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Morris EE, Miller NC, Haapala JL, Georgieff MK, Ramel SE. Preterm infant body composition, working memory, and temperament. Infant Behav Dev 2023; 70:101808. [PMID: 36610269 DOI: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2022.101808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2022] [Revised: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 12/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Altered body composition in preterm infants is associated with risks to cognitive development, but the effect specific to prefrontal cortex (PFC) development is unknown. We were interested in the impact of fat mass (FM) and fat free mass (FFM) gains out to 4 months corrected gestational age (CGA) on PFC development, as indexed by working memory and temperament. This is a prospective observational pilot study recruiting 100 preterm (<33 weeks gestation), appropriate for gestational age, and very low birth weight infants, of which 49 infants met inclusion criteria. Body composition was measured using air displacement plethysmography at hospital discharge and 4 months CGA. Questionnaire based temperament assessments were completed at 12 and 24 months CGA and a working memory assessment was completed at 24 months CGA. Associations between developmental tests and body composition obtained at term and 4 months were analyzed. Increased FM at discharge was associated with increased fear and decreased soothability at 12 months. Increased FM at 4 months was associated with increased activity level, increased distress from limitations at 12 months and decreased attentional shifting, decreased frustration, and decreased inhibitory control at 24 months. Increased FFM at 4 months was associated with increased activity level at 12 months and increased impulsivity and decreased low intensity pleasure at 24 months. In this exploratory pilot study, increased FM out to 4 months and increased FFM after discharge are associated with negative markers of infant temperament. Infant temperament may be sensitive to body composition status at least to 4 months CGA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin E Morris
- Division of Neonatology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
| | - Neely C Miller
- Center for Neurobehavioral Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | | | - Michael K Georgieff
- Division of Neonatology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA; Center for Neurobehavioral Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Sara E Ramel
- Division of Neonatology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA; Center for Neurobehavioral Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
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Vacaru VS, Alfaro AU, Hoffman N, Wittich W, Stern M, Zar HJ, Stein DJ, Sterkenburg PS. Applicability of a Novel Attunement Instrument and Its Relationship to Parental Sensitivity in Infants With and Without Visual Impairments. Front Psychol 2022; 13:872114. [PMID: 35592146 PMCID: PMC9113196 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.872114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
This study investigated the applicability of a novel instrument to assess parent–child attunement in free play interactions, in dyads with an infant with and without visual impairments (VI). We here report the findings on the reliability and applicability of the newly developed Attune & Stimulate Mother–Infant 56-items Instrument (A&S M-I) in two separate samples: one with infants with VI (N = 20) and one with typically sighted infants (N = 24). In addition, we assessed the contribution of parental sensitivity to attunement in dyadic interactions. The A&S M-I is an observational comprehensive instrument of behaviors that captures different body parts and their motility (i.e., finger movements, arm waving, and foot kicking), and different senses (i.e., audio, tactile, and visual). The appropriate responding of a parent to the child’s signal (i.e., matching and containing) reflects the ability to attune in the dyad as well as parent’s ability to stimulate the child to become engaged in the contact or activity. Consistency assessments revealed good reliability for maternal and infant behaviors, acceptable internal consistency and good test–retest reliability. Furthermore, both samples scored significantly above chance level on attunement, suggesting that the instrument captures parent–infant behavioral coordination, and VI was not related to parent–infant attunement. Lastly, a relation between parental sensitivity and attunement was found only in the TS sample. Altogether, these findings provide promising initial evidence of the applicability of the A&S M-I instrument for assessing dyadic attunement across different populations and ages. Having assessed the applicability of this observational instrument, future work should corroborate these findings in larger samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victorita Stefania Vacaru
- Donders Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands.,Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Andrea Urqueta Alfaro
- Nazareth and Louis-Braille Institute, Integrated Health and Social Services Centres (CISSS), Longueuil, QC, Canada.,School of Optometry, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Nadia Hoffman
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Walter Wittich
- School of Optometry, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Institut Nazareth et Louis-Braille du CISSS de la Montérégie-Centre, Longueuil, QC, Canada
| | - Micky Stern
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Heather J Zar
- MRC Unit on Child and Adolescent Health, Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.,Department of Paediatrics & Child Health, Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Dan J Stein
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.,Risk and Resilience in Mental Disorders Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa
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