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Spalek K, Straathof M, Koyuncu L, Grydeland H, van der Geest A, Van't Hof SR, Crone EA, Barba-Müller E, Carmona S, Denys D, Tamnes CK, Burke S, Hoekzema E. Pregnancy renders anatomical changes in hypothalamic substructures of the human brain that relate to aspects of maternal behavior. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2024; 164:107021. [PMID: 38492349 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2024.107021] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Revised: 03/07/2024] [Accepted: 03/09/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024]
Abstract
Animal studies have shown that pregnancy is associated with neural adaptations that promote maternal care. The hypothalamus represents a central structure of the mammalian maternal brain and hormonal priming of specific hypothalamic nuclei plays a key role in the induction and expression of maternal behavior. In humans, we have previously demonstrated that becoming a mother involves changes in grey matter anatomy, primarily in association areas of the cerebral cortex. In the current study, we investigated whether pregnancy renders anatomical changes in the hypothalamus. Using an advanced delineation technique, five hypothalamic substructures were defined in longitudinal MRI scans of 107 women extracted from two prospective pre-conception cohort studies, including 50 women who were scanned before and after pregnancy and 57 nulliparous control women scanned at a similar time interval. We showed that becoming a mother is associated with volume reductions in the anterior-superior, superior tuberal and posterior hypothalamus. In addition, these structural changes related to hormonal levels during pregnancy and specific aspects of self-reported maternal behavior in late pregnancy, including maternal-fetal attachment and nesting behavior. These findings show that pregnancy leads to changes in hypothalamic anatomy and suggest that these contribute to the development of maternal behavior in humans, supporting the conservation of key aspects of maternal brain circuitry and their role in maternal behavior across species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Klara Spalek
- Hoekzema Lab, Amsterdam University Medical Center (Amsterdam UMC), location University of Amsterdam, Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam Reproduction and Development, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Milou Straathof
- Hoekzema Lab, Amsterdam University Medical Center (Amsterdam UMC), location University of Amsterdam, Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam Reproduction and Development, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Lal Koyuncu
- Brain and Development Research Center, Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Håkon Grydeland
- Center for Lifespan Changes in Brain and Cognition (LCBC), Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Norway
| | - Anouk van der Geest
- Brain and Development Research Center, Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Sophie R Van't Hof
- Hoekzema Lab, Amsterdam University Medical Center (Amsterdam UMC), location University of Amsterdam, Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam Reproduction and Development, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Eveline A Crone
- Brain and Development Research Center, Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | | | - Susana Carmona
- Departamento de Bioingeniería e Ingeniería Aeroespacial, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Damiaan Denys
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam University Medical Center (Amsterdam UMC), location University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Christian K Tamnes
- PROMENTA Research Center, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; NORMENT, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Department of Psychiatric Research, Diakonhjemmet Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Sarah Burke
- Brain and Development Research Center, Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands; Interdisciplinary Center Psychopathology and Emotion regulation, Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Elseline Hoekzema
- Hoekzema Lab, Amsterdam University Medical Center (Amsterdam UMC), location University of Amsterdam, Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam Reproduction and Development, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
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Catherine NLA, MacMillan H, Cullen A, Zheng Y, Xie H, Boyle M, Sheehan D, Lever R, Jack SM, Gonzalez A, Gafni A, Tonmyr L, Barr R, Marcellus L, Varcoe C, Waddell C. Effectiveness of nurse-home visiting in improving child and maternal outcomes prenatally to age two years: a randomised controlled trial (British Columbia Healthy Connections Project). J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2024; 65:644-655. [PMID: 37464862 DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.13846] [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] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND We investigated the effectiveness of Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP), a prenatal-to-age-two-years home-visiting programme, in British Columbia (BC), Canada. METHODS For this randomised controlled trial, we recruited participants from 26 public health settings who were: <25 years, nulliparous, <28 weeks gestation and experiencing socioeconomic disadvantage. We randomly allocated participants (one-to-one; computer-generated) to intervention (NFP plus existing services) or comparison (existing services) groups. Prespecified outcomes were prenatal substance exposure (reported previously); child injuries (primary), language, cognition and mental health (problem behaviour) by age two years; and subsequent pregnancies by 24 months postpartum. Research interviewers were masked. We used intention-to-treat analyses. (ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01672060.) RESULTS: From 2013 to 2016 we enrolled 739 participants (368 NFP, 371 comparison) who had 737 children. Counts for child injury healthcare encounters [rate per 1,000 person-years or RPY] were similar for NFP (223 [RPY 316.17]) and comparison (223 [RPY 305.43]; rate difference 10.74, 95% CI -46.96, 68.44; rate ratio 1.03, 95% CI 0.78, 1.38). Maternal-reported language scores (mean, M [SD]) were statistically significantly higher for NFP (313.46 [195.96]) than comparison (282.77 [188.15]; mean difference [MD] 31.33, 95% CI 0.96, 61.71). Maternal-reported problem-behaviour scores (M [SD]) were statistically significantly lower for NFP (52.18 [9.19]) than comparison (54.42 [9.02]; MD -2.19, 95% CI -3.62, -0.75). Subsequent pregnancy counts were similar (NFP 115 [RPY 230.69] and comparison 117 [RPY 227.29]; rate difference 3.40, 95% CI -55.54, 62.34; hazard ratio 1.01, 95% CI 0.79, 1.29). We observed no unanticipated adverse events. CONCLUSIONS NFP did not reduce child injuries or subsequent maternal pregnancies but did improve maternal-reported child language and mental health (problem behaviour) at age two years. Follow-up of long-term outcomes is warranted given that further benefits may emerge across childhood and adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Ange Cullen
- Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Yufei Zheng
- Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Hui Xie
- Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Arthritis Research Canada, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Lil Tonmyr
- Public Health Agency of Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada
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Perez C, D'Anna-Hernandez KL. Effects of sociocultural stressors on maternal responsivity and the infant behavioral and neuroendocrine response to stress in families of Mexican descent. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2024; 163:106979. [PMID: 38308963 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2024.106979] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Revised: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/05/2024]
Abstract
Maternal stress is consistently linked to alterations in maternal behavior and infant neurodevelopmental outcomes. As the Latino population grows in the U.S., it is increasingly important to understand how culturally relevant factors affect this relationship. This study aimed to address the role of sociocultural stressors on maternal sensitivity and markers of infant emotional regulation and the neuroendocrine response to stress in mother/infant dyads of Mexican descent. Pregnant women of Mexican descent (n = 115) were recruited during early pregnancy and followed until their infants were 6 months old. Mothers completed measures of sociocultural stressors (acculturative stress and discrimination) at pre and postnatal time points. At 6 months, dyads underwent the Still Face procedure. Mothers were observed for behaviors exhibiting maternal responsivity, while negative vocalizations were observed in infants. Salivary cortisol was also collected from infants. Maternal responsivity was a salient risk factor for alterations in infant emotional regulation and cortisol activity. Postnatal experiences of discrimination were also negatively associated with infant negative affect. This work highlights maternal responsivity and points to a potential role for experiences of discrimination in the response to stress in the mother/child dyad that may have consequences for the development of emotional regulation in infants of Mexican descent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Perez
- Department of Psychology, California State University San Marcos, San Marcos, CA, USA
| | - Kimberly L D'Anna-Hernandez
- Department of Psychology, California State University San Marcos, San Marcos, CA, USA; Department of Psychology, Marquette University, Milwaukee, CA, USA.
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Smiley PA, Ahn A, Blackard MB, Borelli JL, Doan SN. Undoing mothers' avoidant coping with children's negative emotion: A randomized controlled trial of relational savoring. J Fam Psychol 2024; 38:365-376. [PMID: 38252085 DOI: 10.1037/fam0001186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
Some mothers report using avoidant coping strategies (minimizing, punishing) in response to their young children's negative emotion, an aspect of insensitive parenting that places children at risk for emotional or behavioral dysregulation (Fabes et al., 2001) and insecure attachment (De Wolff & van Ijzendoorn, 1997). In prior work, an in-home attachment-based relational savoring (RS) intervention, administered over a month's time, positively affected maternal emotion and sensitive behavior with young children (Borelli et al., 2023); further, a one-time online RS protocol had greater impacts on emotion and relationship satisfaction for mothers with greater attachment avoidance (Burkhart et al., 2015). However, we do not yet know whether a brief, laboratory intervention impacts highly avoidant mothers' behavior with their children and not just their self-reports of satisfaction. Here, we examine whether mothers' endorsement of avoidant coping strategies moderates the effect of an RS versus active control intervention on mothers' use of emotion-coaching during an emotionally charged conversation with their child. Mothers (N = 122; Mage = 33.42, SD = 5.40) and their preschoolers (Mage = 41.80 months, SD = 4.65; 48.4% female) from diverse backgrounds (41% Latina, 40% White [non-Latina]; 42% under $60,000 annual income) participated. The interaction between condition and level of avoidant coping on mothers' emotion-coaching behaviors was significant. Mothers high in avoidant coping (top quartile) displayed better emotion-coaching during the emotion conversation if they had been in the RS condition. Savoring may be a valuable tool to promote effective emotion-coaching among parents most prone to avoid their children's negative emotion. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ashley Ahn
- Department of Psychological Science, Claremont McKenna College
| | - M Betsy Blackard
- Department of Behavioral and Organizational Sciences, Claremont Graduate University
| | - Jessica L Borelli
- Department of Psychology and Social Behavior, University of California, Irvine
| | - Stacey N Doan
- Department of Psychological Science, Claremont McKenna College
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VanBronkhorst SB, McCormack CA, Scorza P, Lee S, Feng T, Hane A, Duarte CS, Monk C. Maternal childhood trauma and observed maternal care behaviors with 4-month-old infants. Psychol Trauma 2024; 16:S81-S87. [PMID: 37535534 PMCID: PMC10837317 DOI: 10.1037/tra0001554] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/05/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To examine the relationship between maternal childhood trauma and early maternal caregiving behaviors (MCB). METHOD Participants included 74 mother-infant dyads (maternal age 20-45 years; ethnicity 64.9% Latina) from a longitudinal pregnancy cohort study. Maternal childhood trauma was assessed during pregnancy with the childhood trauma questionnaire (CTQ). Observed mother-infant interactions at infant age 4 months were coded utilizing modified Ainsworth's MCB rating scales that assessed a range of behaviors (e.g., acceptance, soothing, and delight) which we analyze grouped together and will summarize using the term "maternal sensitivity." Linear regressions tested the associations between maternal childhood trauma and MCB. Primary analyses examined the relationships of MCB with (a) any maternal childhood trauma (moderate or greater exposure to physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, physical neglect, and/or emotional neglect) and (b) cumulative childhood trauma. Secondary analyses examined the relationships between each type of childhood trauma and MCB. RESULTS Exposure to childhood trauma was not associated with MCB (p = .88). Cumulative childhood trauma score was associated with lower scores on MCB (β = -1.88, p < .05). Emotional abuse and emotional neglect were individually associated with lower scores on MCB (β = -1.78, p = .04; β = -1.55, p = .04, respectively). Physical abuse, sexual abuse, and physical neglect were not associated with MCB. CONCLUSIONS Many mothers exposed to childhood trauma may be resilient to negative effects on parenting behaviors, while specific experiences of childhood trauma (emotional abuse, emotional neglect, and cumulative childhood trauma) may predict less sensitive early parenting behaviors. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara B VanBronkhorst
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Medical Center, New York State Psychiatric Institute
| | | | - Pamela Scorza
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Columbia University Medical Center
| | - Seonjoo Lee
- Department of Biostatistics, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University
| | - Tianshu Feng
- Department of Psychiatry, Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene
| | - Amie Hane
- Department of Psychology, Bronfman Science Center, Williams College
| | - Cristiane S Duarte
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Medical Center, New York State Psychiatric Institute
| | - Catherine Monk
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Medical Center, New York State Psychiatric Institute
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Aguirre E, Benzeval M, Murray A. Parental gender attitudes and children's mental health: Evidence from the UK household longitudinal study. Soc Sci Med 2024; 344:116632. [PMID: 38316081 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2024.116632] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2023] [Revised: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024]
Abstract
Gender role attitudes have been found to be associated with the mental health of adults and adolescents, but little is known about whether parents' gender attitudes are associated with their children's mental health. Using data from Understanding Society, the UK Household Longitudinal Study (UKHLS), a large-population representative sample, we examine the links between parental gender role attitudes and child mental health outcomes as measured by the total and five components of the strengths and difficulties questionnaire (SDQ). We construct structural equation models, separately for mothers and for fathers and for children aged 5 and 8, and adjust for key sociodemographic variables. We find that children aged 5 years exhibit fewer emotional and peer relationship problems and are more prosocial when their mothers have more egalitarian (compared to traditionalist) gender role attitudes. We also find that children are more prosocial at age 8 when their mothers have more egalitarian gender role attitudes. No statistically significant mediation effect is observed via maternal parenting behaviour. Fathers' more egalitarian gender role attitudes were associated with higher hyperactivity at age 5 and more prosocial behaviour at age 8. Further, engaging in less negative parenting behaviour completely mediates the association of fathers' more egalitarian gender attitudes with children's mental health across the majority of the SDQ scales. This suggests that parental gender attitudes may be a possible target for the prevention of mental health difficulties among children; however, future research will be required to examine the extent to which the associations we identified reflect causality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edith Aguirre
- Institute for Social and Economic Research, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester, Essex, C04 3SQ, United Kingdom.
