteristics, such as maternal age at childbearing and previous pregnancy loss, were associated with IPI, indicating research on the putative effects of IPI must account for background characteristics. After covariate adjustment, short IPI was associated with poorer fetal growth and long IPI was associated with lower infant activity level; however, associations between short and long IPI and the other outcomes were neither large nor statistically significant. These findings indicate that rather than intervening to modify IPI, at-risk families may benefit from interventions aimed at other modifiable risk factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayesha C Sujan
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
- All correspondence should be sent to: Ayesha C. Sujan, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, 1101 E. 10th St., Bloomington, IN 47405, , Telephone: 812-856-2588
| | - Quetzal A Class
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Illinois, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Martin E Rickert
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Carol Van Hulle
- Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, WI, USA
| | - Brian M D'Onofrio
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
- Department of Medical Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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25
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Gustafsson HC, Holton KF, Anderson AN, Nousen EK, Sullivan CA, Loftis JM, Nigg JT, Sullivan EL. Increased Maternal Prenatal Adiposity, Inflammation, and Lower Omega-3 Fatty Acid Levels Influence Child Negative Affect. Front Neurosci 2019; 13:1035. [PMID: 31632234 PMCID: PMC6779776 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2019.01035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2019] [Accepted: 09/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Increased maternal adiposity during pregnancy is associated with offspring risk for psychiatric disorders. Inflammation secondary to adiposity is believed to be an important mechanism through which this effect occurs. Although increased adiposity introduces risk, not all children of overweight mothers develop these problems. Gestational factors that modify this risk are not well-understood. If maternal increased adiposity exerts its effects on offspring outcomes by increasing inflammation in the gestational environment, then anti-inflammatory inputs such as omega-3 fatty acids may be one protective factor. The goal of this study was to investigate whether maternal pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) and omega-3 fatty acid levels independently and/or interactively predicted offspring infant negative affect, an early life marker of risk for psychopathology. METHODS Data came from a prospective study of women recruited during pregnancy and their 6 month old infants (N = 62; 40% female). Maternal pre-pregnancy BMI was pulled from medical charts and third trimester omega-3 fatty acid concentrations were assessed in plasma. Child negative affect was assessed using observer- and maternal-ratings at 6 months of age. Maternal inflammation was indexed by third trimester plasma levels of interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1. RESULTS Maternal pre-pregnancy BMI was associated with increased infant negative affect whereas eicosapentaenoic acid was associated with less infant negative affect. Maternal omega-3 fatty acid levels moderated the effect of BMI on infant negative affect, such that omega-3 fatty acids buffered children against the negative consequences of increased adiposity. Supporting the role of maternal inflammation in these associations, maternal BMI and omega-3 fatty acid levels interacted to predict maternal third trimester inflammation. Further, maternal inflammation was associated with increased infant negative affect. CONCLUSION Results suggest that omega-3 supplementation during pregnancy may protect against offspring behavioral risk associated with increased maternal adiposity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanna C. Gustafsson
- Department of Psychiatry, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Kathleen F. Holton
- Department of Health Studies, Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, American University, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Ashley N. Anderson
- Department of Psychiatry, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Elizabeth K. Nousen
- Department of Psychiatry, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Ceri A. Sullivan
- Department of Psychiatry, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Jennifer M. Loftis
- Department of Psychiatry, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, United States
- VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Joel T. Nigg
- Department of Psychiatry, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, United States
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Elinor L. Sullivan
- Department of Psychiatry, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, United States
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, United States
- Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Beaverton, OR, United States
- Department of Human Physiology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, United States
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26
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Nomura Y, Davey K, Pehme PM, Finik J, Glover V, Zhang W, Huang Y, Buthmann J, Dana K, Yoshida S, Tsuchiya KJ, Li XB, Ham J. Influence of in utero exposure to maternal depression and natural disaster-related stress on infant temperament at 6 months: The children of Superstorm Sandy. Infant Ment Health J 2019; 40:204-216. [PMID: 30723931 DOI: 10.1002/imhj.21766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
This study examined the effects of in utero exposure to maternal depression and Superstorm Sandy, a hurricane that hit metropolitan New York in 2012, on infant temperament at 6 months. Temperament was assessed using the Infant Behavior Questionnaire-Revised. Maternal depression was measured by the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. The main effects and the interaction of maternal depression and Sandy exposure on infant temperament were examined using a multivariable generalized linear model. Results show that prenatal maternal depression was associated with lower emotion regulation and greater distress. Stratification and interaction analyses suggested that the adverse effects of prenatal maternal depression on problematic temperament were amplified by in utero Sandy exposure. This study underscores the importance of providing prenatal screening and treatment for maternal depression during pregnancy while also identifying high-risk families who may have suffered from disaster-related traumas to provide necessary services. As the frequency of natural disasters may increase due to climate change, it is important to understand the consequences of in utero stress on child development and to formulate plans for early identification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoko Nomura
- Queens College, City University of New York, Psychology Department, New York, New York.,The Graduate Center, City University of New York, Psychology Department, New York, New York.,Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Department of Psychiatry, New York, New York.,City University of New York Graduate School of Public Health, New York, New York
| | - Kei Davey
- Bryn Mawr College, Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania
| | - Patricia M Pehme
- Queens College, City University of New York, Psychology Department, New York, New York.,The Graduate Center, City University of New York, Psychology Department, New York, New York
