The Infant Behavior Questionnaire-Revised: Factor structure in a culturally and sociodemographically diverse sample in the United States

Individual and joint effects of prenatal PM2.5 and maternal stress on child temperament

Prenatal fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and maternal psychological functioning have been associated with child cognitive outcomes, though their independent and joint impacts on earlier behavioral outcomes remains less studied. We used data from 382 mother-child pairs from a prospective birth cohort in Mexico City. Temperament was measured at 24 months using the Carey Toddler Temperament Scale (TTS). Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was used to update the factor structure of the TTS. During pregnancy, mothers completed the Crisis in Family Systems-Revised, Edinburgh Depression Scale, pregnancy-specific anxiety scale, and the Perceived Stress Scale. Pregnancy PM2.5 was assessed using estimates from a satellite-based exposure model. We assessed the association between prenatal maternal stress and PM2.5 on temperament, in both independent and joint models. Quantile g-computation was used to estimate the joint associations. Models were adjusted for maternal age, SES, education, child sex, and child age. In EFA, we identified three temperament factors related to effortful control, extraversion, and negative affect. Our main results showed that higher levels of PM2.5 and several of the maternal psychological functioning measures were related to both effortful control and negative affect in the child, both individually and as a mixture. For instance, a one quartile increase in the prenatal mixture was associated with higher negative affect scores in the child (0.34, 95% CI: 0.16, 0.53). We observed modification of these associations by maternal SES, with associations seen only among lower SES participants for both effortful control (-0.45, 95% CI: -0.70, -0.20) and negative affect outcomes (0.60, 95% CI: 0.35, 0.85). Prenatal PM2.5 and maternal psychological functioning measures were associated with toddler temperament outcomes, providing evidence for impacts of chemical and non-chemical stressors on early child health.

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

BACKGROUND

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

METHODS

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

RESULTS

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

LIMITATIONS

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

CONCLUSIONS

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

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

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

Neural correlates of novelty-evoked distress in 4-month-old infants: A synthetic cohort study

BACKGROUND

Observational assessments of infant temperament have provided unparalleled insight into prediction of risk for social anxiety. Yet, it is challenging to administer and score these assessments alongside high-quality infant neuroimaging data. The current study aims to identify infant resting state functional connectivity (rsFC) associated with both parent-report and observed behavioral estimates of infant novelty-evoked distress.

METHODS

Using data from the Origins of Infant Temperament (OIT) study which includes deep phenotyping of infant temperament, we identified parent-report measures that were associated with observed novelty-evoked distress. These parent-report measures were then summarized into a composite score used for imaging analysis. Our infant MRI sample was a "synthetic cohort", harmonizing data from two fMRI studies of 4-month-old infants (OIT and Baby Connectome Project [BCP]; n=101) both of which included parent-reported temperament. Brain-behavior associations were evaluated using "enrichment," a statistical approach that quantifies the clustering of brain-behavior associations within network pairs.

RESULTS

Results demonstrated that parent-report composites of novelty-evoked distress were significantly associated with three network pairs: Dorsal Attention-Salience/Ventral Attention, Dorsal Attention-Default, and Dorsal Attention-Control. These network pairs demonstrated negative associations with novelty-evoked distress-indicating that less connectivity between these network pairs was associated with greater novelty-evoked distress. Additional analyses demonstrated that Dorsal Attention -Control network connectivity was associated with observed novelty-evoked distress in the OIT sample (n=38).

CONCLUSION

Overall, this work is broadly consistent with existing work and implicates dorsal attention network connectivity in novelty-evoked distress. This study provides novel data on the neural basis of infant novelty-evoked distress.

Maternal dietary and environmental factors associated with infant circadian rhythm, growth, and temperament: Research protocol for a prospective cohort study

Introduction: Emerging evidence has been explored to determine the factors affecting the development of infant circadian rhythm. While fetal programming happens during the pregnancy period, external environmental cues and infant nutritional programming can have substantial effects on the infant circadian rhythm. Understanding prenatal and postnatal factors determining infant circadian rhythm can improve future interventions in optimizing maternal and infant health. Methods: This is a prospective observational cohort study, targeting 216 pregnant women from government maternity clinics in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Pregnant women will be recruited at third trimester (baseline), and follow up at 3 months, and 6 months. A subsample will be collected for salivary cortisol analysis to determine circadian rhythm of the mother and infant at third trimester and 3 months. Data of eating misalignment, light exposure, chronotype, infant temperament, sleep quality, and mood will be collected via validated questionnaires. Anthropometric data and birth outcomes will be collected from antenatal and postnatal health records. Summary: Studies on infant circadian rhythm development have yet to be explored and established, hence this study presents a novel approach to identify the factors from prenatal to postnatal periods on infant circadian rhythm and its influence on growth and temperament. Findings from this study will provide insights in the critical timing which has larger effects on infant circadian rhythm development for future interventions to be conducted.

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

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

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

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

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

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

The impact of a music enrichment program during infancy and early toddlerhood on effortful control at age 3: A preliminary investigation

Effortful control (EC), a self-regulation skill, is associated with long-term developmental outcomes. Music has been associated with infant self-regulation and may be an intervention strategy for enhancing EC during toddlerhood. This investigation included 32 parent-child dyads from a previously conducted randomized controlled trial (RCT). Participants (9-15-months old at baseline) attended either a music enrichment program or a playdate control once a week for 1 year and monthly for an additional year. At age 3, participants completed snack and gift delay effortful control tasks. Groups were compared using one-way ANOVA. We found that participants in the music group had a significantly higher score during snack delay (music mean = 3.47 ± 0.94; control mean = 2.45 ± 1.51; p = 0.03; Cohen's d = 0.84). We did not find a significant group difference for latency to peek (music mean = 39.10 ± 20.10; control mean = 30.90 ± 19.88; p = 0.25; d = 0.57) or latency to touch (music mean = 105.73 ± 417.69; control mean = 98.35 ± 28.84; p = 0.38; d = 0.29) for the gift task. This study provides initial evidence that early participation in a music enrichment program may benefit later development of EC. This study is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02936284).