| | - Michaela Benzeval
- Institute for Social and Economic Research, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester, Essex, C04 3SQ, United Kingdom
| | - Aja Murray
- Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, 7 George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9JZ, United Kingdom
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Beebe B, Abdurokhmonova G, Lee SH, Dougalis G, Champagne F, Rauh V, Algermissen M, Herbstman J, Margolis AE. Mother-infant self- and interactive contingency at four months and infant cognition at one year: A view from microanalysis. Infant Behav Dev 2024; 74:101920. [PMID: 38237345 PMCID: PMC10956369 DOI: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2023.101920] [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: 06/25/2023] [Revised: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 12/31/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2024]
Abstract
Although a considerable literature documents associations between early mother-infant interaction and cognitive outcomes in the first years of life, few studies examine the contributions of contingently coordinated mother-infant interaction to infant cognitive development. This study examined associations between the temporal dynamics of the contingent coordination of mother-infant face-to-face interaction at 4 months and cognitive performance on the Bayley Scales of Infant Development at age one year in a sample of (N = 100) Latina mother-infant pairs. Split-screen videotaped interactions were coded on a one second time base for the communication modalities of infant and mother gaze and facial affect, infant vocal affect, and mother touch. Multi-level time-series models evaluated self- and interactive contingent processes in these modalities and revealed 4-month patterns of interaction associated with higher one-year cognitive performance, not identified in prior studies. Infant and mother self-contingency, the moment-to-moment probability that the individual's prior behavior predicts the individual's future behavior, was the most robust measure associated with infant cognitive performance. Self-contingency findings showed that more varying infant behavior was optimal for higher infant cognitive performance, namely, greater modulation of negative affect; more stable maternal behavior was optimal for higher infant cognitive performance, namely, greater likelihood of sustaining positive facial affect. Although interactive contingency findings were sparse, they showed that, when mothers looked away, or dampened their faces to interest or mild negative facial affect, infants with higher 12-month cognitive performance were less likely to show negative vocal affect. We suggest that infant ability to modulate negative affect, and maternal ability to sustain positive affect, may be mutually reinforcing, together creating a dyadic climate that is associated with more optimal infant cognitive development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatrice Beebe
- Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA.
| | - Gavkhar Abdurokhmonova
- Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Sang Han Lee
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10032, USA; The Nathan Kline Institute, Orangeburg, NJ, 10962, USA, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Georgios Dougalis
- Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Frances Champagne
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Virginia Rauh
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Molly Algermissen
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Julie Herbstman
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Amy E Margolis
- Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
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Fuertes M, Martelo I, Almeida R, Gonçalves JL, Barbosa M. Attachment and mother-infant interactions in dyads with infants born full-term, moderate-to-late preterm, and very-to-extreme preterm. Early Hum Dev 2024; 189:105943. [PMID: 38241790 DOI: 10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2024.105943] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2023] [Revised: 12/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 01/21/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The impact of prematurity status on attachment quality remains indeterminate. Some studies found no differences between infants born preterm (PT) and infants born full-term (FT), while other investigations present opposite results. AIMS We aim to contribute to this body of research by studying mother-infant interactive behaviors and quality of attachment in 3 independent samples: Full-Term (FT), Moderate-to-Late Preterm (MLPT) and Very-to-Extreme Preterm (VEPT). STUDY DESIGN This is a longitudinal laboratory study conducted from 3 to 12 months of age (corrected-age in the case of infants born PT). SUBJECTS The participants are 213 Portuguese infants (FT = 105; MLPT = 52; VEPT = 56) and their mothers. OUTCOME MEASURES Mother-infant interactive behavior was observed in free-play at 3 and 9 months (corrected-age). Infant attachment was observed in Strange Situation at 12 months. RESULTS Secure attachment is more prevalent in infants born FT, and ambivalent attachment is more prevalent in infants born VEPT. Infants with a secure attachment have higher gestational age and weight at birth. Infant and maternal interactive behavior quality is associated with attachment patterns and varies according to infant prematurity status. Last, the results indicate changes in maternal sensitivity and infant difficult behavior from 3 to 9 months of infant's age. CONCLUSIONS Our findings indicate that prematurity status impacts attachment quality. Changes in maternal and infant behavior from 3 to 9 months suggest a period of rapid non-linear development, supporting a transactional multilayered approach to the study of mother-infant relationship.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Fuertes
- Centro de Psicologia, University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; Escola Superior de Educação de Lisboa, Instituto Politécnico de Lisboa, 1549-020 Lisboa, Portugal.
| | - Inês Martelo
- Escola Superior de Educação de Lisboa, Instituto Politécnico de Lisboa, 1549-020 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Rita Almeida
- Research Center for Psychological Science (CICPSI), Faculty of Psychology, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Joana L Gonçalves
- Centro de Investigação em Psicologia para o Desenvolvimento, Universidade Lusíada de Lisboa, Rua da Junqueira, 188-198, 1349-001 Lisboa, Portugal; inED - Centre for Research and Innovation in Education, School of Higher Education, Polytechnic Institute of Porto, Porto, Portugal; Department of Social and Behavior Sciences, University of Maia - ISMAI, Maia, Portugal
| | - Miguel Barbosa
- CICPSI, Faculdade de Psicologia, Instituto de Saúde Ambiental (ISAMB-FMUL), Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal.
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Amici F, Liebal K, Ersson-Lembeck M, Holodynski M. A longitudinal comparison of maternal behaviour in German urban humans (Homo sapiens) and captive chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). Sci Rep 2024; 14:1517. [PMID: 38233560 PMCID: PMC10794219 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-51999-4] [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: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 01/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Comparative perspectives are crucial in the study of human development, yet longitudinal comparisons of humans and other primates are still relatively uncommon. Here, we combined theoretical frameworks from cross-cultural and comparative psychology, to study maternal style in 10 mother-infant pairs of German urban humans (Homo sapiens) and 10 mother-infant pairs of captive chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes), during the first year of infants' development. We conducted focal observations of different behaviours (i.e. nursing, carrying, body contact, touching, grooming, restraining, approaching, leaving, rejection, aggression, mutual gaze, object stimulation), during natural interactions. Analyses revealed a more distal maternal style in WEIRD humans than in captive chimpanzees, with different behaviours being generally more common in one of the two species throughout development. For other behaviours (i.e. nursing), developmental trajectories differed between WEIRD humans and captive chimpanzees, although differences generally decreased through infants' development. Overall, our study confirms functional approaches as a valid tool for comparative longitudinal studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica Amici
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Institute of Biology, Human Biology & Primate Cognition, Leipzig University, Talstrasse 33, 04103, Leipzig, Germany.
- Department of Comparative Cultural Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany.
| | - Katja Liebal
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Institute of Biology, Human Biology & Primate Cognition, Leipzig University, Talstrasse 33, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Comparative Cultural Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Education and Psychology, Comparative Developmental Psychology, Freie Universität Berlin, Habelschwerdter Allee 45, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Manuela Ersson-Lembeck
- Department of Education and Psychology, Comparative Developmental Psychology, Freie Universität Berlin, Habelschwerdter Allee 45, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Manfred Holodynski
- Faculty of Psychology/Sport and Exercise Studies, Institute for Psychology in Education, University of Münster, Fliednerstrasse 21, 48149, Münster, Germany
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10
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Lu X, Hu RK. Mapping brain circuits for murine maternal behavior triggered by pup calls. Trends Neurosci 2024; 47:4-5. [PMID: 37919204 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2023.10.004] [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: 10/10/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023]
Abstract
How sensory cues are integrated at the level of neural circuits to drive maternal behaviors remains incompletely understood. In a recent study, Valtcheva, Issa, and colleagues identified a previously unknown role for the posterior intralaminar (PIL) nucleus of the thalamus within the neural networks that mediate maternal behavior in mice induced by pup calls.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinqi Lu
- Department of Psychology, Zhongshan Hospital, Institute for Translational Brain Research, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Rongfeng K Hu
- Department of Psychology, Zhongshan Hospital, Institute for Translational Brain Research, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.