| | - Jackie Finik
- Queens College, City University of New York, Psychology Department, New York, New York.,City University of New York Graduate School of Public Health, New York, New York
| | - Vivette Glover
- Institute of Reproductive and Developmental Biology, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Wei Zhang
- Queens College, City University of New York, Psychology Department, New York, New York.,Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Department of Psychiatry, New York, New York
| | - Yonglin Huang
- Queens College, City University of New York, Psychology Department, New York, New York.,The Graduate Center, City University of New York, Psychology Department, New York, New York
| | - Jessica Buthmann
- Queens College, City University of New York, Psychology Department, New York, New York.,The Graduate Center, City University of New York, Psychology Department, New York, New York
| | - Kathryn Dana
- Queens College, City University of New York, Psychology Department, New York, New York.,The Graduate Center, City University of New York, Psychology Department, New York, New York.,Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Department of Psychiatry, New York, New York
| | | | | | - Xiao Bo Li
- New Jersey Institute of Technology, Department of Biomedical Engineering, University Heights Newark, New Jersey
| | - Jacob Ham
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Department of Psychiatry, New York, New York
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27
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Rogers SL, Blissett J. Infant temperament, maternal feeding behaviours and the timing of solid food introduction. Matern Child Nutr 2019; 15:e12771. [PMID: 30560584 PMCID: PMC7198933 DOI: 10.1111/mcn.12771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2018] [Revised: 12/07/2018] [Accepted: 12/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Despite guidance from the World Health Organization and the U.K. Department of Health, many mothers introduce solid food before their infant is 6 months old. The current study aimed to investigate relationships between maternal feeding behaviours (preintroduction and postintroduction to solids), infant temperament, and the timing of introduction to solid food. Eighty‐one women were recruited on low‐risk maternity units and were contacted at 1 week, 3, and 6 months postpartum. Mothers of infants (45 males, 36 females, mean birth weight 3.52 kg [SD 0.39]) completed the behaviours component of the Infant Feeding Style Questionnaire via telephone interview at 3 months. At 6 months, they were observed feeding their infant solid food at home and reported infant temperament using the Infant Behaviour Questionnaire‐Revised (short form). Partial correlations (covariates: birth weight, maternal age, breastfeeding duration, and postnatal depression) revealed negative associations between age of introduction to solid food and temperament (smiling and laughter) and laissez‐faire milk feeding behaviours; and positive associations between age of introduction to solid food and restrictive milk feeding behaviours and verbal involvement during an observed mealtime. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis revealed that an infant's birth weight and the degree to which their mothers perceive them to smile and laugh are key predictors of when they will be introduced to solid food, over and above other variables of interest (e.g., maternal milk feeding behaviours, breastfeeding duration, and postnatal depression).
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha L Rogers
- Centre for Research in Public Health and Community Care, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, U.K
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28
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Shapiro AF, Jolley SN, Hildebrandt U, Spieker SJ. The Effects of Early Postpartum Depression on Infant Temperament. Early Child Dev Care 2018; 190:1918-1930. [PMID: 33716380 PMCID: PMC7951142 DOI: 10.1080/03004430.2018.1552947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2018] [Accepted: 11/23/2018] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Research linking postpartum depression (PPD) with negative child outcomes has predominantly examined PPD at six weeks postpartum or later, and has not controlled for depression during pregnancy. The present study examined associations between PPD at three weeks postpartum and temperament in 6-month-old infants in a sample of women who were not depressed during pregnancy. Depression was assessed at three weeks and six months postpartum using the Postpartum Depression Screening Scale (PDSS). Observed and maternal report of infant temperament was assessed when infants were 6-months-old. PPD symptoms significantly predicted observed temperament behaviour and marginally explained maternal report of infant temperament. Symptoms of PPD at three weeks postpartum were a stronger predictor than at six months. Findings suggest that early depressive symptoms may be particularly problematic, and have implications for early assessment and treatment of PPD even in women who were not depressed during pregnancy or are otherwise considered low risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alyson F. Shapiro
- Department of Child and Family Development, San Diego State University, San Diego, U.S.A
| | - Sandra N. Jolley
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, U.S.A
| | - Ursula Hildebrandt
- Barnard Centre for Infant Mental Health, University of Washington, Seattle, U.S.A
| | - Susan J. Spieker
- Department of Family and Child Nursing, University of Washington, Seattle, U.S.A
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29
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Moe V, von Soest T, Fredriksen E, Olafsen KS, Smith L. The Multiple Determinants of Maternal Parenting Stress 12 Months After Birth: The Contribution of Antenatal Attachment Style, Adverse Childhood Experiences, and Infant Temperament. Front Psychol 2018; 9:1987. [PMID: 30405481 PMCID: PMC6206261 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2018] [Accepted: 09/27/2018] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Parenting stress can influence caregiving behavior negatively, which in turn may harm children's development. Identifying precursors of parenting stress, preferably beginning during pregnancy and throughout the first year of life, is therefore important. The present study aims to provide novel knowledge on this issue through a detailed examination of the association between maternal attachment style and later parenting stress. Moreover, we examine the role of several additional risk factors, specificially the mothers' own adverse childhood experiences (ACE), as well as infants' temperamental characteristics. Data from a community based longitudinal study of 1,036 Norwegian mothers, collected during pregnancy and 12 months after childbirth, were used. Results showed that attachment style in pregnancy predicted parenting stress 1 year after birth. In addition, it was demonstrated that the mothers' own ACEs predicted postnatal parenting stress, and that attachment style operated as a mediator of this association. A significant association between perceived infant temperament and parenting stress was also found. The study illustrates the importance of understanding the multifactorial antecedents of parenting stress. The results may inform early intervention efforts aimed at supporting mothers and their partners in the potentially difficult transition period around childbirth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vibeke Moe
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- The Regional Centre for Child and Adolescent Mental Health, Eastern and Southern Norway, Oslo, Norway
| | | | - Eivor Fredriksen