Associations between a metal mixture and infant negative affectivity: Effect modification by prenatal cortisol and infant sex

In-utero exposures interact in complex ways that influence neurodevelopment. Animal research demonstrates that fetal sex moderates the impact of joint exposure to metals and prenatal stress measures, including cortisol, on offspring socioemotional outcomes. Further research is needed in humans. We evaluated the joint association of prenatal exposures to a metal mixture and cortisol with infant negative affectivity, considering sex differences. Analyses included 226 (29% White, Non-Hispanic) mother-infant pairs with data on exposures and negative affectivity assessed using the Infant Behavior Questionnaire-Revised in 6-month-olds. Results showed that girls whose mothers had higher cortisol had significantly higher scores of Fear and Sadness with greater exposure to the mixture. Examining higher-order interactions may better elucidate the effects of prenatal exposure to metals and cortisol on socioemotional functioning.

Covariate-guided Bayesian mixture of spline experts for the analysis of multivariate high-density longitudinal data

With rapid development of techniques to measure brain activity and structure, statistical methods for analyzing modern brain-imaging data play an important role in the advancement of science. Imaging data that measure brain function are usually multivariate high-density longitudinal data and are heterogeneous across both imaging sources and subjects, which lead to various statistical and computational challenges. In this article, we propose a group-based method to cluster a collection of multivariate high-density longitudinal data via a Bayesian mixture of smoothing splines. Our method assumes each multivariate high-density longitudinal trajectory is a mixture of multiple components with different mixing weights. Time-independent covariates are assumed to be associated with the mixture components and are incorporated via logistic weights of a mixture-of-experts model. We formulate this approach under a fully Bayesian framework using Gibbs sampling where the number of components is selected based on a deviance information criterion. The proposed method is compared to existing methods via simulation studies and is applied to a study on functional near-infrared spectroscopy, which aims to understand infant emotional reactivity and recovery from stress. The results reveal distinct patterns of brain activity, as well as associations between these patterns and selected covariates.

Developmental consequences of short apneas and periodic breathing in preterm infants

OBJECTIVE

We investigated the relationship between respiratory events experienced before and after hospital discharge and developmental outcomes at 6 months corrected age (CA).

STUDY DESIGN

Preterm infants born between 28-32 weeks gestational age (GA) were studied at 32-36 weeks postmenstrual age (PMA), 36-40 weeks PMA, 3- and 6-months CA. Percentage total sleep time (%TST) with respiratory events (isolated apneas, sequential apneas and periodic breathing (PB)) at each study was calculated. Stepwise multiple linear regressions determined significant predictors of developmental outcomes at 6 months.

RESULT

%TST with respiratory events at term were significant predictors of language (R2 = 0.165, β = -0.416) and motor (R2 = 0.180, β = -0.485) composite scores of the Bayley Scales of Infant Development at 6 months, independent of GA, birth weight and sex.

CONCLUSIONS

In clinically stable very preterm infants at term equivalent age, time spent having respiratory events, was related to a reduction in language and motor outcomes at 6 months.

The role of social adversity on emotional dysregulation during infancy and early childhood

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to investigate if social adversity is associated with mother reported emotional dysregulation behaviors and trajectories during infancy and early childhood.

DESIGN & METHODS

A secondary data analysis from the Durham Child Health and Development study study included 206 child-mother dyads. Three models were used to explore the relationship between social adversity and mother reported emotional dysregulation during infancy (Infant Behavior Questionnaire-Revised) and early childhood (Child Behavior Checklist - Dysregulation Profile). Linear mixed effects models were adopted to investigate if social adversity was associated with mother reported emotional dysregulation longitudinally. Regression analysis was conducted to explore if social adversity was associated with maternal reported emotional dysregulation trajectory slope scores and maternal reported emotional dysregulation trajectory class. Maternal psychological distress and the child's sex assigned at birth were included as covariates in each analysis.

RESULTS

Infants with greater social adversity scores had significantly higher maternal reported fear responses across the first year of life. Social adversity was associated with maternal reported distress to limitations trajectory, dysregulated recovery class, and dysregulated distress to limitations class. During early childhood social adversity was significantly associated with maternal reported emotional dysregulation but not trajectories which showed little variability.

CONCLUSION & PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS

Our results indicate that social adversity is associated with maternal reported emotional dysregulation during infancy and early childhood. Nursing and other professionals can participate in early screening to determine risk and provide intervention.

Changes in the gut microbiome in the first two years of life predicted the temperament in toddlers

BACKGROUND

Temperament has been shown to be associated with the change of gut microbiome. There were no longitudinal studies to explore the role of gut microbiome changes in the development of temperament in toddlers.

METHODS

This study used longitudinal cohort to investigate the associations between changes in gut microbiome and temperament in toddlers in the first two years of life. Linear regression analysis and microbiome multivariate association with linear models were used to investigate the associations between the gut microbiome and toddlers' temperament.

RESULTS

In total, 41 toddlers were analyzed. This study found both Shannon and Chao-1 indices at birth were negatively correlated with the sadness dimension; the higher the Shannon and Chao-1 indices at 6 months, the lower the surgency/extraversion dimension scores; the higher the Shannon and Chao-1 indices at 2 years of ages, the lower the cuddliness dimension scores. After adjusting for covariates, beta diversity at birth was strongly associated with the negative affectivity dimension; beta diversity at 1 year of age was strongly associated with the activity level dimension; and beta diversity at 2 years of age was strongly associated with the discomfort and soothability dimension. Compared to Bifidobacterium cluster, this study also found Bacteroides cluster was associated with lower negative affectivity and its sub-dimensions frustration and sadness scores in toddlers.

LIMITATIONS

Generalizability of the results remains to be determined.

CONCLUSION

Results of this study confirmed the associations between changes in the gut microbiome diversity and composition in the first two years of life and toddlers' temperament.