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Brown HK, Lunsky Y. Time to Count the Breastfeeding Experiences of Women With Disabilities in Health Surveillance Efforts. Am J Public Health 2024; 114:7-9. [PMID: 38091564 PMCID: PMC10726928 DOI: 10.2105/ajph.2023.307514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Hilary K Brown
- Hilary K. Brown is with the Department of Health and Society at the University of Toronto Scarborough, and the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Yona Lunsky is with the Azrieli Adult Neurodevelopmental Centre at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, and the Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto
| | - Yona Lunsky
- Hilary K. Brown is with the Department of Health and Society at the University of Toronto Scarborough, and the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Yona Lunsky is with the Azrieli Adult Neurodevelopmental Centre at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, and the Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto
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Antunes S, Alves MJ, Martelo I, Beeghly M, Barros L, Fuertes M. Predicting attachment in Portuguese infants born very or extremely preterm: Understanding the roles of infant regulatory behavior, maternal sensitivity, and risk factors. Infant Ment Health J 2024; 45:40-55. [PMID: 38091258 DOI: 10.1002/imhj.22094] [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: 04/18/2023] [Revised: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
A growing body of research shows that early attachment relationships are foundational for children's later developmental and psychosocial outcomes. However, findings are mixed regarding whether preterm birth predicts later attachment, but insecurity is generally more prevalent among infants at higher medical and/or social/familial risk. This longitudinal study aimed to identify specific relational, familial/demographic, and perinatal predictors of attachment in a sample of 63 Portuguese infants born very or extremely preterm (VEPT, <32 gestational weeks) and their mothers from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds. One-third of the mothers had social/family risk factors (e.g., single parent, immigrant, unemployed, low education, and/or low income). At 3 months (corrected age), dyads were observed during social interaction in the Face-to-Face Still-Face paradigm (FFSF) and during free play. At 12 months, mother-infant dyads were observed in Ainsworth's Strange Situation. Over half (58.7%) of the infants were classified as insecurely attached. Social-Positive Oriented regulatory behavior pattern, higher maternal sensitivity, higher infant cooperation during free play, number of siblings and an absence of social/family risk factors were associated with attachment security. Perinatal variables were unrelated to attachment. Findings indicate that both relational and social contextual factors contribute to attachment in this biologically vulnerable sample.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Antunes
- Faculdade de Psicologia, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Maria João Alves
- Escola Superior de Educação de Lisboa do Instituto Politécnico de Lisboa (ESELX_IPL), Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Inês Martelo
- Escola Superior de Educação de Lisboa do Instituto Politécnico de Lisboa (ESELX_IPL), Lisboa, Portugal
| | | | - Luísa Barros
- CICPSI, Faculdade de Psicologia, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Marina Fuertes
- Escola Superior de Educação de Lisboa do Instituto Politécnico de Lisboa (ESELX_IPL), Lisboa, Portugal
- Centro de Psicologia of Porto University & ESELX_IPL, Lisboa, Portugal
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13
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Myers AM, Bowen SE, Brummelte S. Maternal care behavior and physiology moderate offspring outcomes following gestational exposure to opioids. Dev Psychobiol 2023; 65:e22433. [PMID: 38010303 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22433] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2023] [Revised: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
The opioid epidemic has resulted in a drastic increase in gestational exposure to opioids. Opioid-dependent pregnant women are typically prescribed medications for opioid use disorders ("MOUD"; e.g., buprenorphine [BUP]) to mitigate the harmful effects of abused opioids. However, the consequences of exposure to synthetic opioids, particularly BUP, during gestation on fetal neurodevelopment and long-term outcomes are poorly understood. Further, despite the known adverse effects of opioids on maternal care, many preclinical and clinical studies investigating the effects of gestational opioid exposure on offspring outcomes fail to report on maternal care behaviors. Considering that offspring outcomes are heavily dependent upon the quality of maternal care, it is important to evaluate the effects of gestational opioid exposure in the context of the mother-infant dyad. This review compares offspring outcomes after prenatal opioid exposure and after reduced maternal care and integrates this information to potentially identify common underlying mechanisms. We explore whether adverse outcomes after gestational BUP exposure are due to direct effects of opioids in utero, deficits in maternal care, or a combination of both factors. Finally, suggestions for improving preclinical models of prenatal opioid exposure are provided to promote more translational studies that can help to improve clinical outcomes for opioid-dependent mothers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abigail M Myers
- Department of Psychology, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | - Scott E Bowen
- Department of Psychology, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | - Susanne Brummelte
- Department of Psychology, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA
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14
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Brown RSE, Jacobs IM, Khant Aung Z, Knowles PJ, Grattan DR, Ladyman SR. High fat diet-induced maternal obesity in mice impairs peripartum maternal behaviour. J Neuroendocrinol 2023; 35:e13350. [PMID: 37926066 DOI: 10.1111/jne.13350] [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] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Revised: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023]
Abstract
Obesity during pregnancy represents a significant health issue and can lead to increased complications during pregnancy and impairments with breastfeeding, along with long-term negative health consequences for both mother and offspring. In rodent models, diet-induced obesity (DIO) during pregnancy leads to poor outcomes for offspring. Using a DIO mouse model, consisting of feeding mice a high fat diet for 8 weeks before mating, we recapitulate the effect of high pup mortality within the first 3 days postpartum. To examine the activity of the dam around the time of birth, late pregnant control and DIO dams were recorded in their home cages and the behaviour of the dam immediately before and after birth was analysed. Prior to giving birth, DIO dams spent less time engaging in nesting behaviour, while after birth, DIO dams spent less time in the nest with their pups compared to control dams, indicating reduced pup-engagement in the early postpartum period. We have previously reported that lactogenic hormone action, mediated by the prolactin receptor, in the medial preoptic area of the hypothalamus (MPOA) is critical for the onset of normal postpartum maternal behaviour. We hypothesized that DIO dams may have lower lactogenic hormone activity during late pregnancy, which would contribute to impaired onset of normal postpartum maternal behaviour. Day 16 lactogenic activity, transport of prolactin into the brain, and plasma prolactin concentrations around birth were all similar in control and DIO dams. Moreover, endogenous pSTAT5, a marker of prolactin receptor activity, in the MPOA was unaffected by DIO. Overall, these data indicate that lactogenic activity in late pregnancy of DIO dams is not different to controls and is unlikely to play a major role in impaired onset of normal postpartum maternal behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosemary Shanon Eileen Brown
- Centre for Neuroendocrinology, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
- Department of Physiology, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Ireland M Jacobs
- Centre for Neuroendocrinology, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
- Department of Anatomy, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Zin Khant Aung
- Centre for Neuroendocrinology, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
- Department of Anatomy, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Pene J Knowles
- Centre for Neuroendocrinology, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
- Department of Anatomy, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - David R Grattan
- Centre for Neuroendocrinology, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
- Department of Anatomy, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
- Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Sharon R Ladyman
- Centre for Neuroendocrinology, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
- Department of Anatomy, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
- Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, Auckland, New Zealand
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15
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Tawfiq E, Saeed KMI, Shah Alawi SA, Jawaid J, Hashimi SN. Predictors of Mothers' Care Seeking Behavior for Common Childhood Illnesses: Findings From the Afghanistan Health Survey 2015. Int J Health Policy Manag 2023; 12:7598. [PMID: 38618777 PMCID: PMC10843312 DOI: 10.34172/ijhpm.2023.7598] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 10/28/2023] [Indexed: 04/16/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mothers' care seeking behavior for childhood illness is a key factor of utilizing healthcare for children. We examined predictors of mothers' care seeking for common childhood illnesses. METHODS This was a cross-sectional study, using data from the Afghanistan Health Survey (AHS) 2015. Data were used from women who sought healthcare for their unwell children. The women were asked whether their children were sick with fever, cough, faster breathing, or diarrhea in the past 2 weeks. The outcome variable was defined as whether the mother sought healthcare for her unwell child from a public clinic, a private clinic, or from a pharmacy store. The Andersen's healthcare seeking behavior model was used and multinomial regression analysis applied. RESULTS There were 4979 women, aged 15-49 years, whose under-5 children were sick in the past 2 weeks. Thirty-nine percent of women sought healthcare for their children from a health provider. Mother's age, child's age, child's sex, socioeconomic status, mothers' perceived severity of childhood illness, and number of under-5 children were predictors of mothers' care seeking behavior. The likelihood of healthcare seeking was lower for older children (Adjusted odds ratio [OR] [95% CI]: 0.51 [0.37-0.70] from public clinics; 0.33 [0.23-0.47] from private clinics; 0.36 [0.22-0.61] from pharmacy stores), and for girls (Adjusted OR [95% CI]: 0.74 [0.59-0.93] from private clinics). The likelihood of healthcare seeking was greater for children whose mothers knew symptoms of childhood illness (Adjusted OR [95% CI]: 2.97 [1.44-6.16] from public clinics; 7.20 [3.04-17.04] from pharmacy stores). The likelihood of healthcare seeking for children was greater in older mothers (Adjusted OR [95% CI]: 1.54 [1.11-2.12]). It was less likely for the mothers who have more children to seek healthcare for their children (Adjusted OR [95% CI]: 0.53 [0.43-0.65] from public clinics; 0.61 [0.48- 0.79] from private clinics; 0.51 [0.37-0.69] from pharmacy stores). CONCLUSION Health policy-makers may opt to use our findings, particularly mothers' knowledge (perceived severity) of symptoms of childhood illness to develop interventions to enhance timely assessment and effective treatment of common preventable childhood illnesses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Essa Tawfiq
- The Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Khwaja Mir Islam Saeed
- Global Health Development/Eastern Mediterranean Public Health Network (GHD/ EMPHNET), Amman, Jordan
- Afghanistan Field Epidemiology Training Program, Afghanistan National Public Health Institute, Kabul, Afghanistan
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Abstract
In mice, pregnancy results in new neurons that support recognition of pups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerd Kempermann
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Center for Regenerative Therapies (CRTD), Technische Universität (TU) Dresden, Dresden, Germany
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17
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Research progress on the interference effects of plasticizers on maternal behavior and its potential mechanisms. Ying Yong Sheng Tai Xue Bao 2023; 34:3157-68. [PMID: 37997427 DOI: 10.13287/j.1001-9332.202311.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2023]
Abstract
Environmental endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), known as environmental hormones, are exogenous chemicals that can disrupt hormone levels and cause dysfunction of the secretory system in humans and animals. Plasticizers, which are widely used EDCs, are commonly used to enhance the flexibility of plastic products. As plastics age and wear, however, they can leach into the environment and enter the bodies of animals through various pathways such as the digestive tract and skin. They can lead to estrogen-like effects and have substantial reproductive toxicity. Residual plasticizer concentrations in the environment are typically low. Unlike high doses that induce acute damage to the reproductive system, low doses of plasticizers do not cause macroscopic harm and thus its reproductive toxicity is often overlooked for extended periods. An increasing number of studies conducted on humans and mice in recent years have demonstrated that low doses of plasticizers can induce reproductive toxicity by interfering with maternal behavior. Prenatal exposure to plasticizers can result in abnormal postnatal maternal behavior. Female offspring also exhibit significantly low maternal care, lactation, and other behaviors in adulthood, which may persist for multiple generations, significantly disrupting the animal breeding process and impacting the health and well-being of newborn pups. The underlying mechanisms have not been systematically summarized. The risk of continuous exposure to low-dose plasticizers in humans and animals has increased due to the extensive utilization of plastic and rubber products in modern production and lifestyle patterns. It is thus crucial to conduct a systematic review on the effects of low-dose plasticizers on maternal behavior. We reviewed the research progress on the disruptive effects of plasticizers on animals' maternal behavior and concluded that these effects are primarily caused by inducing oxidative stress damage and DNA methylation reprogramming in the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis, as well as disrupting the balance of the thyroid system and causing intestinal microbial disorders. It would offer a novel perspective for future studies about the influence of plasticizers and other environmental hormones on maternal behavior in domesticated animals.
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18
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Abstract
Mother-infant interactions during the early postnatal period are critical for infant survival and the scaffolding of infant development. Rodent models are used extensively to understand how these early social experiences influence neurobiology across the lifespan. However, methods for measuring postnatal dam-pup interactions typically involve time-consuming manual scoring, vary widely between research groups, and produce low density data that limits downstream analytical applications. To address these methodological issues, we developed the Automated Maternal Behavior during Early life in Rodents (AMBER) pipeline for quantifying home-cage maternal and mother-pup interactions using open-source machine learning tools. DeepLabCut was used to track key points on rat dams (32 points) and individual pups (9 points per pup) in postnatal day 1-10 video recordings. Pose estimation models reached key point test errors of approximately 4.1-10 mm (14.39 pixels) and 3.44-7.87 mm (11.81 pixels) depending on depth of animal in the frame averaged across all key points for dam and pups respectively. Pose estimation data and human-annotated behavior labels from 38 videos were used with Simple Behavioral Analysis (SimBA) to generate behavior classifiers for dam active nursing, passive nursing, nest attendance, licking and grooming, self-directed grooming, eating, and drinking using random forest algorithms. All classifiers had excellent performance on test frames, with F1 scores above 0.886. Performance on hold-out videos remained high for nest attendance (F1 = 0.990), active nursing (F1 = 0.828), and licking and grooming (F1 = 0.766) but was lower for eating, drinking, and self-directed grooming (F1 = 0.534-0.554). A set of 242 videos was used with AMBER and produced behavior measures in the expected range from postnatal 1-10 home-cage videos. This pipeline is a major advancement in assessing home-cage dam-pup interactions in a way that reduces experimenter burden while increasing reproducibility, reliability, and detail of data for use in developmental studies without the need for special housing systems or proprietary software.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah E Lapp
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, 108 E. Dean Keaton St, Austin, TX, 78712, USA.
| | - Melissa G Salazar
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, 108 E. Dean Keaton St, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Frances A Champagne
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, 108 E. Dean Keaton St, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
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19
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McCarthy MM. Pregnancy programs the brain for mothering. Science 2023; 382:33-34. [PMID: 37797022 DOI: 10.1126/science.adk2495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/07/2023]
Abstract
Progesterone and estrogen exert separate effects on the brains of pregnant mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret M McCarthy
- Department of Pharmacology, Director UM-MIND, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
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20
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de Carvalho RC, Generoso LP, da Silva AL, Pereira GS, de Paula DC, Candido NL, Capello MGM, da Silva JRT, da Silva ML. Effects of repetitive pinprick stimulation on preterm offspring: Alterations in nociceptive responses and inflammatory hypersensitivity in adulthood. Behav Brain Res 2023; 454:114633. [PMID: 37597588 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2023.114633] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2023] [Revised: 08/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/21/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION This study investigates the effects of repetitive pinprick stimulation on preterm offspring and its impact on nociceptive responses and inflammatory hypersensitivity in adulthood. OBJECTIVES The objective is to shed light on the potential long-term consequences of neonatal pain and prematurity on sensory processing. METHODS Term and preterm rats were subjected to repetitive pinprick (PP) stimulation or control (CC) during the neonatal period. Adult rats received CFA injection to induce inflammatory hypersensitivity, and mechanical hypersensitivity was measured. Gender differences in inflammatory hypersensitivity were also examined. Maternal behavior, litter weight, and offspring growth were monitored to assess any potential influences of the stimulation on these parameters. RESULTS In preterm rats, the PP stimulation did not affect baseline thresholds to mechanical stimuli, but increased mechanical hypersensitivity after CFA injection in adult rats. Females exhibited greater inflammatory hypersensitivity compared to males. Maternal behavior, litter weight, and offspring growth were not influenced by the stimulation. PP stimulation during the neonatal period led to changes in nociceptive responses in adulthood, potentially altering sensory processing. CONCLUSION PP stimulation in preterm rats during the neonatal period resulted in changes in nociceptive responses in adulthood, leading to increased inflammatory hypersensitivity. The study emphasizes how early development can significantly impact sensory processing and further highlights the potential long-term consequences of prematurity and neonatal pain on this processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ravena Carolina de Carvalho
- Postgraduate Program in Biosciences Applied to Health (PPGB), UNIFAL, Alfenas, MG, Brazil; Laboratory of Neuroscience, Neuromodulation and Study of Pain (LANNED), UNIFAL-MG, Alfenas, MG, Brazil
| | - Laura Pereira Generoso
- Postgraduate Program in Biosciences Applied to Health (PPGB), UNIFAL, Alfenas, MG, Brazil; Laboratory of Neuroscience, Neuromodulation and Study of Pain (LANNED), UNIFAL-MG, Alfenas, MG, Brazil
| | - Ana Laura da Silva
- Graduation in Physiotherapy at the Motricity Sciences Institute, UNIFAL, Alfenas, MG, Brazil; Laboratory of Neuroscience, Neuromodulation and Study of Pain (LANNED), UNIFAL-MG, Alfenas, MG, Brazil
| | - Gabrielly Santos Pereira
- Graduation in Physiotherapy at the Motricity Sciences Institute, UNIFAL, Alfenas, MG, Brazil; Laboratory of Neuroscience, Neuromodulation and Study of Pain (LANNED), UNIFAL-MG, Alfenas, MG, Brazil
| | - Danielle Cavalcante de Paula
- Graduation in Physiotherapy at the Motricity Sciences Institute, UNIFAL, Alfenas, MG, Brazil; Laboratory of Neuroscience, Neuromodulation and Study of Pain (LANNED), UNIFAL-MG, Alfenas, MG, Brazil
| | - Natalie Lange Candido
- Postgraduate Program in Biosciences Applied to Health (PPGB), UNIFAL, Alfenas, MG, Brazil; Laboratory of Neuroscience, Neuromodulation and Study of Pain (LANNED), UNIFAL-MG, Alfenas, MG, Brazil
| | - Maria Gabriela Maziero Capello
- Postgraduate Program in Biosciences Applied to Health (PPGB), UNIFAL, Alfenas, MG, Brazil; Laboratory of Neuroscience, Neuromodulation and Study of Pain (LANNED), UNIFAL-MG, Alfenas, MG, Brazil
| | | | - Marcelo Lourenço da Silva
- Laboratory of Neuroscience, Neuromodulation and Study of Pain (LANNED), UNIFAL-MG, Alfenas, MG, Brazil.