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- The Regional Centre for Child and Adolescent Mental Health, Eastern and Southern Norway, Oslo, Norway
| | - Kåre S. Olafsen
- The Regional Centre for Child and Adolescent Mental Health, Eastern and Southern Norway, Oslo, Norway
| | - Lars Smith
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
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30
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Leerkes EM, Zhou N. Maternal sensitivity to distress and attachment outcomes: Interactions with sensitivity to nondistress and infant temperament. J Fam Psychol 2018; 32:753-761. [PMID: 29809018 PMCID: PMC6126976 DOI: 10.1037/fam0000420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The extent to which maternal sensitivity to infant distress predicts specific attachment outcomes independent of and in conjunction with maternal sensitivity to infant nondistress and in conjunction with infant-negative emotionality was examined in a sample of 259 mother-infant dyads. Maternal sensitivity to infant distress and nondistress was observed in a series of distress-eliciting tasks when infants were 6 months and 1-year-old. Mothers rated infant-negative emotionality at 6 months. Infant-mother attachment was observed during the "strange situation" (Ainsworth, Blehar, Waters, & Wall, 1978) at 1 year. Four attachment outcomes were considered: the dichotomous security/insecurity classification, avoidant and resistant behaviors across both reunion episodes, and a single rating for disorganized behavior. Maternal sensitivity to distress and nondistress at 1 year were treated as covariates. Sensitivity to distress and nondistress at 6 months and 1 year did not predict more adaptive attachment outcomes as main effects. However, sensitivity to distress and nondistress at 6 months interacted significantly in relation to avoidance, such that sensitivity to nondistress was significantly associated with higher avoidance when sensitivity to distress was low, but not when sensitivity to distress was high. Furthermore, sensitivity to distress at 6 months interacted with infant-negative emotionality in relation to security and both resistant and disorganized behaviors, such that sensitivity to distress was positively associated with security and negatively associated with resistant and disorganized behaviors only among infants who were high on mother-reported negative emotionality. Implications for future research and intervention are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record
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Affiliation(s)
- Esther M Leerkes
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, University of North Carolina at Greensboro
| | - Nan Zhou
- Institute of Develomental Psychology, Beijing Normal University
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31
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Haselbeck C, Niederberger U, Gubi-Kelm S, Jahn F, Dautwiz F, Siniatchkin M. Secure attachment style appears to compensate for the effect of prenatal maternal distress regarding difficult infant temperament development. Z Kinder Jugendpsychiatr Psychother 2018; 47:239-251. [PMID: 30080118 DOI: 10.1024/1422-4917/a000606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Objective: Secure attachment style is a known protective factor regarding psychopathological development. The infant's attachment style, which is developed during the first two years of life, is therefore considered a moderating factor on the association between prenatal maternal distress and child temperament development which has repeatedly been reported in previous studies. Method: In this longitudinal study on a new sample of 51 mother-child-dyads, reported maternal distress and maternal empathy were assessed during pregnancy. Infant temperament and motor development were assessed at 12 months, while additionally controlling for the infant's attachment style as a postnatal factor. Results: Infants with secure attachment style whose mothers had experienced higher prenatal distress showed slightly better gross motor development at the age of 12 months. No association could be found between prenatal maternal distress and infant temperament. Conclusions: The results support the view that secure attachment style in children is a protective factor and softens the effects of prenatal maternal distress on difficult temperament development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christin Haselbeck
- 1 Institut für Medizinische Psychologie und Medizinische Soziologie, Universitätsklinikum Schleswig-Holstein, Campus, Kiel, Germany
| | - Uwe Niederberger
- 1 Institut für Medizinische Psychologie und Medizinische Soziologie, Universitätsklinikum Schleswig-Holstein, Campus, Kiel, Germany
| | - Silvia Gubi-Kelm
- 2 Department of Psychology, Medical School Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Franziska Jahn
- 1 Institut für Medizinische Psychologie und Medizinische Soziologie, Universitätsklinikum Schleswig-Holstein, Campus, Kiel, Germany
| | - Friederike Dautwiz
- 1 Institut für Medizinische Psychologie und Medizinische Soziologie, Universitätsklinikum Schleswig-Holstein, Campus, Kiel, Germany
| | - Michael Siniatchkin
- 1 Institut für Medizinische Psychologie und Medizinische Soziologie, Universitätsklinikum Schleswig-Holstein, Campus, Kiel, Germany
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32
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Fuller A, Messito MJ, Mendelsohn AL, Oyeku SO, Gross RS. Prenatal Material Hardships and Infant Regulatory Capacity at 10 Months Old in Low-Income Hispanic Mother-Infant Pairs. Acad Pediatr 2018; 18:897-904. [PMID: 29729425 DOI: 10.1016/j.acap.2018.04.134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2017] [Revised: 03/22/2018] [Accepted: 04/28/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Prenatal maternal stresses have been associated with infant temperament patterns linked to later behavioral difficulties. Material hardships, defined as inability to meet basic needs, are important prenatal stressors. Our objective was to determine the associations between prenatal material hardships and infant temperament at 10 months. METHODS This was a longitudinal study of mother-infant pairs in a randomized controlled trial of a primary care-based early obesity prevention program (Starting Early). Independent variables representing material hardship were: housing disrepair, food insecurity, difficulty paying bills, and neighborhood stress (neighborhood safety). Dependent variables representing infant temperament were assessed using questions from 3 subscales of the Infant Behavior Questionnaire: orienting/regulatory capacity, negative affect, and surgency/extraversion. We used linear regression to investigate associations between individual and cumulative hardships and each temperament domain, adjusting for confounders, and testing for depression as a moderator. RESULTS Four hundred twelve mother-infant pairs completed 10-month assessments. Thirty-two percent reported food insecurity, 26% difficulty paying bills, 35% housing disrepair, and 9% neighborhood stress. In adjusted analyses, food insecurity was associated with lower orienting/regulatory capacity scores (β = -0.25; 95% confidence interval [CI], -0.47 to -0.04), as were neighborhood stress (β = -0.50; 95% CI, -0.83 to -0.16) and experiencing 3 to 4 hardships (compared with none; β = -0.54; 95% CI, -0.83 to -0.21). For neighborhood stress, the association was stronger among infants of mothers with prenatal depressive symptoms (interaction term P = .06). CONCLUSION Prenatal material hardships were associated with lower orienting/regulatory capacity. These findings support the need for further research exploring how temperament relates to child behavior, and for policies to reduce prenatal material hardships.