Preliminary findings of emotion regulation in 12-month-old infants of mothers enrolled in a randomized controlled trial assessing a nutrition + exercise intervention

Improved offspring emotion regulation (ER) has been associated with maternal intake of single nutrients or exercise during pregnancy but has not been examined in randomized trials. We investigated the impact of a maternal nutrition + exercise intervention during pregnancy on offspring ER at 12 months of age. Mothers in the Be Healthy In Pregnancy randomized controlled trial were randomly assigned to an individualized nutrition + exercise intervention plus usual care (UC) or UC alone (control group). A multimethod assessment of infant ER using parasympathetic nervous system function (high frequency heart rate variability [HF-HRV] and root mean square of successive differences [RMSSD]) as well as maternal reports of infant temperament (Infant Behavior Questionnaire- Revised short form) was completed with a subsample of infants of enrolled mothers (intervention = 9, control = 8). The trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT01689961). We observed greater HF-HRV (M = 4.63, SD = 0.50, p = .04, ƞ² _p  = .25) and RMSSD (M = 24.25, SD = 6.15, p = .04, ƞ² _p  = .25) in infants of mothers in the intervention versus control group. Intervention group infants also had higher maternally rated surgency/extraversion (M = 5.54, SD = 0.38, p = .00, ƞ² _p  = .65) and regulation/orienting (M = 5.46, SD = 0.52, p = .02, ƞ² _p  = .81), and lower negative affectivity (M = 2.70, SD = 0.91, p = .03, ƞ² _p  = .52). These preliminary results suggest that pregnancy nutrition + exercise interventions could improve infant ER but these findings require replication in larger, more diverse samples.

Caffeine to prevent intermittent hypoxaemia in late preterm infants: randomised controlled dosage trial

OBJECTIVE

To establish the most effective and best tolerated dose of caffeine citrate for the prevention of intermittent hypoxaemia (IH) in late preterm infants.

DESIGN

Phase IIB, double-blind, five-arm, parallel, randomised controlled trial.

SETTING

Neonatal units and postnatal wards of two tertiary maternity hospitals in New Zealand.

PARTICIPANTS

Late preterm infants born at 34⁺⁰-36⁺⁶ weeks' gestation, recruited within 72 hours of birth.

INTERVENTION

Infants were randomly assigned to receive a loading dose (10, 20, 30 or 40 mg/kg) followed by 5, 10, 15 or 20 mg/kg/day equivolume enteral caffeine citrate or placebo daily until term corrected age.

PRIMARY OUTCOME

IH (events/hour with oxygen saturation concentration ≥10% below baseline for ≤2 min), 2 weeks postrandomisation.

RESULTS

132 infants with mean (SD) birth weight 2561 (481) g and gestational age 35.7 (0.8) weeks were randomised (24-28 per group). Caffeine reduced the rate of IH at 2 weeks postrandomisation (geometric mean (GM): 4.6, 4.6, 2.0, 3.8 and 1.7 events/hour for placebo, 5, 10, 15 and 20 mg/kg/day, respectively), with differences statistically significant for 10 mg/kg/day (GM ratio (95% CI] 0.39 (0.20 to 0.76]; p=0.006) and 20 mg/kg/day (GM ratio (95% CI] 0.33 (0.17 to 0.68]; p=0.003) compared with placebo. The 20 mg/kg/day dose increased mean (SD) pulse oximetry oxygen saturation (SpO₂) (97.2 (1.0) vs placebo 96.0 (0.8); p<0.001), and reduced median (IQR) percentage of time SpO₂ <90% (0.5 (0.2-0.8) vs 1.1 (0.6-2.4); p<0.001) at 2 weeks, without significant adverse effects on growth velocity or sleeping.

CONCLUSION

Caffeine reduces IH in late preterm infants at 2 weeks of age, with 20 mg/kg/day being the most effective dose.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

ACTRN12618001745235.

Behavioral problems in infants and young children with spinal muscular atrophy and their siblings: A cross-sectional study

INTRODUCTION

Older children and adults with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) have been shown to have more anxiety, depression, and other behavioral problems in a few studies. But no similar studies have been performed in infants and young children with SMA.

METHOD

Behavioral co-morbidities of young children with SMA were compared with healthy and children with chronic non-neurological illness control group. Infant Behavior Questionnaire-Revised (IBQ-R) and parent-report version of chid behavior checklist (CBCL) were used for infants and preschool-age children respectively.

RESULTS

A total of 35 SMA children (age at symptom onset-5.9 ± 2.8 months, at enrolment-21.4 ± 7.1 months, 65% boys, 11, 19 and 5 were SMA 1, 2 and 3 respectively) and 24 siblings (38.6 ± 11.2 months, 71% boys) were enrolled. We also enrolled 15 children with nephrotic syndrome as age and gender matched control to SMA children in age-group 2-5 years (27.7 ± 9.1 months, 67% boys). In infants with SMA, the scale scores of IBQ-R were significantly higher for distress to limitation, fear, sadness, and falling reactivity/rate of recovery from distress (p = 0.005; 0.03; 0.001, and 0.04) and lower for soothability as compared to healthy control group (p = 0.04). Similarly, for the three dimensions of temperament computed from these 13 domains, the mean scale score for surgency/extraversion was lower and negative affectivity was higher (p = 0.04 and 0.03), in infants with SMA as compared to healthy controls. For preschool age group, the internalizing problem scores (p = 0.009 and 0.03) and stress problem scores (p = 0.002 and 0.04) were higher in the SMA group, as compared to both the healthy control group and diseased control group. While assessing the syndrome scale scores, the score was higher for emotionally reactive (p = 0.0002 and 0.01) and anxious domains (p < 0.0001 and p = 0.0002) compared to both healthy and diseased control groups.

CONCLUSION

Infants and young children with SMA suffer from increased internalizing problems like anxiety, depression and probably their healthy siblings are also at increased levels of stress, depicted by increased somatic complaints.