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21
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Mills C. Protecting the future child: Foetal alcohol spectrum disorder, easy rescue and the regulation of maternal behaviour. Bioethics 2023; 37:771-778. [PMID: 37552468 DOI: 10.1111/bioe.13214] [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] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2023] [Revised: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/09/2023]
Abstract
This paper argues that social contexts of inequality are crucial to understanding the ethics of gestational harm and responsibility. Recent debates on gestational harm have largely ignored the social context of gestators, including contexts of inequality and injustice. This can reinforce existing social injustices arising from colonialism, socio-economic inequality and racism, for example, through increased regulation of maternal behaviour. To demonstrate this, I focus on the related notions of the 'future child' and an obligation of easy rescue, which have been used to discuss the ethics of gestational harm in the context of alcohol consumption during gestation and foetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). I use a feminist perspective to evaluate these ideas and conclude that anyone concerned with remediation of social injustice has good reason to be suspicious of the notion of the future child in the context of gestational harm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine Mills
- Faculty of Arts, Monash Bioethics Centre, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
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22
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Hibbs SD, Carroll RC, DeSisto C, Collins JW. Explaining the Link Between Paternal Socioeconomic Position and Small for Gestational Age Birth: The Effect of Maternal Unhealthy Behaviors. Matern Child Health J 2023; 27:1898-1903. [PMID: 37278847 DOI: 10.1007/s10995-023-03686-5] [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] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To determine the proportion of small for gestational age (weight < 10th percentile, SGA) births among fathers with lifelong low (compared to high) socioeconomic position (SEP) attributable to white and African-American women's unhealthy pregnancy-related behaviors. METHODS Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition methods were conducted on the Illinois transgenerational dataset of infants (1989-1991) and their Chicago-born parents (1956-1976) with appended US census income data. The neighborhood income of father's residence at the time of his birth and at the time of his infant's birth were used to estimate his lifetime SEP. Maternal unhealthy pregnancy-related behaviors were defined as cigarette smoking, inadequate prenatal care, and/or low weight gain during pregnancy. RESULTS Among African-American women, births (n = 4426) to fathers with lifetime low SEP had an SGA rate of 14.8% compared to 12.1% for those (n = 365) born to fathers with lifetime high SEP (p < 0.0001). Among white women, births (n = 1430) to fathers with lifetime low SEP had an SGA rate of 9.8% compared to 6.2% for those (n = 9141) born to fathers with lifetime high SEP (p < 0.0001). Adjusting for maternal age, marital status, education, and parity, African-American and white women's unhealthy pregnancy behaviors accounted for 25% and 33%, respectively, of the disparity in SGA rates among infants of lifetime low (compared to high) SEP fathers. CONCLUSION A significant proportion of the disparity in SGA rates between fathers with lifelong low (compared to high) SEP is explained in both races by maternal unhealthy pregnancy behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shayna D Hibbs
- Northwestern University, 225 E. Chicago Ave., Chicago, IL, 60611, USA.
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, 225 E. Chicago Ave., Chicago, IL, 60611, USA.
| | - Ryan C Carroll
- Northwestern University, 225 E. Chicago Ave., Chicago, IL, 60611, USA
| | - Carla DeSisto
- University of Illinois at Chicago, 1200 W. Harrison St., Chicago, IL, 60607, USA
| | - James W Collins
- Northwestern University, 225 E. Chicago Ave., Chicago, IL, 60611, USA
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23
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Dow C, Galera C, Charles MA, Heude B. Maternal pre-pregnancy BMI and offspring hyperactivity-inattention trajectories from 3 to 8 years in the EDEN birth cohort study. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2023; 32:2057-2065. [PMID: 35851811 DOI: 10.1007/s00787-022-02047-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2021] [Accepted: 07/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Evidence suggests obesity during pregnancy is associated with offspring attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. However, studies have been limited to evaluating the association at a single age with inadequate data on important maternal lifestyle confounders and unmeasured familial confounding. The objective of this study was to examine the association between maternal pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) and child hyperactivity-inattention symptoms (HIS) at 3, 5 and 8 years. Data came from the EDEN mother-child cohort. Maternal pre-pregnancy BMI status (kg/m2) was calculated using pre-pregnancy weight and height (self-reported by mothers or measured by midwives). HIS were assessed by parental-report on the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire at 3, 5 and 8 years of age and used to derive developmental trajectories of HIS (n = 1428). Multivariate models were adjusted for confounders including socioeconomic status, maternal lifestyle behaviours (exercise, diet, smoking, alcohol), childcare and a stimulating home environment. Paternal BMI was used as a negative control. Compared to a normal pre-pregnancy BMI, pre-pregnancy maternal obesity was positively associated with increased odds of a high HIS trajectory between 3 and 8 years old in both unadjusted and adjusted logistic regression (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.87 [95% CI 1.12, 3.12]). Pre-pregnancy overweight was not significantly associated after adjustment for confounders (aOR 1.32 [0.87, 2.01]). Maternal pre-pregnancy obesity, but not overweight, was associated with increased likelihood of a high HIS trajectory in children from 3 to 8 years old. This association persisted despite controlling for many important maternal lifestyle factors and paternal BMI. Further research is warranted to identify possible mediators involved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Courtney Dow
- INSERM, UMR1153 Epidemiology and Biostatistics Sorbonne Paris Cité Center (CRESS), ORCHAD Team, Paris, France.
| | - Cédric Galera
- Univ. Bordeaux, Inserm, Bordeaux Population Health Center, UMR 1219, 33000, Bordeaux, France
- Centre Hospitalier Perrens, Bordeaux, France
| | - Marie-Aline Charles
- INSERM, UMR1153 Epidemiology and Biostatistics Sorbonne Paris Cité Center (CRESS), ORCHAD Team, Paris, France
| | - Barbara Heude
- INSERM, UMR1153 Epidemiology and Biostatistics Sorbonne Paris Cité Center (CRESS), ORCHAD Team, Paris, France
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24
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Foss S, Petty CR, Howell C, Mendonca J, Bosse A, Waber DP, Wright RJ, Enlow MB. Associations among maternal lifetime trauma, psychological symptoms in pregnancy, and infant stress reactivity and regulation. Dev Psychopathol 2023; 35:1714-1731. [PMID: 35678173 PMCID: PMC9732151 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579422000402] [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] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Maternal trauma has intergenerational implications, including worse birth outcomes, altered brain morphology, and poorer mental health. Research investigating intergenerational effects of maternal trauma on infant stress reactivity and regulation is limited. Maternal mental health during pregnancy may be a contributor: psychopathology is a sequela of trauma exposure and predictor of altered self-regulatory capacity in offspring of affected mothers. We assessed associations among maternal lifetime trauma and infant stress responsivity, mediated by psychological symptoms in pregnancy. Mothers reported lifetime trauma history and anxiety, depressive, and posttraumatic stress symptoms during pregnancy. At infant age 6 months, stress reactivity and regulation were assessed via maternal behavior ratings (Infant Behavior Questionnaire-Revised, IBQ-R) and behavioral (negative mood) and physiological (respiratory sinus arrhythmia, RSA) markers during a laboratory stressor (Still-Face Paradigm). Maternal trauma was directly associated with lower infant physiological regulation and indirectly associated with lower levels of both infant behavioral and physiological regulation via higher maternal anxiety during pregnancy. Maternal trauma was also indirectly associated with higher infant reactivity via higher maternal anxiety during pregnancy. Post hoc analyses indicated differential contributions of maternal prenatal versus postnatal anxiety to infant outcomes. Findings highlight potential contributory mechanisms toward maladaptive child stress response, which has been associated with poor behavioral, cognitive, and academic outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Foss
- Department of Psychiatry, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Carter R. Petty
- Institutional Centers for Clinical and Translational Research, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Caroline Howell
- Department of Psychiatry, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Juliana Mendonca
- Department of Psychiatry, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Abigail Bosse
- Department of Psychiatry, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Deborah P. Waber
- Department of Psychiatry, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Rosalind J. Wright
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Kravis Children’s Hospital, Department of Pediatrics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Institute for Exposomic Research, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Michelle Bosquet Enlow
- Department of Psychiatry, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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25
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Yong R, Chai H, Ran L, Li Y, An B. Depression in the next generation is related with maternal behaviors: A cross-comparison by alternating rat's mother care. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0291952. [PMID: 37733756 PMCID: PMC10513200 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0291952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/09/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023] Open
Abstract
This study investigated the potential impacts of depressive rats' maternal behavior as an early life stress on the outcome of offspring as an adulthood. Offspring from the same mother were divided into two groups, half of them were fostered or remained by a depressive mother, and the other half remained or fostered by a control mother, respectively. The results showed that offspring fostered by depressive mothers presented significant depressive behaviors. Meanwhile, depressive mothers engaged in more grooming during the light cycle, but less off-the-pup behavior during the dark phase. In conclusion, offspring exposed to a postnatal depressive maternal environment developed a depressive-like behavior. Contrarily, postpartum maternal behaviors play an essential role, which might determine the outcome of the next generation. Furthermore, the appropriate timing of postpartum maternal caring sequences, which might eliminate prenatal stressful influences, was recognized and might be a promising approach for reducing children's predisposition to mental disorders in their life time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruixin Yong
- The First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Hongxia Chai
- The First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Lei Ran
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Yuhao Li
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Bei An
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
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26
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Heitzmann LD, Challe M, Perez J, Castell L, Galibert E, Martin AO, Valjent E, Veyrunes F. Genotypic sex shapes maternal care in the African pygmy mouse, Mus minutoides. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20231224. [PMID: 37670585 PMCID: PMC10510450 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.1224] [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: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 09/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Sexually dimorphic behaviours, such as parental care, have long been thought to be mainly driven by gonadal hormones. In the past two decades, a few studies have challenged this view, highlighting the direct influence of the sex chromosome complement (XX versus XY or ZZ versus ZW). The African pygmy mouse, Mus minutoides, is a wild mouse species with naturally occurring XY sex reversal induced by a third, feminizing X* chromosome, leading to three female genotypes: XX, XX* and X*Y. Here, we show that sex reversal in X*Y females shapes a divergent maternal care strategy (maternal aggression, pup retrieval and nesting behaviours) from both XX and XX* females. Although neuroanatomical investigations were inconclusive, we show that the dopaminergic system in the anteroventral periventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus is worth investigating further as it may support differences in pup retrieval behaviour between females. Combining behaviours and neurobiology in a rodent subject to natural selection, we evaluate potential candidates for the neural basis of maternal behaviours and strengthen the underestimated role of the sex chromosomes in shaping sex differences in brain and behaviours. All things considered, we further highlight the emergence of a third sexual phenotype, challenging the binary view of phenotypic sexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louise D. Heitzmann