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Gartstein MA, Prokasky A, Bell MA, Calkins S, Bridgett DJ, Braungart-Rieker J, Leerkes E, Cheatham CL, Eiden RD, Mize KD, Jones NA, Mireault G, Seamon E. Latent profile and cluster analysis of infant temperament: Comparisons across person-centered approaches. Dev Psychol 2017; 53:1811-1825. [PMID: 28758787 PMCID: PMC5612890 DOI: 10.1037/dev0000382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
There is renewed interest in person-centered approaches to understanding the structure of temperament. However, questions concerning temperament types are not frequently framed in a developmental context, especially during infancy. In addition, the most common person-centered techniques, cluster analysis (CA) and latent profile analysis (LPA), have not been compared with respect to derived temperament types. To address these gaps, we set out to identify temperament types for younger and older infants, comparing LPA and CA techniques. Multiple data sets (N = 1,356; 672 girls, 677 boys) with maternal ratings of infant temperament obtained using the Infant Behavior Questionnaire-Revised (Gartstein & Rothbart, 2003) were combined. All infants were between 3 and 12 months of age (M = 7.85; SD = 3.00). Due to rapid development in the first year of life, LPA and CA were performed separately for younger (n = 731; 3 to 8 months of age) and older (n = 625; 9 to 12 months of age) infants. Results supported 3-profile/cluster solutions as optimal for younger infants, and 5-profile/cluster solutions for the older subsample, indicating considerable differences between early/mid and late infancy. LPA and CA solutions produced relatively comparable types for younger and older infants. Results are discussed in the context of developmental changes unique to the end of the first year of life, which likely account for the present findings. (PsycINFO Database Record
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Amanda Prokasky
- Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies, Center for Brain, Biology and Behavior, University of Nebraska- Lincoln
| | | | - Susan Calkins
- Human Development and Family Studies, School of Health and Human Sciences, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro
| | | | | | - Esther Leerkes
- Human Development and Family Studies, School of Health and Human Sciences, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro
| | - Carol L Cheatham
- Nutrition Research Institute, Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
| | - Rina D Eiden
- Research Institute on Addictions, University at Buffalo, State University of New York
| | | | | | - Gina Mireault
- Behavioral Sciences Department, Johnson State College
| | - Erich Seamon
- College of Natural Resources, University of Idaho
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Frick MA, Forslund T, Fransson M, Johansson M, Bohlin G, Brocki KC. The role of sustained attention, maternal sensitivity, and infant temperament in the development of early self-regulation. Br J Psychol 2017; 109:277-298. [PMID: 28895129 DOI: 10.1111/bjop.12266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2016] [Revised: 08/01/2017] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
This study investigated infant predictors of early cognitive and emotional self-regulation from an intrinsic and caregiving environmental perspective. Sustained attention, reactive aspects of infant temperament, and maternal sensitivity were assessed at 10 months (n = 124) and early self-regulation (including executive functions, EF, and emotion regulation) was assessed at 18 months. The results indicated that sustained attention predicted early EF, which provide empirical support for the hierarchical framework of EF development, advocating early attention as a foundation for the development of cognitive self-regulation. Maternal sensitivity and surgency predicted emotion regulation, in that infants of sensitive mothers showed more regulatory behaviours and a longer latency to distress, whereas high levels of surgency predicted low emotion regulation, suggesting both the caregiving environment and temperament as important in the development of self-regulation. Interaction effects suggested high sustained attention to be a protective factor for children of insensitive mothers, in relation to emotion regulation. In addition, high levels of maternal sensitivity seemed to foster development of emotion regulation among children with low to medium levels of sustained attention and/or surgency. In all, our findings point to the importance of both intrinsic and extrinsic factors in infant development of self-regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Mari Fransson
- Department of Psychology, Uppsala University, Sweden
| | - Maria Johansson
- Viksäng Maternal and Paediatric Health Center, Västerås, Sweden
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35
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Desmarais E, Majdandžić M, Gartstein MA, Bridgett DJ, French B. Cross-Cultural Differences in Temperament: Comparing Paternal ratings of US and Dutch infants. Eur J Dev Psychol 2017; 16:137-151. [PMID: 30873214 DOI: 10.1080/17405629.2017.1356713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
This study conducted longitudinal comparisons of US and Dutch paternal ratings of temperament, measured via the Infant Behaviour Questionnaire-Revised, at 4 months (US n= 99; Dutch n= 127) and 12 months (US n= 66; Dutch n= 112) of age. US fathers rated their infant higher in the broad temperament trait Surgency, and its subscales vocal reactivity, high-intensity pleasure, and activity level. US fathers also rated their infants higher in Negative Emotionality, and its subscales of sadness, distress to limitations, and fear. Dutch infants received higher ratings in falling reactivity. Though the cultures did not differ in ratings of Orienting/regulatory capacity, US infants were higher on the subscale duration of orienting, and lower in soothability. Significant culture-by-age and culture-by-gender interactions were also noted. Overall, results are largely consistent with those reported for Dutch mothers (Sung et al., 2014) and speak to considerable differences in early temperament development between cultures viewed as largely similar because of their Western/individualistic orientations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mirjana Majdandžić
- Research Institute of Child Development and Education.,Research priority area Yield, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | | | - Brian French
- College of Education, Washington State University
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36
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Abstract
BACKGROUND As a group, bottle-fed infants are at higher risk for rapid weight gain compared with breast-fed infants. However, little is known about individual differences in feeding behaviors of bottle-feeding infants, as well as maternal and infant characteristics associated with bottle-feeding outcomes. METHODS We conducted a 2-day, within-subject study of 21 formula-feeding dyads; the within-subject factor was feeding condition: mother-led (ML; mothers were given the instruction to feed their infants as they typically would) vs. infant-led (IL; the experimenter ensured feeding began when infants signaled hunger and ended when they rejected the bottle on three consecutive occasions). Intake was determined by bottle weight; feedings were video-recorded and later analyzed to determine feeding duration and types of satiation behaviors displayed. Percent difference scores were calculated for each outcome as [((ML - IL)/IL) × 100] to standardize differences among dyads. Mothers completed questionnaires of feeding styles and infant temperament. RESULTS On average, infants consumed ∼42% more formula during the ML- than IL-condition (p = 0.03). However, notable variation existed in difference scores for intake (range = -52.8% to 268.9%; higher scores reflect greater intake during ML than IL). Stepwise regression illustrated that greater intakes during the ML-condition were predicted by the combination of: (1) higher infant age; (2) lower levels of infant rhythmicity and adaptability; (3) higher levels of infant positive mood; and (4) lower levels of maternal restrictive and responsive feeding styles. CONCLUSIONS This objective, experimental approach illustrated that variation in bottle-feeding outcomes is associated with characteristics of both members of the dyad.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison K. Ventura