Examining the factor structure and discriminative utility of the Infant Behavior Questionnaire-Revised in infant siblings of autistic children

Using the Infant Behavior Questionnaire-Revised in a longitudinal sample of infant siblings of autistic children (HR; n = 427, 171 female, 83.4% White) and a comparison group of low-risk controls (LR, n = 200, 86 female, 81.5% White), collected between 2007 and 2017, this study identified an invariant factor structure of temperament traits across groups at 6 and 12 months. Second, after partitioning the groups by familial risk and diagnostic outcome at 24 months, results reveal an endophenotypic pattern of Positive Emotionality at both 6 and 12 months, (HR-autism spectrum disorder [ASD] < HR-no-ASD < LR). Third, increased 'Duration of Orienting' at 12 months was associated with lower scores on the 24-month developmental outcomes in HR infants. These findings may augment efforts for early identification of ASD.

Sensory stimulation program improves developments of preterm infants in Southwest China: A randomized controlled trial

Preterm infants are prone to growth and developmental delay, especially social-emotional development. Sensory stimulation may benefit developmental outcomes for these vulnerable infants. This study aims to determine whether 5-integrated sensory stimulation (5-ISS) improves preterm infant social-emotional development. A randomized, parallel trial was conducted from November 2018 to January 2020 at three tertiary hospitals in Kunming, China. Preterm infants were eligible if gestational ages were from 28 to 36 weeks based on ultrasound results when discharged from neonatal wards. Two hundred preterm infants (male n = 110, female n = 90) were randomly allocated to the 5-ISS intervention group (n = 98) and the standard care group (n = 102). Social-emotional development was assessed with the Ages and Stages Questionnaires: Social-Emotional (ASQ:SE). Temperament was assessed with the Infant Behavior Questionnaire-Revised. Anthropometry, which included weight, length, and head circumference, was measured at corrected ages of 1, 3, and 6 months. Demographic and clinical characteristics were similar between the intervention and the standard care groups. At 1- and 3-month corrected age, no significant differences between the two groups were observed in terms of infant development and temperament. At 6 months, significant disparities were found in the social-emotional development scale (mean difference −0.29, 95% CI: −0.58, < -0.001, p = 0.01), infant length (mean difference 0.70, 95% CI: < 0.001, 1.4, p = 0.03), distress to limitation (p = 0.04), and sadness (p = 0.03). A mixed model revealed that the 5-ISS intervention positively affected social-emotional development, length, distress to limitation, and sadness for preterm infants. Integrated sensory stimulation has benefits on social-emotional development, temperament, and length for preterm infants. This program provides a feasible method to promote social-emotional development for preterm infants.

Measuring PROMIS® Physical Activity and Sleep Problems in Early Childhood

Objective

Physical activity (PA) and sleep are leading health indicators for individuals of all ages. Monitoring young children’s PA and sleep using psychometrically sound instruments could help facilitate timely interventions to promote healthy development. This article describes the development of the PROMIS® Early Childhood (EC) Parent Report Physical Activity (PA) and Sleep Problems (SP) measures for children aged 1–5 years.

Methods

Item pools were generated by interviewing parents, input from content experts, and literature review. Data from a U.S. general population sample were used to determine factor structures of item pools via factor analytic approaches, estimate item parameters via item response theory (IRT) models, and establish norms. Pearson correlations were used to evaluate across-domain associations. Analysis of variance was used and known-groups’ validity of PA and SP by comparing their scores to PROMIS EC Parent Report Global Health: child’s physical, emotional, and mental conditions.

Results

Initial item pools consisted of 19 and 26 items for PA and SP, respectively. Factor analyses’ results supported unidimensionality of 5 and 16 items measuring PA and SP, respectively, which were then calibrated using IRT. Norms were established by centering to a probability-based U.S. general population. Computerized adaptive testing algorithms were established. Some analyses supported initial measure validity.

Conclusions

The PROMIS EC PA calibrated scale and SP item banks are user-friendly and brief, yet produce precise scores. Both measures enable psychometrically sound assessment of PA behavior and sleep problems. Future studies to comprehensively evaluate the validity of these two measures are warranted.

Prenatal PM2.5 exposure and infant temperament at age 6 months: Sensitive windows and sex-specific associations

BACKGROUND

Prenatal exposure to fine particulate matter with a diameter of ≤2.5 μm (PM2.5) has been linked to adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes in later childhood, while research on early infant behavior remains sparse.

OBJECTIVES

We examined associations between prenatal PM2.5 exposure and infant negative affectivity, a stable temperamental trait associated with longer-term behavioral and mental health outcomes. We also examined sex-specific effects.

METHODS

Analyses included 559 mother-infant pairs enrolled in the PRogramming of Intergenerational Stress Mechanisms (PRISM) cohort. Daily PM2.5 exposure based on geocoded residential address during pregnancy was estimated using a satellite-based spatiotemporal model. Domains of negative affectivity (Sadness, Distress to Limitations, Fear, Falling Reactivity) were assessed using the Infant Behavior Questionnaire-Revised (IBQ-R) when infants were 6 months old. Subscale scores were calculated as the mean of item-specific responses; the global Negative Affectivity (NA) score was derived by averaging the mean of the four subscale scores. Bayesian distributed lag interaction models (BDLIMs) were used to identify sensitive windows for prenatal PM2.5 exposure on global NA and its subscales, and to examine effect modification by sex.

RESULTS

Mothers were primarily racial/ethnic minorities (38% Black, 37% Hispanic), 40% had ≤12 years of education; most did not smoke during pregnancy (87%). In the overall sample, BDLIMs revealed that increased PM2.5 at mid-pregnancy was associated with higher global NA, Sadness, and Fear scores, after adjusting for covariates (maternal age, education, race/ethnicity, sex). Among boys, increased PM2.5 at early pregnancy was associated with decreased Fear scores, while exposure during late pregnancy was associated with increased Fear scores (cumulative effect estimate = 0.57, 95% CI: 0.03-1.41). Among girls, increased PM2.5 during mid-pregnancy was associated with higher Fear scores (cumulative effect estimate = 0.82, 95% CI: 0.05-1.91).