- ISEM, Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution de Montpellier, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Marie Challe
- ISEM, Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution de Montpellier, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Julie Perez
- ISEM, Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution de Montpellier, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Laia Castell
- IGF, Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, Montpellier, France
| | - Evelyne Galibert
- IGF, Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, Montpellier, France
| | - Agnès O. Martin
- IGF, Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, Montpellier, France
| | - Emmanuel Valjent
- IGF, Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, Montpellier, France
| | - Frédéric Veyrunes
- ISEM, Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution de Montpellier, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, Montpellier, France
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27
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Rousseau S, Feldman T, Shlomi Polachek I, Frenkel TI. Persistent symptoms of maternal post-traumatic stress following childbirth across the first months postpartum: Associations with perturbations in maternal behavior and infant avoidance of social gaze toward mother. Infancy 2023; 28:882-909. [PMID: 37329252 DOI: 10.1111/infa.12553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2021] [Revised: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Recent literature identifies childbirth as a potentially traumatic event, following which mothers may develop symptoms of Post-Traumatic-Stress-Following-Childbirth (PTS-FC). The current study examines whether stable symptoms of PTS-FC during the early postpartum period may impose risk for perturbations in maternal behavior and infant social-engagement with mother, controlling for comorbid postpartum internalizing symptoms. Mother-infant dyads (N = 192) were recruited from the general population, during the third trimester of pregnancy. 49.5% of the mothers were primipara, and 48.4% of the infants were girls. Maternal PTS-FC was assessed at 3-day, 1-month and 4-month postpartum, via self-report and clinician-administered interview. Latent Profile Analysis generated two profiles of symptomology: "Stable-High-PTS-FC" (17.0%), and "Stable-Low-PTS-FC" (83%). Membership in the "Stable-High-PTS-FC" profile associated with perturbed maternal sensitivity, which was in turn significantly associated with infant avoidance of social gaze toward mother (Indirect effect β = -0.15). Results suggest the need for early screening and inform the planning of early preventive interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofie Rousseau
- School of Education, Ariel University, Ariel, Israel
- Baruch Ivcher School of Psychology, Reichman University (IDC Herzliya), Herzliya, Israel
| | - Tamar Feldman
- Baruch Ivcher School of Psychology, Reichman University (IDC Herzliya), Herzliya, Israel
| | - Inbal Shlomi Polachek
- Be'er Ya'akov Medical Center, Beer Yaakov, Israel
- Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Tahl I Frenkel
- Baruch Ivcher School of Psychology, Reichman University (IDC Herzliya), Herzliya, Israel
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28
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Bouguiyoud N, Xie WB, Bronchti G, Frasnelli J, Al Aïn S. Enhanced maternal behaviors in a mouse model of congenital blindness. Dev Psychobiol 2023; 65:e22406. [PMID: 37607896 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22406] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2022] [Revised: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/24/2023]
Abstract
In mammals, mothering is one of the most important prosocial female behavior to promote survival, proper sensorimotor, and emotional development of the offspring. Different intrinsic and extrinsic factors can initiate and maintain these behaviors, such as hormonal, cerebral, and sensory changes. Infant cues also stimulate multisensory systems and orchestrate complex maternal responsiveness. To understand the maternal behavior driven by complex sensory interactions, it is necessary to comprehend the individual sensory systems by taking out other senses. An excellent model for investigating sensory regulation of maternal behavior is a murine model of congenital blindness, the ZRDBA mice, where both an anophthalmic and sighted mice are generated from the same litter. Therefore, this study aims to assess whether visual inputs are essential to driving maternal behaviors in mice. Maternal behaviors were assessed using three behavioral tests, including the pup retrieval test, the home cage maternal behavior test, and the maternal aggression test. Our results show that blind mothers (1) took less time to retrieve their offspring inside the nest, (2) spent more time nursing and licking their offspring in the second- and third-week postpartum, and (3) exhibited faster aggressive behaviors when exposed to an intruder male, compared to the sighted counterparts. This study provides evidence that congenitally blind mothers show more motivation to retrieve the pups, care, and protection towards their pups than sighted ones, likely due to a phenomenon of sensory compensation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nouhaila Bouguiyoud
- Department of Anatomy, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, Trois-Rivières, Quebec, Canada
- CogNAC Research Group, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, Trois-Rivières, Quebec, Canada
| | - Wen Bin Xie
- Department of Anatomy, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, Trois-Rivières, Quebec, Canada
| | - Gilles Bronchti
- Department of Anatomy, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, Trois-Rivières, Quebec, Canada
| | - Johannes Frasnelli
- Department of Anatomy, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, Trois-Rivières, Quebec, Canada
- CogNAC Research Group, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, Trois-Rivières, Quebec, Canada
| | - Syrina Al Aïn
- Department of Anatomy, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, Trois-Rivières, Quebec, Canada
- CogNAC Research Group, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, Trois-Rivières, Quebec, Canada
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29
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Lyons‐Ruth K, Ahtam B, Li FH, Dickerman S, Khoury JE, Sisitsky M, Ou Y, Bosquet Enlow M, Teicher MH, Grant PE. Negative versus withdrawn maternal behavior: Differential associations with infant gray and white matter during the first 2 years of life. Hum Brain Mapp 2023; 44:4572-4589. [PMID: 37417795 PMCID: PMC10365238 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26401] [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: 11/20/2022] [Revised: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 06/09/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Distinct neural effects of threat versus deprivation emerge by childhood, but little data are available in infancy. Withdrawn versus negative parenting may represent dimensionalized indices of early deprivation versus early threat, but no studies have assessed neural correlates of withdrawn versus negative parenting in infancy. The objective of this study was to separately assess the links of maternal withdrawal and maternal negative/inappropriate interaction with infant gray matter volume (GMV), white matter volume (WMV), amygdala, and hippocampal volume. Participants included 57 mother-infant dyads. Withdrawn and negative/inappropriate aspects of maternal behavior were coded from the Still-Face Paradigm at four months infant age. Between 4 and 24 months (M age = 12.28 months, SD = 5.99), during natural sleep, infants completed an MRI using a 3.0 T Siemens scanner. GMV, WMV, amygdala, and hippocampal volumes were extracted via automated segmentation. Diffusion weighted imaging volumetric data were also generated for major white matter tracts. Maternal withdrawal was associated with lower infant GMV. Negative/inappropriate interaction was associated with lower overall WMV. Age did not moderate these effects. Maternal withdrawal was further associated with reduced right hippocampal volume at older ages. Exploratory analyses of white matter tracts found that negative/inappropriate maternal behavior was specifically associated with reduced volume in the ventral language network. Results suggest that quality of day-to-day parenting is related to infant brain volumes during the first two years of life, with distinct aspects of interaction associated with distinct neural effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karlen Lyons‐Ruth
- Department of PsychiatryCambridge Hospital, Harvard Medical SchoolCambridgeMassachusettsUSA
| | - Banu Ahtam
- Fetal‐Neonatal Neuroimaging & Developmental Science Center, Division of Newborn Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children's HospitalHarvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusettsUSA
| | - Frances Haofei Li
- Department of PsychiatryCambridge Hospital, Harvard Medical SchoolCambridgeMassachusettsUSA
| | - Sarah Dickerman
- Department of Psychiatry, Boston Children's HospitalHarvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusettsUSA
| | - Jennifer E. Khoury
- Department of PsychiatryCambridge Hospital, Harvard Medical SchoolCambridgeMassachusettsUSA
- Present address:
Department of PsychologyMount Saint Vincent UniversityHalifaxNova ScotiaCanada
| | - Michaela Sisitsky
- Fetal‐Neonatal Neuroimaging & Developmental Science Center, Division of Newborn Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children's HospitalHarvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusettsUSA
| | - Yangming Ou
- Fetal‐Neonatal Neuroimaging & Developmental Science Center, Division of Newborn Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children's HospitalHarvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusettsUSA
- Department of Radiology, Boston Children's HospitalHarvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusettsUSA
| | - Michelle Bosquet Enlow
- Department of PsychiatryCambridge Hospital, Harvard Medical SchoolCambridgeMassachusettsUSA
- Department of Psychiatry, Boston Children's HospitalHarvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusettsUSA
| | - Martin H. Teicher
- Department of PsychiatryMcLean Hospital, Harvard Medical SchoolBelmontMassachusettsUSA
| | - P. Ellen Grant
- Fetal‐Neonatal Neuroimaging & Developmental Science Center, Division of Newborn Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children's HospitalHarvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusettsUSA
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30
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Perea-Velasco LP, Martínez-Fuentes MT, Pérez-López J. Changes in patterns of Early Mother-Child Interaction: A longitudinal study of the first 18 months of life. Infant Behav Dev 2023; 72:101858. [PMID: 37331247 DOI: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2023.101858] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Revised: 06/08/2023] [Accepted: 06/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/20/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The main objective of the present longitudinal study is to describe the progression of early adult-child interactions between the first and second years of life. Changes identified in interactions are described, focusing on both the qualitative aspects of maternal responses, as well as maternal response latency to the child's behavior using a microanalytical methodology that collected data on maternal and child behavior in real-time without losing sight of the temporal dimension. PARTICIPANTS This study examined 52 mother-child dyads from intact families that presented no psychological, social, or biological risk factors at 6, 12 and 18 months of age. INSTRUMENT CITMI-R (early mother-child interaction coding system, revised edition) was used to assess early mother-infant interactions during free play sessions between mother and child the. RESULTS The results indicate that some components of maternal sensitivity improve as children progress towards the second year of life, detecting an increase in sensitive maternal behavior and a decrease in intrusive behavior in the evolutive observed period; moreover, regarding latency of maternal response, we observed that mothers of older children give more time for their children to explore, which stimulates autonomy. Finally, the implication of these results for intervention directed to optimizing early adult-child interactions are addressed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - María Teresa Martínez-Fuentes
- Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Murcia, Campus de Espinardo, Murcia, Spain
| | - Julio Pérez-López
- Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Murcia, Campus de Espinardo, Murcia, Spain.