- Monell Chemical Senses Center, Philadelphia, PA.,Department of Kinesiology, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA
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Abstract
The present study examined observations of parenting quality (mothers' emotional availability - EA) during infant bedtimes at 4 points across the infants' first year, assessing relations between levels and trajectories of EA and infant attachment at 12 months and the role of infant temperament in moderating these associations. The sample (N = 128) was predominantly Euro-American (82.5%) and at low socioeconomic risk. Latent growth curve modeling with latent basis coefficients indicated substantial individual differences in initial levels and slopes in EA trajectories across the first year. Both levels of maternal EA and EA trajectories across the first year predicted 12-month infant attachment security. Although maternal EA tended to decrease across the first year in the full sample, EA trajectories that showed a "bounce-back" between 6 and 12 months, suggesting more successful maternal adaptation to an expanding infant developmental repertoire, predicted greater infant security at 12 months. In addition, linkages between latent EA trajectories and 12-month attachment were moderated by 3-month infant temperamental reactivity and regulation. These findings indicate that infant attachment security is sensitive to both static and dynamic aspects of parenting quality across the first year, and that infant temperament can interact with both in predicting infant attachment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo-Ram Kim
- Dept of Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, College of Health and Human Development, University Park, PA 16802
| | - Sy-Miin Chow
- Dept of Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, College of Health and Human Development, University Park, PA 16802
| | - Bethany Bray
- The Methodology Center, College of Health and Human Development, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802
| | - Douglas M. Teti
- Dept of Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, College of Health and Human Development, University Park, PA 16802
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Vasconcelos MMA, East P, Blanco E, Lukacz ES, Caballero G, Lozoff B, Gahagan S. Early Behavioral Risks of Childhood and Adolescent Daytime Urinary Incontinence and Nocturnal Enuresis. J Dev Behav Pediatr 2017; 38:736-42. [PMID: 29045258 DOI: 10.1097/DBP.0000000000000516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate whether infant temperament and childhood internalizing, externalizing, and inattention symptoms increase the likelihood of daytime urinary incontinence or nocturnal enuresis at 10 years and adolescence (11.9-17.8 years). METHOD Data were from a longitudinal cohort of 1119 healthy Chilean children. We assessed behavioral symptoms at infancy, 5 years, and 10 years and their relationship with subsequent daytime urinary incontinence and nocturnal enuresis. RESULTS Daytime urinary incontinence and nocturnal enuresis occurred in, respectively, 3.3% and 11.4% at 10 years and 1.1% and 2.7% at adolescence. Difficult infant temperament was associated with increased odds of 10-year daytime urinary incontinence. Inattention at 5 years was associated with increased odds for nocturnal enuresis at 10 years and adolescence. Internalizing and externalizing symptoms at 5 years were associated with increased odds of 10-year daytime urinary incontinence and nocturnal enuresis. Internalizing and externalizing symptoms at 10 years were associated with adolescent nocturnal enuresis. CONCLUSION Temperament and internal/externalizing symptoms may be risk factors for school-age and adolescent urinary incontinence.
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Fuemmeler BF, Lee CT, Soubry A, Iversen ES, Huang Z, Murtha AP, Schildkraut JM, Jirtle RL, Murphy SK, Hoyo C. DNA Methylation of Regulatory Regions of Imprinted Genes at Birth and Its Relation to Infant Temperament. Genet Epigenet 2016; 8:59-67. [PMID: 27920589 PMCID: PMC5127604 DOI: 10.4137/geg.s40538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2016] [Revised: 10/20/2016] [Accepted: 10/22/2016] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND DNA methylation of the differentially methylated regions (DMRs) of imprinted genes is relevant to neurodevelopment. METHODS DNA methylation status of the DMRs of nine imprinted genes in umbilical cord blood leukocytes was analyzed in relation to infant behaviors and temperament (n = 158). RESULTS MEG3 DMR levels were positively associated with internalizing (β = 0.15, P = 0.044) and surgency (β = 0.19, P = 0.018) behaviors, after adjusting for birth weight, gender, gestational age at birth, maternal age at delivery, race/ethnicity, education level, smoking status, parity, and a history of anxiety or depression. Higher methylation levels at the intergenic MEG3-IG methylation regions were associated with surgency (β = 0.28, P = 0.0003) and PEG3 was positively related to externalizing (β = 0.20, P = 0.01) and negative affectivity (β = 0.18, P = 0.02). CONCLUSION While the small sample size limits inference, these pilot data support gene-specific associations between epigenetic differences in regulatory regions of imprinted domains at birth and later infant temperament.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernard F Fuemmeler
- Department of Health Behavior and Policy, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Chien-Ti Lee
- Department of Family Life, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, USA
| | - Adelheid Soubry
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Edwin S Iversen
- Department of Statistical Science, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Zhiqing Huang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Amy P Murtha
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Joellen M Schildkraut
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Randy L Jirtle
- Department of Oncology, McArdle Laboratory for Cancer Research, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.; Department of Sport and Exercise Sciences, Institute of Sport and Physical Activity Research (ISPAR), University of Bedfordshire, University Square, Luton, UK
| | - Susan K Murphy
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Cathrine Hoyo
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