CONCLUSIONS

Prenatal PM2.5 exposure was associated with negative affectivity at age 6 months, and the sensitive windows may vary by subdomains and infant sex.

Factor Structure and Measurement Invariance of the Very Short Form of Infant Behavior Questionnaire-Revised (IBQR-VSF): A Study among Vietnamese Children

The Infant Behavior Questionnaire-Revised (IBQ-R) assesses the temperament of infants in Western and non-Western countries. Although its factor analyses revealed three factors—surgency, negative affectivity, and effortful control—in the Western culture, the degree to which these are universal or culturally specific is unclear. This study developed a Vietnamese version of the IBQ-Revised Very Short Form (R-VSF) and examined its factor structure in a Vietnamese population. The Vietnamese IBQ-R VSF was administered to 292 mothers of infants between the ages of 3 and 18 months in Nha Trang city, Vietnam, between July and September 2019. After deleting items to achieve sufficient Cronbach’s alphas for each scale (surgency, negative affectivity, and orienting/regulation), the remaining 28 items were aggregated to parcels subjected to exploratory factor analyses (EFAs). EFAs revealed a 3-factor model corresponding to the original theory, and confirmatory factor analyses indicated a good fit of this structural model. The final 3-factor model with parcels indicated measurement and structural invariance between mothers of boys and girls.

Stability and structure of infant and toddler temperament in two longitudinal studies in Germany

The present study investigated the factor structure and longitudinal stability of infant and toddler temperament measured with the Infant Behavior Questionnaire-Revised (IBQ-R) and the Early Childhood Behavior Questionnaire (ECBQ) in two German samples. Since the few studies using the German IBQ-R failed to replicate the commonly assumed three factors of infant temperament, another exploration of its factor structure was necessary. Whereas previous stability measurements are usually based on groups with relatively large age ranges, we investigated stability between concrete ages. In Study 1, the IBQ-R was applied in 9- and 12-month-old infants. In Study 2, both questionnaires were applied in 12-, 18-, and 24-month-olds. Factor analyses of the IBQ-R in both studies revealed a two-factor solution comprising Surgency/ Extraversion and Negative Affectivity, replicating earlier findings with German infants. The Orienting/ Regulation factor was not replicated for the IBQ-R, whereas analysis of the ECBQ revealed a three-factor solution for toddlers. The results showed stability of temperament ratings within infancy (Study 1) and toddlerhood (Study 2) as well as between the developmental periods within the second year of life (Study 2). Taken together, the present findings indicate that temperament stability emerges early in life and can be reliably measured using the IBQ-R and ECBQ, whereas the factor structure of temperament in infancy requires further validation.

Infant temperament is associated with maternal feeding behaviors in early infancy

Parental feeding practices shape infant eating behaviors and may impact obesity risk. For example, feeding on a schedule and using food to soothe have been associated with greater infant weight gain and future obesity risk. Most studies focus on parental determinants of feeding practices, but infant temperament might influence feeding practices parents select. Studies examining associations of infant temperament with parental feeding practices in early infancy are needed. Thus, the purpose of this cross-sectional, observational study was to test the hypothesis that infant temperament would be associated with use of food to soothe and feeding on a schedule. Mother-infant dyads (N = 98) from 3 parent birth cohort studies presented for clinic visits at infant age of 3-5 months. Mothers completed a demographic questionnaire. Feeding practices (use of food to soothe and feeding on a schedule) and maternal perceptions of 3 dimensions of infant temperament (surgency, orienting/regulating, and negative affect) were collected by survey. Spearman partial correlations were used to examine if any of the 3 infant temperament dimensions were associated with use of food to soothe or feeding on a schedule, adjusting for maternal marital status, race/ethnicity, BMI, infant age at the visit, and infant weight-for-length z-score. Greater perceived infant surgency/extraversion was associated with greater use of food to calm (Spearman partial r = 0.25, p < 0.05), but not feeding on a schedule (Spearman partial r = -0.11, p = 0.31). Greater perceived infant negative affect was associated with greater use of food to calm (Spearman partial r = 0.21, p < 0.05). Perceived infant orienting/regulating was not associated with either of the feeding practices examined. These results provide evidence that as early as 3-5 months of age, perceived infant temperament is associated with maternal feeding practices which influence infant growth outcomes.

Interplay between Prepregnancy Body Mass Index, Early Childhood Negative Temperament, and Slowness in Eating on Early Childhood Rapid Weight Gain

Background: Early childhood eating behaviors and temperament have been linked to excess weight gain in separate lines of research. However, the interplay among these variables along with maternal prepregnancy body mass index (BMI) in predicting rapid weight gain is poorly understood. Methods: This observational study tested superfactors of early childhood temperament using the Infant Behavior Questionnaire-Revised, and their relationships with eating behavior using the Baby Eating Behavior Questionnaire on rapid weight gain among 9-18 months children (n = 283). The bivariate relationships were evaluated using Pearson correlations. Two-way interactions assessed whether childhood temperament moderated the relationship between childhood eating behaviors and rapid weight gain, with prepregnancy BMI as a higher order moderator. Results: Food responsiveness positively correlated with Negativity [r = 0.256, adjusted (adj) p < 0.001] and inversely with Regulation (r = -0.203, adj p = 0.006). Slowness in eating positively correlated with Negativity (r = 0.196, p = 0.006) and inversely with Surgency (r = -0.188, adj p = 0.008) and Regulation (r = -0.181, p = 0.007). Slowness in eating was significantly correlated with rapid weight gain (r = -0.168, p = 0.005). Prepregnancy BMI was a moderator of slowness in eating and Negativity such that children of mothers with high prepregnancy BMI in conjunction with high Negativity and low in slowness in eating experienced the greatest rapid weight gain, whereas children of mothers with low prepregnancy BMI in conjunction with low Negativity and high in slowness in eating experienced the least rapid weight gain. Conclusions: Assessing early childhood temperament may bolster health care and parenting interventions to increase early eating regulation and to promote healthier weight trajectories.