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31
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Wilson KM, Arquilla AM, Saltzman W. The parental umwelt: Effects of parenthood on sensory processing in rodents. J Neuroendocrinol 2023; 35:e13237. [PMID: 36792373 DOI: 10.1111/jne.13237] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Revised: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
An animal's umwelt, comprising its perception of the sensory environment, which is inherently subjective, can change across the lifespan in accordance with major life events. In mammals, the onset of motherhood, in particular, is associated with a neural and sensory plasticity that alters a mother's detection and use of sensory information such as infant-related sensory stimuli. Although the literature surrounding mammalian mothers is well established, very few studies have addressed the effects of parenthood on sensory plasticity in mammalian fathers. In this review, we summarize the major findings on the effects of parenthood on behavioural and neural responses to sensory stimuli from pups in rodent mothers, with a focus on the olfactory, auditory, and somatosensory systems, as well as multisensory integration. We also review the available literature on sensory plasticity in rodent fathers. Finally, we discuss the importance of sensory plasticity for effective parental care, hormonal modulation of plasticity, and an exploration of temporal, ecological, and life-history considerations of sensory plasticity associated with parenthood. The changes in processing and/or perception of sensory stimuli associated with the onset of parental care may have both transient and long-lasting effects on parental behaviour and cognition in both mothers and fathers; as such, several promising areas of study, such as on the molecular/genetic, neurochemical, and experiential underpinnings of parenthood-related sensory plasticity, as well as determinants of interspecific variation, remain potential avenues for further exploration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kerianne M Wilson
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
- Department of Biology, Pomona College, Claremont, CA, USA
| | - April M Arquilla
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Wendy Saltzman
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
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32
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Barani M, Hassani L, Ghanbarnejad A, Molavi MA. Effect of Educational Intervention Based on Self-Efficacy Theory on the Caring Behaviour of Mothers Who Have Children With Cancer. J Mother Child 2023; 27:93-101. [PMID: 37668441 PMCID: PMC10478684 DOI: 10.34763/jmotherandchild.20232701.d-22-00065] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 03/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/06/2023]
Abstract
Self-efficacy, as one of the concepts of the empowerment model, plays a role in increasing caring behaviour. Accordingly, our study aimed to evaluate the effect of educational intervention based on self-efficacy theory on the caring behaviour of mothers who have children with cancer. This quasi-experimental study was conducted on all mothers (N = 86) of children with cancer undergoing chemotherapy who were referred to Bandar Abbas Children's Hospital. All mothers participated in 10 training sessions based on the four foundations of self-efficacy theory. The results indicated a significant increase in the mean score of mothers' self-efficacy at first and second follow-ups respectively by 10.2 and 10.9 after intervention (P < 0.001). Furthermore, the mean score of caring behaviour was increased after the intervention for the first and second follow ups by 24.6 and 25.9 from the baseline respectively (P < 0.001). The results of the present study indicated that an educational program for mothers increased their caring behaviour and self-efficacy with the increase of self-efficacy, mothers' caring behaviour was promoted. Authorities and practitioners are suggested to pay more attention to designing educational programs based on health models and theories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maryam Barani
- Department of Pediatrics, Pediatrics Hospital, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Abbas, Iran
| | - Laleh Hassani
- Mother and Child Welfare Research Center, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Abbas, Iran
| | - Amin Ghanbarnejad
- Department of Public Health, School of Health, Social Determinants in Health Promotion Research Center, Research Institute for Health, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Abbas, Iran
| | - Mohammad Ali Molavi
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine Pediatrics Hospital, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Abbas, Iran
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33
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Yeganeh S, Motamed N, Najafpour Boushehri S, Bagherzadeh R, Ravanipour M. Evaluation of maternal performance about food security in dietary diversity for children aged 12-24 months and its relationship with anthropometric measurements. BMC Pediatr 2023; 23:256. [PMID: 37221484 PMCID: PMC10204253 DOI: 10.1186/s12887-023-04070-6] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/25/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite growing awareness of the problem of food security, some areas of Iran continue to experience food insecurity. The aim of the present study was to evaluate maternal performance about food security in dietary diversity for children aged between 12-24 months and its relationship with anthropometric measurements in Bushehr. METHODS A cross-sectional study was carried out using 400 mothers of children aged from 12 to 24 months in Bushehr selected via quota sampling. Data were collected using a reliable localized version of a 32-item food frequency questionnaire, consisting of six subscales, with a Cronbach's α: 0.81. The anthropometric measurements of height and weight were also calculated. Data analysis was performed using median, Mean±SD and multinomial logistic regression test, and odds ratio in SPSS, version 18. RESULTS According to standard servings, only 24% of the mothers fed their infants cereals, whereas 54.8%, 36.3%, 39.8%, and 20.3% of the mothers used meat, fruits, vegetables, and dairy products, respectively. The strongest associations were between attendance at educational classes and vegetable consumption (OR=2.09, CI=1.03-4.21), age at the onset of complementary feeding and the consumption of meat (OR=1.30, CI=1.02-1.66) and fruits (OR=1.44, CI=1.03-2.03), and the mothers' level of education and use of dairy products (OR=0.29, CI=0.09-0.90). No evidence of a significant association was found between consumption of any food groups and the anthropometric measurements. CONCLUSIONS Mothers in Bushehr performed poorly in providing their infants with the required nutrition with regard to dietary diversity and amount of food. However, their performance can be improved by enhancing their basic nutrition knowledge, holding practical classes on food preparation for them, and focusing on mothers with infants in high-risk groups, e.g. infants suffering from excessive weight gain, obesity, and malnutrition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sedigheh Yeganeh
- School of Nursing, Gerash University of Medical Sciences, Gerash, Iran
- Department of Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, Iran
| | - Niloofar Motamed
- Department of Community Medicine, School of Medicine, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, Iran
| | - Saeid Najafpour Boushehri
- Department of Nutrition, School of Health and Nutrition, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, Iran
| | - Razieh Bagherzadeh
- Department of Midwifery, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Bushehr university of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, Iran
| | - Maryam Ravanipour
- Department of Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, The Persian Gulf Tropical Medicine Research Center, The Persian Gulf Biomedical Sciences Research Institute, Bushehr university of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, Iran
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34
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Feldman JS, Natale BN, Shaw DS, Nordahl KB, Janson H, Nærde A. Duration of Breastfeeding and Supportive Paternal Caregiving in Early Childhood and the Potential Mediating Function of Maternal Caregiving. J Dev Behav Pediatr 2023; 44:e309-e314. [PMID: 37071709 DOI: 10.1097/dbp.0000000000001175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 04/20/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Supportive paternal caregiving is influenced by contextual factors, including maternal caregiving behaviors. Although longer periods of breastfeeding have been found to be associated with higher levels of maternal supportive parenting, it remains unknown whether the benefits of breastfeeding also extend to fathers' supportive caregiving. This study tested the indirect relation between the duration of breastfeeding and paternal supportive parenting through maternal supportive parenting. METHODS Participating families (N = 623) were from the Behavior Outlook Norwegian Developmental Study, a population-based longitudinal study in Southeast Norway. Path analysis was used to test associations between the duration of breastfeeding in the first year (parent report) and paternal supportive parenting (observed, 36 months), as potentially mediated by maternal supportive parenting (observed, 24 months). RESULTS After controlling for sociodemographic and birth factors, a longer duration of breastfeeding was indirectly associated with higher levels of observed paternal supportive parenting through maternal supportive parenting. CONCLUSION The current findings suggest that the longer breastfeeding duration during the first year of life (i.e., infancy) might have important implications for both maternal and paternal supportive parenting in toddlerhood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia S Feldman
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Brianna N Natale
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Daniel S Shaw
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
| | | | - Harald Janson
- The Norwegian Center for Child Behavioral Development, Oslo, Norway
| | - Ane Nærde
- The Norwegian Center for Child Behavioral Development, Oslo, Norway
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35
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Corder KM, Hoffman JM, Sogorovic A, Austad SN. Behavioral comparison of the C57BL/6 inbred mouse strain and their CB6F1 siblings. Behav Processes 2023; 207:104836. [PMID: 36720324 PMCID: PMC10184519 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2023.104836] [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: 01/20/2022] [Revised: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
A large portion of basic biomedical research studies are conducted using genetically defined, inbred mouse strains. The C57BL/6 mouse strain is the most widely used genetic background in current rodent research. The rationale for using inbred strains is that all individuals are genetically identical with minimal phenotypic variation, allowing for more statistically powerful analyses. F1 hybrids between two inbred strains are also genetically identical to one another but are heterozygous at every locus at which the parental strains differ rather than homozygous. Both theoretical and empirical evidence suggests that this heterozygosity in F1 hybrids allow for potentially greater resilience in response to the inevitable stresses of laboratory environments. The purpose of this study was to characterize the differences in commonly used tests of physical performance (forelimb grip strength and rotarod) and anxiety-like behavior between the F1 hybrids created from BALB/c females mated to C57BL/6 males (called CB6F1 mice) and one of its parental strains, C57BL/6. We used a natural cross-fostering breeding scheme to minimize maternal care effects and emphasize the effects of genetic differences. We found significant correlations between anxiety-like behavioral measures and physical performance measures which are not traditionally associated with anxiety-like behavior, and which differ between strains. Findings from this study should be taken into consideration when designing behavioral studies and choosing model organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katelynn M Corder
- University of Alabama at Birmingham, Department of Biology, 1300 University Blvd, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA; Samford University, Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, 800 Lakeshore Dr, Homewood, AL 35229.
| | - Jessica M Hoffman
- University of Alabama at Birmingham, Department of Biology, 1300 University Blvd, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA.
| | - Anamarija Sogorovic
- University of Alabama at Birmingham, Department of Biology, 1300 University Blvd, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA.
| | - Steven N Austad
- University of Alabama at Birmingham, Department of Biology, 1300 University Blvd, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA.
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Fielding-Gebhardt H, Brady N, Bredin-Oja SL, Warren SF. Transactional relationships between maternal requesting and responsivity, adolescent compliance, and task demands in fragile X syndrome. Res Dev Disabil 2023; 134:104417. [PMID: 36708631 PMCID: PMC10074548 DOI: 10.1016/j.ridd.2022.104417] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2022] [Revised: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 12/30/2022] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Males with fragile X syndrome (FXS) may have difficulty with social communication and language in addition to behavioral concerns such as noncompliance to maternal requests. Mothers vary in how they pose requests to their children, and contextual demands may also be a factor in compliance. This study examined the relationships between maternal requesting behaviors, maternal responsivity, child compliance, and task demands in adolescent males with FXS. METHODS 35 mother-son dyads completed three interactive tasks during in-home visits (puzzle, iPad games, snack). The adolescents also completed assessments of language and autism symptoms. The three interactive tasks were video-recorded, and behavior-by-behavior coding and transcription was completed. RESULTS Comparing between tasks, mothers requested a behavior most often during the snack task and used a higher proportion of indirect requests during the iPad task. Adolescents were largely compliant across tasks, with average compliance equal to 70%. Adolescent compliance was predicted by maternal request frequency such that mothers who used more requests had adolescent sons who were less compliant. Maternal responsivity was higher for mothers of adolescents with FXS-only compared to those with FXS and high autism symptoms. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS Task demands may have influenced maternal requesting, which in turn may have impacted adolescent compliance. Compliance with requests is important for both social and educational aspects of life, and further study of requesting and compliance in FXS is needed to identify effective teaching and behavioral intervention methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather Fielding-Gebhardt
- Schiefelbusch Institute for Life Span Studies, University of Kansas, 1000 Sunnyside Ave, DHDC 1050, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA.
| | - Nancy Brady
- Schiefelbusch Institute for Life Span Studies, University of Kansas, 1000 Sunnyside Ave, DHDC 1050, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA; Department of Speech, Language, Hearing: Sciences and Disorders, University of Kansas, 1000 Sunnyside Ave, DHDC 3001, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA
| | - Shelley L Bredin-Oja
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Minot State University, 500 University Ave W, Minot, ND 58707, USA
| | - Steven F Warren
- Schiefelbusch Institute for Life Span Studies, University of Kansas, 1000 Sunnyside Ave, DHDC 1050, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA; Department of Speech, Language, Hearing: Sciences and Disorders, University of Kansas, 1000 Sunnyside Ave, DHDC 3001, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA
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Pierzynowska K, Gaffke L, Żabińska M, Cyske Z, Rintz E, Wiśniewska K, Podlacha M, Węgrzyn G. Roles of the Oxytocin Receptor (OXTR) in Human Diseases. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24043887. [PMID: 36835321 PMCID: PMC9966686 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24043887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2022] [Revised: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The oxytocin receptor (OXTR), encoded by the OXTR gene, is responsible for the signal transduction after binding its ligand, oxytocin. Although this signaling is primarily involved in controlling maternal behavior, it was demonstrated that OXTR also plays a role in the development of the nervous system. Therefore, it is not a surprise that both the ligand and the receptor are involved in the modulation of behaviors, especially those related to sexual, social, and stress-induced activities. As in the case of every regulatory system, any disturbances in the structures or functions of oxytocin and OXTR may lead to the development or modulation of various diseases related to the regulated functions, which in this case include either mental problems (autism, depression, schizophrenia, obsessive-compulsive disorders) or those related to the functioning of reproductive organs (endometriosis, uterine adenomyosis, premature birth). Nevertheless, OXTR abnormalities are also connected to other diseases, including cancer, cardiac disorders, osteoporosis, and obesity. Recent reports indicated that the changes in the levels of OXTR and the formation of its aggregates may influence the course of some inherited metabolic diseases, such as mucopolysaccharidoses. In this review, the involvement of OXTR dysfunctions and OXTR polymorphisms in the development of different diseases is summarized and discussed. The analysis of published results led us to suggest that changes in OXTR expression and OXTR abundance and activity are not specific to individual diseases, but rather they influence processes (mostly related to behavioral changes) that might modulate the course of various disorders. Moreover, a possible explanation of the discrepancies in the published results of effects of the OXTR gene polymorphisms and methylation on different diseases is proposed.
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Xie Y, Huang L, Corona A, Pagliaro AH, Shea SD. A dopaminergic reward prediction error signal shapes maternal behavior in mice. Neuron 2023; 111:557-570.e7. [PMID: 36543170 PMCID: PMC9957971 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2022.11.019] [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: 09/27/2022] [Revised: 11/03/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
How social contact is perceived as rewarding and subsequently modifies interactions is unclear. Dopamine (DA) from the ventral tegmental area (VTA) regulates sociality, but the ongoing, unstructured nature of free behavior makes it difficult to ascertain how. Here, we tracked the emergence of a repetitive stereotyped parental retrieval behavior and conclude that VTA DA neurons incrementally refine it by reinforcement learning (RL). Trial-by-trial performance was correlated with the history of DA neuron activity, but DA signals were inconsistent with VTA directly influencing the current trial. We manipulated the subject's expectation of imminent pup contact and show that DA signals convey reward prediction error, a fundamental component of RL. Finally, closed-loop optogenetic inactivation of DA neurons at the onset of pup contact dramatically slowed emergence of parental care. We conclude that this component of maternal behavior is shaped by an RL mechanism in which social contact itself is the primary reward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunyao Xie
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, 1 Bungtown Road, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA; State Key Laboratory of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Longwen Huang
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, 1 Bungtown Road, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA; State Key Laboratory of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Alberto Corona
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, 1 Bungtown Road, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA
| | - Alexa H Pagliaro
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, 1 Bungtown Road, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA
| | - Stephen D Shea
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, 1 Bungtown Road, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA.