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Prino LE, Rollè L, Sechi C, Patteri L, Ambrosoli A, Caldarera AM, Gerino E, Brustia P. Parental Relationship with Twins from Pregnancy to 3 Months: The Relation Among Parenting Stress, Infant Temperament, and Well-Being. Front Psychol 2016; 7:1628. [PMID: 27818641 PMCID: PMC5073235 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2016] [Accepted: 10/05/2016] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective: The transition to parenthood, from pregnancy to postpartum period, is a critical process, particularly for couples expecting twins. There is very little literature regarding the links between anxiety, depression, dyadic adjustment, parental stress, and infant temperament spanning from pregnancy to postpartum. This study has two aims: first, to examine whether mothers' and fathers' anxiety, depression, and dyadic adjustment, assessed at the sixth month of pregnancy and 3 months postpartum, are associated with infants' negative affectivity (NA) and parenting stress; second, to examine whether there is any difference between fathers' and mothers' levels of parenting stress and perception of the twins' temperament, as well as to evaluate, separately for mothers and fathers, whether the levels of parenting stress and perception of child temperament differ for each twin. Method: The study participants were 58 parents (29 couples) and their healthy 58 twin babies (51.7% boys, 48.3% girls). Mothers' ages ranged from 30 to 44 years, (MAge = 36.3 years, SD = 3.2 years), and fathers' ages ranged from 32 to 52 years, (MAge = 38.2 years, SD = 4.4 years). The parents, during the pregnancy period and 3 months after delivery, filled out the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and the Dyadic Adjustment Scale. Three months after delivery they also filled out the Parenting Stress Index-Short Form and the Infant Behavior Questionnaire Revised. Results: The analyses showed a significant correlation between parental anxiety/depression symptoms and infants' NA and parenting stress (in both mothers and fathers). Moreover, compared to fathers, mothers reported higher scores on specific dimensions of the infants' NA, [t(28) = -2.62 and p < 0.05; t(28) = 2.09 and p < 0.05], and parenting stress, [t(28) = 2.19 and p < 0.05; t(28) = 2.23 and p < 0.05], but only for Twin 2. Finally, the results showed that mothers' perceptions of child temperament vary between two twins, [e.g., distress to limitations: t(28) = 2.08 and p < 0.05]. Discussion: This study highlights the peculiarity of twin parenthood during the fourth trimester. In particular, the differences between twins' mothers' and fathers' perceptions are relevant from a clinical perspective and for perinatal professionals. It would be interesting to study the long-term impact of mothers' and fathers' differing perceptions of their twins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura E. Prino
- Department of Psychology, University of TorinoTorino, Italy
| | - Luca Rollè
- Department of Psychology, University of TorinoTorino, Italy
| | - Cristina Sechi
- Department of Pedagogy, Psychology, and Philosophy, University of CagliariCagliari, Italy
| | | | - Anna Ambrosoli
- Department of Psychology, University of TorinoTorino, Italy
| | | | - Eva Gerino
- Department of Psychology, University of TorinoTorino, Italy
| | - Piera Brustia
- Department of Psychology, University of TorinoTorino, Italy
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Sullivan EL, Holton KF, Nousen EK, Barling AN, Sullivan CA, Propper CB, Nigg JT. Early identification of ADHD risk via infant temperament and emotion regulation: a pilot study. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2015; 56:949-57. [PMID: 25968589 DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.12426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/13/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is theorized to have temperamental precursors early in life. These are difficult to identify because many core features of ADHD, such as breakdowns in executive function and self-control, involve psychological and neural systems that are too immature to reliably show dysfunction in early life. ADHD also involves emotional dysregulation, and these temperamental features appear earlier as well. Here, we report a first attempt to utilize indices of emotional regulation to identify ADHD-related liability in infancy. METHODS Fifty women were recruited in the 2nd trimester of pregnancy, with overselection for high parental ADHD symptoms. Measures of maternal body mass index, nutrition, substance use, stress, and mood were examined during pregnancy as potential confounds. Offspring were evaluated at 6 months of age using LABTAB procedures designed to elicit fear, anger, and regulatory behavior. Mothers completed the Infant Behavior Questionnaire about their child's temperament. RESULTS After control for associated covariates, including maternal depression and prenatal stress, family history of ADHD was associated with measures of anger/irritability, including infant negative vocalizations during the arm restraint task (p = .004), and maternal ratings of infant distress to limitations (p = .036). In the regulation domain, familial ADHD was associated with less parent-oriented attention seeking during the still face procedure (p < .001), but this was not echoed in the maternal ratings of recovery from distress. CONCLUSIONS Affective response at 6 months of age may identify infants with familial history of ADHD, providing an early indicator of ADHD liability. These preliminary results provide a foundation for further studies and will be amplified by enlarging this cohort and following participants longitudinally to evaluate ADHD outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elinor L Sullivan
- Department of Biology, University of Portland, Portland, OR, USA.,Division of Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Beaverton, OR, USA
| | - Kathleen F Holton
- School of Education, Teaching & Health, Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, American University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Elizabeth K Nousen
- Departments of Psychology and Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Ashley N Barling
- Department of Biology, University of Portland, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Ceri A Sullivan
- Departments of Psychology and Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Cathi B Propper
- Center for Developmental Science, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Joel T Nigg
- Departments of Psychology and Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
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Jover M, Colomer J, Carot JM, Larsson C, Bobes MT, Ivorra JL, Martín-Brufau R, Sanjuan J. Maternal anxiety following delivery, early infant temperament and mother's confidence in caregiving. Span J Psychol 2014; 17:E95. [PMID: 26055183 DOI: 10.1017/sjp.2014.87] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
A mother's emotional state is a well-known environmental factor that relates to the development of infant temperament. However, some relevant issues have not yet been fully explored. The current study examines the influence of determined maternal, contextual and perinatal variables on infant temperament and the mother's confidence in caregiving during the first weeks of life. A prospective study was carried out in three-hundred and seventeen newborns and their mothers. Perinatal and socio-demographic variables were recorded. The mother's anxiety and mood were measured in the first days after childbirth and again at 8 weeks. Infant temperament and the mother's confidence in caregiving were measured at 8 weeks. A mother's postpartum anxiety following delivery was the best predictor for most of the variables of infant temperament, including infant irritability (p = .001), and other child variables like infant sleep (p = .0003) and nursing difficulty (p = .001). Contextual-family variables, such as the number of people at home (p = .0024) and whether they were primiparous (p = .001), were the best predictors for a mother's confidence in caregiving. Support was found for an early effect of maternal anxiety on infant temperament. The results have clinical implications for postnatal psychological interventions.