Male fetus susceptibility to maternal inflammation: C-reactive protein and brain development

BACKGROUND

Maternal inflammation in early pregnancy has been identified epidemiologically as a prenatal pathogenic factor for the offspring's later mental illness. Early newborn manifestations of the effects of maternal inflammation on human fetal brain development are largely unknown.

METHODS

Maternal infection, depression, obesity, and other factors associated with inflammation were assessed at 16 weeks gestation, along with maternal C-reactive protein (CRP), cytokines, and serum choline. Cerebral inhibition was assessed by inhibitory P50 sensory gating at 1 month of age, and infant behavior was assessed by maternal ratings at 3 months of age.

RESULTS

Maternal CRP diminished the development of cerebral inhibition in newborn males but paradoxically increased inhibition in females. Similar sex-dependent effects were seen in mothers' assessment of their infant's self-regulatory behaviors at 3 months of age. Higher maternal choline levels partly mitigated the effect of CRP in male offspring.

CONCLUSIONS

The male fetal-placental unit appears to be more sensitive to maternal inflammation than females. Effects are particularly marked on cerebral inhibition. Deficits in cerebral inhibition 1 month after birth, similar to those observed in several mental illnesses, including schizophrenia, indicate fetal developmental pathways that may lead to later mental illness. Deficits in early infant behavior follow. Early intervention before birth, including prenatal vitamins, folate, and choline supplements, may help prevent fetal development of pathophysiological deficits that can have life-long consequences for mental health.

Cardiac sympathetic activation and parasympathetic withdrawal during psychosocial stress exposure in 6-month-old infants

Infant autonomic reactivity to stress is a potential predictor of later life health complications, but research has not sufficiently examined sympathetic activity, controlled for effects of physical activity and respiration, or studied associations among autonomic adjustments, cardiac activity, and affect in infants. We studied 278 infants during the repeated Still-Face Paradigm, a standardized stressor, while monitoring cardiac activity (ECG) and respiratory pattern (respiratory inductance plethysmography). Video ratings of physical activity and affect were also performed. Respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) and T-wave amplitude (TWA) served as noninvasive indicators of cardiac parasympathetic and sympathetic activity, respectively. Responses were compared between infants who completed two still-face exposures and those who terminated after one exposure due to visible distress. Findings, controlled for physical activity, showed robust reductions in respiration-adjusted RSA and TWA, with more tonic attenuation of TWA. Infants completing only one still-face trial showed more pronounced autonomic changes and less recovery from stress. They also showed elevated minute ventilation, suggesting hyperventilation. Both reductions in adjusted RSA and TWA contributed equally to heart rate changes and were associated with higher negative and lower positive affect. These associations were more robust in the group of distressed infants unable to complete both still-face trials. Thus, cardiac sympathetic activation and parasympathetic withdrawal are part of the infant stress response, beyond associated physical activity and respiration changes. Their association with cardiac chronotropy and affect increases as infants' distress level increases. This excess reactivity to social stress should be examined as a predictor of future cardiovascular disease.

Disentangling Associations Among Maternal Lifetime and Prenatal Stress, Psychological Functioning During Pregnancy, Maternal Race/Ethnicity, and Infant Negative Affectivity at Age 6 Months: A Mixtures Approach

Purpose: Maternal stress and psychological dysfunction in pregnancy are independently linked with fetal neurodevelopment. Stress encompasses environmental stressors and psychological and physiological responses. Stressors and psychopathology co-occur with patterns differing by race/ethnicity. We aimed to extend environmental mixtures methodology to elucidate prenatal stress associations with infant negative affectivity (NA) in a racially/ethnically mixed cohort. Methods: Participants were mother/infant dyads (n=445) in a prospective pregnancy cohort study in two urban US settings in 2011-2018. During pregnancy, women completed the Life Stressor Checklist-Revised, Crisis in Family Systems-Revised, Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) Checklist-Civilian version; the Infant Behavior Questionnaire-Revised assessed NA in 6-month olds. Using weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression, we developed a weighted maternal stress index encompassing lifetime and current life events and symptoms of depression and PTSD. Stress-by-race/ethnicity interactions allowed differential contributions of individual stress domains by maternal race/ethnicity. Results: Mothers were majority black (44%) or Hispanic (37%). Stress questionnaire and infant NA scores were similar by race/ethnicity. The WQS prenatal stress score was positively associated with infant NA (β: 0.40 [95% confidence interval 0.16-0.64]). PTSD was the strongest contributor to the WQS score in Hispanic women (59%), whereas in black women, lifetime stress and depressive symptoms accounted for 38% and 35%, respectively, of the association with NA. Conclusions: Extending environmental mixtures methodology to stress research may disentangle complex associations among lifetime and current stressful life events and psychological symptomatology and their contributions to early childhood neurobehavioral outcomes. Consideration of effect modification by race/ethnicity may inform understanding of differing vulnerability across racial/ethnic groups.