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Potter HG, Kowash HM, Woods RM, Revill G, Grime A, Deeney B, Burgess MA, Aarons T, Glazier JD, Neill JC, Hager R. Maternal behaviours and adult offspring behavioural deficits are predicted by maternal TNFα concentration in a rat model of neurodevelopmental disorders. Brain Behav Immun 2023; 108:162-175. [PMID: 36503051 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2022.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2022] [Revised: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Exposure to inflammatory stressors during fetal development is a major risk factor for neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) in adult offspring. Maternal immune activation (MIA), induced by infection, causes an acute increase in pro-inflammatory cytokines which can increase the risk for NDDs directly by inducing placental and fetal brain inflammation, or indirectly through affecting maternal care behaviours thereby affecting postnatal brain development. Which of these two potential mechanisms dominates in increasing offspring risk for NDDs remains unclear. Here, we show that acute systemic maternal inflammation induced by the viral mimetic polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid (poly I:C) on gestational day 15 of rat pregnancy affects offspring and maternal behaviour, offspring cognition, and expression of NDD-relevant genes in the offspring brain. Dams exposed to poly I:C elicited an acute increase in the pro-inflammatory cytokine tumour necrosis factor (TNF; referred to here as TNFα), which predicted disruption of key maternal care behaviours. Offspring of poly I:C-treated dams showed early behavioural and adult cognitive deficits correlated to the maternal TNFα response, but, importantly, not with altered maternal care. We also found interacting effects of sex and treatment on GABAergic gene expression and DNA methylation in these offspring in a brain region-specific manner, including increased parvalbumin expression in the female adolescent frontal cortex. We conclude that the MIA-induced elevation of TNFα in the maternal compartment affects fetal neurodevelopment leading to altered offspring behaviour and cognition. Our results suggest that a focus on prenatal pathways affecting fetal neurodevelopment would provide greater insights into the mechanisms underpinning the TNFα-mediated genesis of altered offspring behaviour and cognition following maternal inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harry G Potter
- Division of Evolution, Infection and Genomics, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, United Kingdom; School of Medicine, University of Central Lancashire, Burnley BB11 1RA, United Kingdom.
| | - Hager M Kowash
- Maternal and Fetal Health Research Centre, Division of Developmental Biology and Medicine, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, St Mary's Hospital, Manchester M13 9WL, United Kingdom
| | - Rebecca M Woods
- Division of Evolution, Infection and Genomics, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, United Kingdom
| | - Grace Revill
- Division of Evolution, Infection and Genomics, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, United Kingdom
| | - Amy Grime
- Division of Evolution, Infection and Genomics, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, United Kingdom
| | - Brendan Deeney
- Division of Evolution, Infection and Genomics, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, United Kingdom
| | - Matthew A Burgess
- Division of Pharmacy and Optometry, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, United Kingdom
| | - Toby Aarons
- Division of Pharmacy and Optometry, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, United Kingdom
| | - Jocelyn D Glazier
- Division of Evolution, Infection and Genomics, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, United Kingdom
| | - Joanna C Neill
- Division of Pharmacy and Optometry, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, United Kingdom; Chair of Medical Psychedelics Working Group, Drug Science, United Kingdom
| | - Reinmar Hager
- Division of Evolution, Infection and Genomics, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, United Kingdom
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Simon T, Scher A. Maternal Differentiation of Self and Toddlers' Sleep: The Mediating Role of Nighttime Involvement. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2023; 20:1714. [PMID: 36767081 PMCID: PMC9914132 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20031714] [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] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Revised: 01/08/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Good sleep is essential for optimal development and adaptive functioning. Hence, identifying the factors that shape sleep quality is important. Based on the transactional model of sleep development and drawing on Bowen's concept of differentiation of self (DoS), the present study examined the interrelations between sleep-related parental behavior, child's sleep quality, and mothers' DoS. A community sample of 130 mothers of 24- to 36-month-old children completed the DoS instrument and sleep questionnaires. Lower maternal DoS levels were associated with higher parental sleep-related involvement, both at bedtime and through the course of the night. Using structural equation modeling (SEM), a path analysis model indicates that maternal sleep-related involvement functions as a mediator through which the differentiation of self is related to the sleep characteristics of toddlers. As the links between parenting practices and child sleep reflect bi-directional associations, the conclusion that can be drawn from the present data is that relational aspects, such as those defined and measured by the construct of DoS, contribute to sleep-wake regulation beyond infancy. The data suggest that this construct should be considered in intervention research.
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Redfearn A, Janodet E, McNally J, Brewer H, Doyle E, Doyle R, Schmoelzl S. Postnatal maternal behaviour expression depends on lambing difficulty in Merino ewes. Theriogenology 2023; 196:31-36. [PMID: 36379143 DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2022.11.001] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Revised: 11/01/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Dystocia, a prolonged or non-progressive birth event, is the main contributor to lamb mortality in Australia and across the world. Dystocia can cause neonatal hypoxia, central nervous system (CNS) damage leading to increased risk of starvation, exposure and mismothering, and death. These prolonged birth events can also cause fatigue, injury and death in the ewe. Dystocia may interrupt the expression of maternal behaviour and the strength of the ewe-lamb bond, and consequently lamb survival. This study focused on the effect of dystocia on ewe behaviour in the 2 h post-lambing. A total of 18 ewes were chosen for continuous behaviour annotation and analysis (dystocic (n = 9) and eutocic (n = 9)) based on the quality of video recordings, length of stage 2 parturition and classification by a single experienced observer. Dystocic ewes showed significantly lower expression of maternal behaviours and a significantly greater expression of avoidance behaviours compared to eutocic ewes. Additionally, dystocic ewes performed fewer behaviours in total compared to eutocic ewes. Dystocia can significantly affect the quality and quantity of ewe maternal behaviour expression, leading to increased avoidance of the lamb, increased risk of maternal disinterest, and increased risk of death for the lamb. If dystocic events can be identified quickly and accurately, measures can be taken to ensure the ewe and lamb recover successfully.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amellia Redfearn
- CSIRO Chiswick, FD McMaster Laboratory, Armidale, NSW, 2350, Australia; University of New England, School of Environmental and Rural Science, Armidale, NSW, 2350, Australia
| | - Estelle Janodet
- CSIRO Chiswick, FD McMaster Laboratory, Armidale, NSW, 2350, Australia; Bordeaux Sciences Agro, University of Bordeaux, 33175, Gradignan Cedex, France; GenPhySE, Animal Genetics and Breeding Unit, Université de Toulouse, INRAE, 31326, Castanet-Tolosan, France
| | - Jody McNally
- CSIRO Chiswick, FD McMaster Laboratory, Armidale, NSW, 2350, Australia
| | - Heather Brewer
- CSIRO Chiswick, FD McMaster Laboratory, Armidale, NSW, 2350, Australia
| | - Emma Doyle
- University of New England, School of Environmental and Rural Science, Armidale, NSW, 2350, Australia
| | - Rebecca Doyle
- University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia; Jeanne Marchig International Centre for Animal Welfare Education, The University of Edinburgh, Midlothian, EH259RG, Scotland, UK
| | - Sabine Schmoelzl
- CSIRO Chiswick, FD McMaster Laboratory, Armidale, NSW, 2350, Australia; University of New England, School of Environmental and Rural Science, Armidale, NSW, 2350, Australia.
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Yamada S, Ninomiya S. Relation between postpartum calf-licking behavior and agonistic behavior against handlers by primiparous beef cows. Anim Sci J 2023; 94:e13892. [PMID: 38031240 DOI: 10.1111/asj.13892] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Revised: 10/16/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
Maternal protective behavior in cattle husbandry settings is typically manifested as agonistic behavior against farm staff handling the calves. Investigating factors related to agonistic behavior of cows is important. Agonistic behaviors of 30 primiparous cows against farm staff handling their calves during the immediate postpartum period were observed using continuous recording. Relations between this agonistic behavior and calf-licking behavior were also analyzed for 2 h postpartum. Agonistic behavior was exhibited by 11 cows: 10 first displayed it during the first hour postpartum, whereas one displayed it during the second hour postpartum. Cows showing agonistic behavior spent a significantly longer time engaged in licking behavior during the first 2 h postpartum than the cows not showing agonistic behavior (p < 0.05). Although cows exhibiting agonistic behavior were likely to exhibit more calf-licking behavior, particularly during the first hour postpartum, than those not exhibiting agonistic behavior (p = 0.08), no difference was found in the proportion of time used for calf-licking during the second hour postpartum (p = 0.61). Results suggest an association between agonistic behavior against humans and greater calf-licking behavior in primiparous cows immediately postpartum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiho Yamada
- Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Gifu University, Gifu, Japan
| | - Shigeru Ninomiya
- Faculty of Applied Biological Sciences, Gifu University, Gifu, Japan
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Holmberg E, Kataja EL, Davis EP, Pajulo M, Nolvi S, Lahtela H, Nordenswan E, Karlsson L, Karlsson H, Korja R. Unpredictable maternal sensory signals in caregiving behavior are associated with child effortful control. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0279384. [PMID: 36538558 PMCID: PMC9767348 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0279384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Emerging evidence suggests that exposure to unpredictable patterns of maternal sensory signals during infancy is associated with child neurodevelopment, including poorer effortful control. However, longitudinal effects on child development and possible sex differences are understudied. The aims of the present study were to explore whether exposure to unpredictable maternal sensory signals during infancy is related to child effortful control at 5 years of age and whether child sex moderates these associations. In addition, we examined how exposure to very high vs. low/moderate unpredictability using categorical cut-offs is related to child effortful control. Participants (133 mother-child pairs, all Caucasian) were drawn from the FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study in Finland. Maternal sensory signals (auditory, visual, tactile) were coded from the 10-min free-play episode on a moment-on-moment basis using Observer XT 11 (Noldus), and the unpredictability of maternal sensory signals was characterized as the entropy rate when the infant was 8 months of age. Child effortful control was assessed via mother reports using the Child Behavior Questionnaire very short form (CBQ-VSF) when the child was 5 years old. Correlational analyses showed that higher unpredictability of maternal sensory signals had a modest association with children's poorer effortful control at 5 years of age. Notably, the linear regression model showed that child sex moderated these associations, as higher exposure to unpredictable maternal sensory signals was related to poorer effortful control among males, but not among females. Moreover, the general linear model showed that exposure to very high unpredictability was associated with poorer child effortful control at 5 years of age and remained significant when adjusted for possible confounding factors. These results are in line with previous findings and suggest that the unpredictability of maternal sensory signals is potentially an important aspect of early caregiving behavior associated with the development of child effortful control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eeva Holmberg
- Department of Clinical Medicine, FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku Brain and Mind Center, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Department of Psychology and Speech-Language Pathology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- * E-mail:
| | - Eeva-Leena Kataja
- Department of Clinical Medicine, FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku Brain and Mind Center, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Elysia Poggi Davis
- Department of Psychology, University of Denver, Denver, CO, United States of America
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine, CA, United States of America
| | - Marjukka Pajulo
- Department of Clinical Medicine, FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku Brain and Mind Center, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Department of Child Psychiatry, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Saara Nolvi
- Department of Clinical Medicine, FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku Brain and Mind Center, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Department of Psychology and Speech-Language Pathology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Department of Psychology and Speech-Language Pathology, Turku Institute for Advanced Studies, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Hetti Lahtela
- Department of Clinical Medicine, FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku Brain and Mind Center, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Department of Psychology and Speech-Language Pathology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Elisabeth Nordenswan
- Department of Clinical Medicine, FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku Brain and Mind Center, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Linnea Karlsson
- Department of Clinical Medicine, FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku Brain and Mind Center, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Turku and Hospital District of Southwest Finland, Turku, Finland
- Centre for Population Health Research, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, University of Turku and Hospital District of Southwest Finland, Turku, Finland
| | - Hasse Karlsson
- Department of Clinical Medicine, FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku Brain and Mind Center, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Turku and Hospital District of Southwest Finland, Turku, Finland
- Centre for Population Health Research, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
| | - Riikka Korja
- Department of Clinical Medicine, FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku Brain and Mind Center, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Department of Psychology and Speech-Language Pathology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