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43
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Prady SL, Kiernan K, Fairley L, Wilson S, Wright J. Self-reported maternal parenting style and confidence and infant temperament in a multi-ethnic community: results from the Born in Bradford cohort. J Child Health Care 2014; 18:31-46. [PMID: 23749252 DOI: 10.1177/1367493512473855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Ethnic minority children in the United Kingdom often experience health disadvantage. Parenting influences children's current and future health, but little is known about whether parenting behaviours and mother's perception of her infant vary by ethnicity. Using the Born in Bradford (BiB) birth cohort, which is located in an ethnically diverse and economically deprived UK city, we conducted a cross-sectional analysis of mother's self-reported parenting confidence, self-efficacy, hostility and warmth, and infant temperament at six months of age. We examined responses from women of Pakistani (N = 554) and White British (N = 439) origin. Pakistani mothers reported feeling more confident about their abilities as a parent. Significantly fewer Pakistani women adopted a hostile approach to parenting, an effect that was attenuated after adjustment for socioeconomic status and mental health. Overall, women with more self-efficacious, warm and less hostile parenting styles reported significantly fewer problems with their infant's temperaments. Of women with higher self-efficacy parenting styles, Pakistani mothers were significantly more likely than White British mothers to report more problematic infant temperaments, although absolute differences were small. It is unlikely that the ethnic variation seen in children's cognitive and behavioural outcomes in childhood is attributable to differences in parenting or infant characteristics reported at six months.
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44
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Pickles A, Hill J, Breen G, Quinn J, Abbott K, Jones H, Sharp H. Evidence for interplay between genes and parenting on infant temperament in the first year of life: monoamine oxidase A polymorphism moderates effects of maternal sensitivity on infant anger proneness. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2013; 54:1308-17. [PMID: 23738520 DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.12081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/26/2013] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The low expression polymorphism of the MAOA gene in interaction with adverse environments (G × E) is associated with antisocial behaviour disorders. These have their origins in early life, but it is not known whether MAOA G × E occurs in infants. We therefore examined whether MAOA G × E predicts infant anger proneness, a temperamental dimension associated with later antisocial behaviour disorders. In contrast to previous studies, we examined MAOA G × E prospectively using an observational measure of a key aspect of the infant environment, maternal sensitivity, at a specified developmental time point. METHODS In a stratified epidemiological cohort recruited during pregnancy, we ascertained MAOA status (low vs. high expression alleles) from the saliva of 193 infants, and examined specific predictions to maternal report of infant temperament at 14 months from maternal sensitivity assessed at 29 weeks of age. RESULTS Analyses, weighted to provide general population estimates, indicated a robust interaction between MAOA status and maternal sensitivity in the prediction of infant anger proneness (p = .003) which became stronger once possible confounders for maternal sensitivity were included in the model (p = .0001). The interaction terms were similar in males (p = .010) and females (p = .016), but the effects were different as a consequence of an additional sex of infant by maternal sensitivity interaction. CONCLUSIONS This prospective study provides the first evidence of moderation by the MAOA gene of effects of parenting on infant anger proneness, an important early risk for the development of disruptive and aggressive behaviour disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Pickles
- Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London, UK
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45
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Stapleton LRT, Schetter CD, Westling E, Rini C, Glynn LM, Hobel CJ, Sandman CA. Perceived partner support in pregnancy predicts lower maternal and infant distress. J Fam Psychol 2012; 26:453-63. [PMID: 22662772 PMCID: PMC3992993 DOI: 10.1037/a0028332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 200] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Maternal postpartum emotional distress is quite common and can pose significant risk to mothers and infants. The current study investigated mothers' relationships with their partners during pregnancy and tested the hypotheses that perception of prenatal partner support is a significant predictor of changes in maternal emotional distress from midpregnancy to postpartum, and contributes to maternal ratings of infant distress to novelty. Using a prospective longitudinal design, 272 adult pregnant women were interviewed regarding their partner support, relationship satisfaction, and interpersonal security (attachment style and willingness to seek out support), and they completed standardized measures of prenatal symptoms of depression and anxiety (distress). At 6 to 8 weeks' postpartum, mothers reported these symptoms again and completed measures of their infants' temperament. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test direct and indirect contributions of partner support, relationship satisfaction, and interpersonal security to maternal and infant postpartum distress. Mothers who perceived stronger social support from their partners midpregnancy had lower emotional distress postpartum after controlling for their distress in early pregnancy, and their infants were reported to be less distressed in response to novelty. Partner support mediated the effects of mothers' interpersonal security and relationship satisfaction on maternal and infant outcomes. A high-quality, supportive partner relationship during pregnancy may contribute to improved maternal and infant well-being postpartum, indicating a potential role for partner relationships in mental health interventions, with possible benefits for infants as well.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lynlee R Tanner Stapleton
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, 1285 Franz Hall, Box 951563, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1563, USA
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Zerwas S, Von Holle A, Torgersen L, Reichborn-Kjennerud T, Stoltenberg C, Bulik CM. Maternal eating disorders and infant temperament: findings from the Norwegian mother and child cohort study. Int J Eat Disord 2012; 45:546-55. [PMID: 22287333 PMCID: PMC3323717 DOI: 10.1002/eat.20983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/06/2011] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE We hypothesized that women with eating disorders would be more likely to rate their infants' temperament higher on negative emotionality than women without eating disorders. METHOD Of 3,013 mothers with eating disorders, 44 reported anorexia nervosa (AN), 436 bulimia nervosa (BN), 2,475 binge eating disorder (BED), and 58 EDNOS purging type (EDNOS-P). The referent group comprised 45,964 mothers with no eating disorder. A partial proportional odds model was used to estimate the relation among maternal eating disorder presentations and infant temperament ratings while adjusting for covariates. RESULTS Women with AN, BN, EDNOS-P, and BED were 2.3, 1.4, 2.8, and 1.4 times more likely to report extreme fussiness than the referent group of women with no eating disorder, respectively. DISCUSSION Mothers with eating disorders may rate their infants as more difficult because of information-processing biases or because their infants are emotionally difficult. Maternal perception of infant temperament may be a risk factor for children's emotional development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Zerwas
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7160, USA.