Black American Maternal Prenatal Choline, Offspring Gestational Age at Birth, and Developmental Predisposition to Mental Illness

Black Americans have increased risk for schizophrenia and other mental illnesses with prenatal origins. Prenatal choline promotes infant brain development and behavioral outcomes, but choline has not been specifically assessed in Black Americans. Pregnant women (N = 183, N = 25 Black Americans) enrolled in a study of prenatal stressors and interactions with prenatal choline. Black American women had lower 16-week gestation plasma choline than Whites. Lower choline was not related to obesity, income, or metabolic genotypes. Pregnant women in rural Uganda have higher choline levels than Black American women. Black Americans' lower choline was associated with higher hair cortisol, indicative of higher stress. Lower maternal choline was associated with offsprings' lower gestational age at birth and with decreased auditory P50 inhibition, a marker of inhibitory neuron development. Behavioral development was assessed on the Infant Behavior Questionnaire-R-SF (IBQ-R) at 3 months. Lower Black American maternal gestational choline was associated with lower infant IBQ-R Orienting/Regulation, indicating decreased attention and relation to caregivers. Additional evidence for developmental effects of choline in Black Americans comes from a randomized clinical trial of gestational phosphatidylcholine supplementation versus placebo that included 15 Black Americans. Phosphatidylcholine increased gestational age at birth and newborn P50 inhibition and decreased Social Withdrawn and Attention problems at 40 months of age in Black Americans' offspring compared to placebo. Inhibitory and behavioral deficits associated with lower prenatal choline in offspring of Black American women indicate potential developmental predispositions to later mental illnesses that might be ameliorated by prenatal choline or phosphatidylcholine supplementation.

Maternal choline and respiratory coronavirus effects on fetal brain development

Prenatal COVID-19 infection is anticipated by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control to affect fetal development similarly to other common respiratory coronaviruses through effects of the maternal inflammatory response on the fetus and placenta. Plasma choline levels were measured at 16 weeks gestation in 43 mothers who had contracted common respiratory viruses during the first 6-16 weeks of pregnancy and 53 mothers who had not. When their infants reached 3 months of age, mothers completed the Infant Behavior Questionnaire-Revised (IBQ-R), which assesses their infants' level of activity (Surgency), their fearfulness and sadness (Negativity), and their ability to maintain attention and bond to their parents and caretakers (Regulation). Infants of mothers who had contracted a moderately severe respiratory virus infection and had higher gestational choline serum levels (≥7.5 mM consistent with U.S. Food and Drug Administration dietary recommendations) had significantly increased development of their ability to maintain attention and to bond with their parents (Regulation), compared to infants whose mothers had contracted an infection but had lower choline levels (<7.5 mM). For infants of mothers with choline levels ≥7.5 μM, there was no effect of viral infection on infant IBQ-R Regulation, compared to infants of mothers who were not infected. Higher choline levels obtained through diet or supplements may protect fetal development and support infant early behavioral development even if the mother contracts a viral infection in early gestation when the brain is first being formed.

Cerebral blood flow in 5- to 8-month-olds: Regional tissue maturity is associated with infant affect

Infancy is marked by rapid neural and emotional development. The relation between brain function and emotion in infancy, however, is not well understood. Methods for measuring brain function predominantly rely on the BOLD signal; however, interpretation of the BOLD signal in infancy is challenging because the neuronal-hemodynamic relation is immature. Regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) provides a context for the infant BOLD signal and can yield insight into the developmental maturity of brain regions that may support affective behaviors. This study aims to elucidate the relations among rCBF, age, and emotion in infancy. One hundred and seven mothers reported their infants' (infant age M ± SD = 6.14 ± 0.51 months) temperament. A subsample of infants completed MRI scans, 38 of whom produced usable perfusion MRI during natural sleep to quantify rCBF. Mother-infant dyads completed the repeated Still-Face Paradigm, from which infant affect reactivity and recovery to stress were quantified. We tested associations of infant age at scan, temperament factor scores, and observed affect reactivity and recovery with voxel-wise rCBF. Infant age was positively associated with CBF in nearly all voxels, with peaks located in sensory cortices and the ventral prefrontal cortex, supporting the formulation that rCBF is an indicator of tissue maturity. Temperamental Negative Affect and recovery of positive affect following a stressor were positively associated with rCBF in several cortical and subcortical limbic regions, including the orbitofrontal cortex and inferior frontal gyrus. This finding yields insight into the nature of affective neurodevelopment during infancy. Specifically, infants with relatively increased prefrontal cortex maturity may evidence a disposition toward greater negative affect and negative reactivity in their daily lives yet show better recovery of positive affect following a social stressor.

Infant affect response in the face-to-face still face among Chinese- and European American mother-infant dyads

Early face-to-face interactions with caregivers allow infants to learn how to express and exchange emotions with others. Within the field, however, the research regarding infant regulatory processes across cultures remains limited. The Double Face-to-Face Still Face (FFSF) paradigm provided an opportunity to examine infant affect in dyadic interactions with European American (EA, n = 54) and Chinese American (CA, n = 48) infants and caregivers. Consistent with our hypothesis that CA infants are less reactive than EA infants, CA infants in our study showed less negative and more neutral affect compared to EA infants. We also examined the number of infants who were unable to complete the full FFSF paradigm due to high levels of distress (e.g., 30-sec of sustained hard cries). Compared to EA infants, more CA infants were unable to complete the paradigm due to negative affect (e.g., sustained cries). Analyses showed an association between mothers' negative affect from the start of the paradigm with infant incompletion of the paradigm. These findings point to cultural differences in infant affect within the FFSF. As well, researchers should consider the characteristics of infants who do not complete the FFSF paradigm as they can provide meaningful data in understanding infant affect and regulation. Taken together, our findings suggest that the Double FFSF paradigm provides a reasonable threshold for distinguishing infants on their ability to regulate during a repeated social stressor.

Interaction of maternal choline levels and prenatal Marijuana's effects on the offspring

BACKGROUND

This study investigated whether higher maternal choline levels mitigate effects of marijuana on fetal brain development. Choline transported into the amniotic fluid from the mother activates α7-nicotinic acetylcholine receptors on fetal cerebro-cortical inhibitory neurons, whose development is impeded by cannabis blockade of their cannabinoid-1(CB1) receptors.

METHODS

Marijuana use was assessed during pregnancy from women who later brought their newborns for study. Mothers were informed about choline and other nutrients, but not specifically for marijuana use. Maternal serum choline was measured at 16 weeks gestation.