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López-Fernández G, Barrios M, Gómez-Benito J. Breastfeeding and maternal attachment: The moderating roles of maternal stress and child behavior. J Pediatr Nurs 2022; 69:e80-e87. [PMID: 36529595 DOI: 10.1016/j.pedn.2022.12.011] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2022] [Revised: 10/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE This study examined the effect of breastfeeding on maternal attachment, and explored the moderating role of maternal stress and child behavior in this relationship, in a sample of Spanish mothers with children aged between 2 and 7 years. DESIGN AND METHODS A total of 432 mothers participated in a cross-sectional online survey. A three-way interaction model was used to test the moderating role of maternal stress and child behavioral problems in the relationship between breastfeeding and maternal attachment. RESULTS The full model accounted for 19% of the variance of maternal attachment. Breastfeeding was significantly associated with mother-rated attachment, and the moderated moderation analysis confirmed the moderating effects of maternal stress and child behavior on the relationship between breastfeeding and maternal attachment. CONCLUSIONS This study adds to the existing literature that supports the contribution that breastfeeding makes in enhancing maternal attachment, and may help to clarify the role of breastfeeding in shaping maternal attachment. Our findings suggest that breastfeeding is a factor in enhancing maternal attachment, and also identify maternal stress and child behavior as moderators of this relationship. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS Understanding the mechanisms by which breastfeeding affects maternal attachment will help generate recommendations to improve breastfeeding and maternal attachment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gemma López-Fernández
- Department of gynecology and obstetrics, Corporació Sanitaria Parc Taulí, Sabadell, Barcelona, Spain; Department of Social Psychology and Quantitative Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Maite Barrios
- Department of Social Psychology and Quantitative Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Group on Measurement Invariance and Analysis of Change (GEIMAC), Institute of Neurosciences, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Juana Gómez-Benito
- Department of Social Psychology and Quantitative Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Group on Measurement Invariance and Analysis of Change (GEIMAC), Institute of Neurosciences, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
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Glat M, Gundacker A, Cuenca Rico L, Czuczu B, Ben‐Simon Y, Harkany T, Pollak DD. An accessory prefrontal cortex-thalamus circuit sculpts maternal behavior in virgin female mice. EMBO J 2022; 41:e111648. [PMID: 36341708 PMCID: PMC9753463 DOI: 10.15252/embj.2022111648] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2022] [Revised: 10/08/2022] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability to care for the young is innate and readily displayed by postpartum females after delivery to ensure offspring survival. Upon pup exposure, rodent virgin (nulliparous) females also develop parental behavior that over time becomes displayed at levels equivalent to parenting mothers. Although maternal behavior in postpartum females and the associated neurocircuits are well characterized, the neural mechanisms underlying the acquisition of maternal behavior without prior experience remain poorly understood. Here, we show that the development of maternal care behavior in response to first-time pup exposure in virgin females is initiated by the activation of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). ACC activity is dependent on feedback excitation by Vglut2+ /Galanin+ neurons of the centrolateral nucleus of the thalamus (CL), with their activity sufficient to display parenting behaviors. Accordingly, acute bidirectional chemogenetic manipulation of neuronal activity in the ACC facilitates or impairs the attainment of maternal behavior, exclusively in virgin females. These results reveal an ACC-CL neurocircuit as an accessory loop in virgin females for the initiation of maternal care upon first-time exposure to pups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Micaela Glat
- Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Center for Physiology and PharmacologyMedical University of ViennaViennaAustria
| | - Anna Gundacker
- Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Center for Physiology and PharmacologyMedical University of ViennaViennaAustria
| | - Laura Cuenca Rico
- Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Center for Physiology and PharmacologyMedical University of ViennaViennaAustria
| | - Barbara Czuczu
- Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Center for Physiology and PharmacologyMedical University of ViennaViennaAustria
| | - Yoav Ben‐Simon
- Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Center for Physiology and PharmacologyMedical University of ViennaViennaAustria
| | - Tibor Harkany
- Department of Molecular Neurosciences, Center for Brain ResearchMedical University of ViennaViennaAustria
- Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicum 7DKarolinska InstitutetSolnaSweden
| | - Daniela D Pollak
- Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Center for Physiology and PharmacologyMedical University of ViennaViennaAustria
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Adam N, Lachayze MA, Parmentier C, Hardin-Pouzet H, Mhaouty-Kodja S. Exposure to environmentally relevant doses of plasticizers alters maternal behavior and related neuroendocrine processes in primiparous and multiparous female mice. Environ Pollut 2022; 315:120487. [PMID: 36273695 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.120487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2022] [Revised: 10/12/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Phthalates are organic pollutants frequently detected in the environment. The effects of these substances on male reproduction have been extensively studied but their potential impact on female reproductive behaviors in particular at environmental doses still remains to be documented. In the present study, we examined the effects of chronic exposure to di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) alone at 5 or 50 μg/kg/d, or in an environmental phthalate mixture on maternal behavior of lactating female mice after a first (primiparous) and a second gestation (multiparous). Exposure of DEHP alone or in a phthalate mixture reduced pup-directed behaviors, increased self-care and forced nursing behaviors and altered nest quality for both primiparous and multiparous dams. In pup-retrieval test, primiparous and multiparous dams exposed to DEHP alone or in a phthalate mixture retrieved their pups more rapidly, probably due to a higher emission of ultrasonic vocalizations by the pups. At lactational day 2 following the third and last gestational period, the neural circuitry of maternal behavior was analyzed. A lower number of oxytocin-immunoreactive neurons in the paraventricular and anterior commissural nuclei was found in dams exposed to DEHP alone or in a phthalate mixture, while no changes were observed in the number of arginine-vasopressin immunoreactive cells. In the medial preoptic area, exposure to DEHP alone or in a phthalate mixture reduced ERα-immunoreactive cell number. Dendritic spine density assessed for DEHP at 5 μg/kg/d was also reduced. Thus, exposure to DEHP alone or in a phthalate mixture altered maternal behavior probably through a neuroendocrine mode of action involving oxytocin and estrogen through ERα, key pathways necessary for neuroplasticity and behavioral processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nolwenn Adam
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS UMR 8246, INSERM U1130, Neuroscience Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Marie-Amélie Lachayze
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS UMR 8246, INSERM U1130, Neuroscience Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Caroline Parmentier
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS UMR 8246, INSERM U1130, Neuroscience Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Hélène Hardin-Pouzet
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS UMR 8246, INSERM U1130, Neuroscience Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Sakina Mhaouty-Kodja
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS UMR 8246, INSERM U1130, Neuroscience Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine, 75005, Paris, France.
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48
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Granata L, Gluck A, Parakoyi A, Brenhouse H. One week of maternal separation induces more frequent, but less predictable, maternal caregiving behaviors. Int J Dev Neurosci 2022; 82:806-814. [PMID: 36181242 PMCID: PMC10164341 DOI: 10.1002/jdn.10230] [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: 08/04/2022] [Revised: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 09/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Rodent models of early life adversity disrupt typical interactions between dams and offspring, impacting pup development over the lifespan. Predictability of caregiver interactions is a critical feature of the environment, and unpredictability is associated with behavioral and cognitive deficits in offspring. In the maternal separation (MS) paradigm, dams are not able to engage with pups while they are separated, and maternal care is impacted even after pups and dams are reunited. Using a 3.5-h daily MS protocol in rats, the present study sought to compare diurnal patterns of maternal behavior, specifically predictability and fragmentation of care, between MS- and control-reared dams. Three observation periods were assessed (1430, 2330, and 0830) between postnatal days 8-9. Frequencies and durations of maternal behaviors were measured, including pup-directed licking/grooming, arched-back and passive nursing, and carrying pups, as well as non-pup-directed self-grooming, rearing, burrowing, nest-building, and eating. The frequency of nest entries was interpreted as a measure of fragmentation, and entropy rate was calculated from transitional probability matrices to measure predictability of maternal behavioral sequences. After dam-pup reunion, MS dams engaged in more bouts of nursing and licking/grooming and more nest entries, and behavioral sequences were less predictable than control dams. MS-induced enhancement of care is a replication of previous research, but unpredictability and fragmented care during MS is a novel finding, as these measures have not been previously reported for MS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren Granata
- Psychology Department, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ayalah Gluck
- Psychology Department, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
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49
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Somers JA, Luecken LJ. Prenatal Programming of Behavior Problems via Second-by-Second Infant Emotion Dynamics. Psychol Sci 2022; 33:2027-2039. [PMID: 36206269 PMCID: PMC10068505 DOI: 10.1177/09567976221116816] [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: 02/01/2022] [Accepted: 07/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Fetal adaptations to prenatal maternal stress may confer high risk for childhood behavior problems, potentially operating via dynamic fluctuations in infants' emotions during mother-infant interactions. These fluctuations over time may give rise to behavior problems. Among a sample of 210 low-income mothers of Mexican origin and their 24-week-old infants, dynamic structural equation modeling was used to examine whether within-infant second-by-second emotion processes were predicted by maternal prenatal stress and predicted behavior problems at 36 and 54 months. The mean level around which infant negative affect fluctuated was related to prenatal stress, but not to childhood behavior problems. The volatility in infant negative affect, reflecting greater ebb and flow in infant negative affect during playful interaction, was predicted by prenatal stress and predicted enduring behavior problems in childhood. Results highlight a potential child-driven pathway linking prenatal exposure with childhood behavior problems via infant negative emotional volatility.
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50
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Smiley KO, Brown RSE, Grattan DR. Prolactin Action Is Necessary for Parental Behavior in Male Mice. J Neurosci 2022; 42:8308-8327. [PMID: 36163141 PMCID: PMC9653282 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0558-22.2022] [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: 03/16/2022] [Revised: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 09/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Parental care is critical for successful reproduction in mammals. Recent work has implicated the hormone prolactin in regulating male parental behavior, similar to its established role in females. Male laboratory mice show a mating-induced suppression of infanticide (normally observed in virgins) and onset of paternal behavior 2 weeks after mating. Using this model, we sought to investigate how prolactin acts in the forebrain to regulate paternal behavior. First, using c-fos immunoreactivity in prolactin receptor (Prlr) Prlr-IRES-Cre-tdtomato reporter mouse sires, we show that the circuitry activated during paternal interactions contains prolactin-responsive neurons in multiple sites, including the medial preoptic nucleus, bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, and medial amygdala. Next, we deleted Prlr from three prominent cell types found in these regions: glutamatergic, GABAergic, and CaMKIIα. Prlr deletion from CaMKIIα, but not glutamatergic or GABAergic cells, had a profound effect on paternal behavior as none of these KO males completed the pup-retrieval task. Prolactin was increased during mating, but not in response to pups, suggesting that the mating-induced secretion of prolactin is important for establishing the switch from infanticidal to paternal behavior. Pharmacological blockade of prolactin secretion at mating, however, had no effect on paternal behavior. In contrast, suppressing prolactin secretion at the time of pup exposure resulted in failure to retrieve pups, with exogenous prolactin administration rescuing this behavior. Together, our data show that paternal behavior in sires is dependent on basal levels of circulating prolactin acting at the time of interaction with pups, mediated through Prlr on CaMKIIα-expressing neurons.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Parental care is critical for offspring survival. Compared with maternal care, however, the neurobiology of paternal care is less well understood. Here we show that the hormone prolactin, which is most well known for its female-specific role in lactation, has a role in the male brain to promote paternal behavior. In the absence of prolactin signaling specifically during interactions with pups, father mice fail to show normal retrieval behavior of pups. These data demonstrate that prolactin has a similar action in both males and females to promote parental care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina O Smiley
- Centre for Neuroendocrinology, University of Otago, Dunedin, 9016, New Zealand
- Department of Anatomy, School of Biomedical Science, University of Otago, Dunedin, 9016, New Zealand
| | - Rosemary S E Brown
- Centre for Neuroendocrinology, University of Otago, Dunedin, 9016, New Zealand
- Department of Physiology, School of Biomedical Science, University of Otago, Dunedin, 9016, New Zealand
| | - David R Grattan
- Centre for Neuroendocrinology, University of Otago, Dunedin, 9016, New Zealand
- Department of Anatomy, School of Biomedical Science, University of Otago, Dunedin, 9016, New Zealand
- Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, Auckland, 1010, New Zealand
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