| | - Ann Von Holle
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
| | - Leila Torgersen
- Division of Mental Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | - Ted Reichborn-Kjennerud
- Division of Mental Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway,Department of Psychiatry, University of Oslo, Norway
| | - Camilla Stoltenberg
- Division of Epidemiology, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | - Cynthia M. Bulik
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill,Department of Nutrition, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
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Parade SH, Leerkes EM. Marital aggression predicts infant orienting toward mother at six months. Infant Behav Dev 2011; 34:235-8. [PMID: 21440304 PMCID: PMC3109138 DOI: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2010.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2010] [Revised: 09/15/2010] [Accepted: 12/03/2010] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Links between marital aggression and infant orienting toward mother in fearful and frustrating contexts were examined in 92 mother-infant dyads when infants were six months. Results demonstrated that marital aggression was linked with less orienting toward mothers in frustrating situations, in fearful situations marital aggression was linked with less orienting among infants who were high on fear reactivity only.
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Torowicz D, Irving SY, Hanlon AL, Sumpter DF, Medoff-Cooper B. Infant temperament and parental stress in 3-month-old infants after surgery for complex congenital heart disease. J Dev Behav Pediatr 2010; 31:202-8. [PMID: 20375737 DOI: 10.1097/DBP.0b013e3181d3deaa] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study aimed to identify and compare differences in temperament and maternal stress between infants with complex congenital heart disease and healthy controls at 3 months of age. METHODS Study sample was drawn from an existing longitudinal study examining growth in infants with congenital heart disease when compared with healthy controls. Infant temperament and parental stress were measured in 129 mother-infant dyads. Inclusion criteria for infants with congenital heart disease were > or = 36-week postmenstrual age, > or = 2500 g at birth, surgery in first 6 weeks of life, and no major congenital anomalies or genetic syndromes. The Early Infancy Temperament Questionnaire and Parent Stress Index were the assessment tools used. RESULTS Infants with single ventricular (SV) physiology were more negative in mood (F = 7.14, p < .001) and less distractible (F = 5.00, p < .008) than the biventricular physiology or Control (C) infant groups. The demands of care for infants with congenital heart disease were a source of stress when compared with Control infants (p < .05). Five of 6 subscales of the Child Domain were significant sources of stress in the SV group compared with biventricle and Control groups. Negative mood and difficulty to soothe were predictors for Child Domain and Total Life Stress in SV infants. CONCLUSION The demands of parenting an irritable infant with SV physiology put these mothers at risk for high levels of stress. Results suggest the need for predischarge anticipatory guidance for parents to better understand and respond to the behavioral style of their infants, in particular, infants with SV physiology.
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Daniel SS, Grzywacz JG, Leerkes E, Tucker J, Han WJ. Nonstandard maternal work schedules during infancy: implications for children's early behavior problems. Infant Behav Dev 2009; 32:195-207. [PMID: 19233479 PMCID: PMC2659722 DOI: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2008.12.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2008] [Revised: 10/10/2008] [Accepted: 12/29/2008] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
This paper examines the associations between maternal nonstandard work schedules during infancy and children's early behavior problems, and the extent to which infant temperament may moderate these associations. Hypothesized associations were tested using data from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) Study of Early Child Care (Phase I). Analyses focused on mothers who returned to work by the time the child was 6 months of age, and who worked an average of at least 35h per week from 6 through 36 months. At 24 and 36 months, children whose mothers worked a nonstandard schedule had higher internalizing and externalizing behaviors. Modest, albeit inconsistent, evidence suggests that temperamentally reactive children may be more vulnerable to maternal work schedules. Maternal depressive symptoms partially mediated associations between nonstandard maternal work schedules and child behavior outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie S Daniel
- The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Center for Youth, Family, and Community Partnerships, Greensboro, NC 27402-6170, USA.
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Parade SH, Leerkes EM. The reliability and validity of the Infant Behavior Questionnaire-Revised. Infant Behav Dev 2008; 31:637-46. [PMID: 18804873 PMCID: PMC2655727 DOI: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2008.07.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 129] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2007] [Revised: 05/21/2008] [Accepted: 07/18/2008] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
The reliability and validity of the Infant Behavior Questionnaire-Revised was examined in a sample of 6-month-old infants and their parents. One hundred and fifteen mothers and 79 fathers completed the IBQ-R and a measure of depression and 98 infants participated in a laboratory assessment of temperament. Internal consistency reliability was adequate for all 14 IBQ-R subscales for both mothers and fathers and inter-rater reliability of mother and father reports was demonstrated for 11 of 14 subscales. Convergent validity was established between observed fear and mother reported fear and father reported approach. Parent depression and infant gender were examined as moderators of the concordance between parent reported and observed temperament. As predicted, concordance was higher when parents reported low versus high symptoms of depression. Infant gender did not alter concordance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie H Parade
- The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, 248 Stone, PO Box 26170, Greensboro, NC 27402-6170, USA.
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