RESULTS

Marijuana use for the first 10 weeks gestation or more by 15% of mothers decreased newborns' inhibition of evoked potentials to repeated sounds (d' = 0.55, p < 0.05). This effect was ameliorated if women had higher gestational choline (rs = -0.50, p = 0.011). At 3 months of age, children whose mothers continued marijuana use through their 10th gestational week or more had poorer self-regulation (d' = -0.79, p < 0.05). This effect was also ameliorated if mothers had higher gestational choline (rs = 0.54, p = 0.013). Maternal choline levels correlated with the children's improved duration of attention, cuddliness, and bonding with parents.

CONCLUSIONS

Prenatal marijuana use adversely affects fetal brain development and subsequent behavioral self-regulation, a precursor to later, more serious problems in childhood. Stopping marijuana use before 10 weeks gestational age prevented these effects. Many mothers refuse to cease use because of familiarity with marijuana and belief in its safety. Higher maternal choline mitigates some of marijuana's adverse effects on the fetus.

Association between Gut Microbiota and Infant's Temperament in the First Year of Life in a Chinese Birth Cohort

Infant temperament characteristics play a critical role in children’s developmental pathways and can predict adulthood psychopathology. The diversity and composition of the gut microbiota are associated with human temperament in both adults and young children. However, the relationship between the gut microbiota and temperament in 12-month-old infants is rarely studied; this developmental period is when temperament reaches a relatively stable stage. We used high-throughput sequencing methods to explore whether temperament characteristics were associated with gut microbiota diversity and composition. Infants’ fecal samples were collected at 12 months of age for the gut microbiota analysis. Based on the primary caregivers’ reports, infants’ temperaments were measured using the Infant Behavior Questionnaire-revised (IBQ-R). This study included 51 infants, including 20 boys and 31 girls, with a mean age of 12.25 months. Results showed that soothability was positively correlated with maternal education level (β = 0.29, p = 0.043, adjust p = 0.025) and the abundance of Bifidobacterium genera (β = 0.62, p = 0.004, adjust p = 0.002). Conversely, cuddliness was negatively correlated with the abundance of Hungatella genera. There was no significant difference in temperament based on gender. This study demonstrated that gut microbiota composition was associated with temperament in 12-month-old infants. These results point to the importance of gut microbiota balance. Future studies on the mechanisms behind the gut microbiota affecting temperament are warranted.

Effect of Maternal Distress on Perceptions of Infant Behavior May Differ in Chinese-American and European-American Mothers and Infants

OBJECTIVE

This study examined the associations between maternal distress (symptoms of depression and anxiety) and observer and maternal ratings of infant temperament in Chinese-American (CA) and European-American (EA) 4-month-old infants (N = 114 dyads).

METHODS

Maternal distress was obtained through self-reported symptoms of depression and anxiety. Mothers reported infant temperament (distress at limitations, soothability, and fear) through the short form of the Infant Behavior Questionnaire-Revised. To obtain observer-rated infant reactivity, infants were administered a battery of visual and auditory stimuli in the laboratory, in which infant behaviors (fret/cry, limb activity, and arching of the back) were coded.

RESULTS

Maternal distress accounted more for the maternal perception of her infant among EA mothers than among CA mothers, but the relation was only observed for soothability. Higher maternal distress was associated with maternal report of lower soothability for EA mothers. Observer-rated infant reactivity, but not maternal distress, was positively associated with EA and CA maternal report of distress at limitations. Observer-rated infant negativity was associated with somewhat higher ratings of infant fear for EA mothers, although this association for EA mothers was not significantly different from CA mothers.

CONCLUSIONS

Potential biases in maternal report of infant behavior due to effects from maternal distress may not be generalizable across cultures but may vary because of cultural norms for emotional experience and expectations for infant behavior. EA mothers' ratings of infant distress and soothability, but not fear, may be influenced by maternal distress.

Newborn amygdala connectivity and early emerging fear

Connectivity between the amygdala, insula (Amygdala-aI) and ventral medial prefrontal cortex (Amygdala-vmPFC) have been implicated in individual variability in fear and vulnerability to psychiatric disorders. However, it is currently unknown to what extent connectivity between these regions in the newborn period is relevant for the development of fear and other aspects of negative emotionality (NE), such as sadness. Here, we investigate newborn Am-Ins and Am-vmPFC resting state functional connectivity in relation to developmental trajectories of fear and sadness over the first two years of life using data from the Infant Behavior Questionnaire Revised (IBQ-R) and Early Childhood Behavior Questionnaire (ECBQ) (N=62). Stronger newborn amygdala connectivity predicts higher fear and sadness at 6-months-of-age and less change from 6 to 24-months-of-age. Interestingly, Am-Ins connectivity was specifically relevant for fear and not sadness, while Am-vmPFC was associated only with sadness. Associations remained consistent after considering variation in maternal sensitivity and maternal postnatal depressive symptomology. Already by the time of birth, individual differences in amygdala connectivity are relevant for the expression of fear over the first two-years-of-life. Additionally, specificity is observed, such that connections relevant for fear development are distinct from those predicting sadness trajectories.

Immune and neuroendocrine correlates of temperament in infancy

There is now a clear focus on incorporating, and integrating, multiple levels of analysis in developmental science. The current study adds to research in this area by including markers of the immune and neuroendocrine systems in a longitudinal study of temperament in infants. Observational and parent-reported ratings of infant temperament, serum markers of the innate immune system, and cortisol reactivity from repeated salivary collections were examined in a sample of 123 infants who were assessed at 6 months and again when they were, on average, 17 months old. Blood from venipuncture was collected for analyses of nine select innate immune cytokines; salivary cortisol collected prior to and 15 min and 30 min following a physical exam including blood draw was used as an index of neuroendocrine functioning. Analyses indicated fairly minimal significant associations between biological markers and temperament at 6 months. However, by 17 months of age, we found reliable and nonoverlapping associations between observed fearful temperament and biological markers of the immune and neuroendocrine systems. The findings provide some of the earliest evidence of robust biological correlates of fear behavior with the immune system, and identify possible immune and neuroendocrine mechanisms for understanding the origins of behavioral development.