Implications of childhood adversity for women's perinatal sleep quality and depressive symptoms over time: A serial mediation model.

This study sought to examine the effects of childhood adversity on the longitudinal associations between perinatal sleep quality and depressive symptoms, and to determine the prospective associations between these constructs over time. A cross-lagged autoregressive model was used to examine the longitudinal association between sleep quality and depressive symptoms at four points during the perinatal period: 18 and 32 weeks of pregnancy, and 6 and 12 weeks postpartum. Longitudinal mediation models were used to examine whether sleep quality or depressive symptoms mediated the effects of childhood adversity on these symptoms. Most participants (86%) reported poor sleep quality during pregnancy. Significant cross-lagged effects of depressive symptoms on subsequent sleep quality were observed during pregnancy and postpartum. Depressive symptoms significantly mediated the effects of childhood trauma on sleep quality during pregnancy, but sleep quality did not significantly mediate the effects of childhood trauma on depressive symptoms. While sleep quality and depressive symptoms tend to co-occur, our analyses indicate that perinatal depressive symptoms work as the primary driver of sleep quality over time. Childhood adversity may have long-reaching effects in women as it was associated with more depressive symptoms in the perinatal period, which in turn appeared to undermine sleep quality.

Longitudinal Associations Among Food Insecurity During Pregnancy, Parental Mental Health Symptoms, Controlling Feeding Styles, and Infant Food Responsiveness.

BACKGROUND: Research is needed to identify pathways by which household food insecurity (FI) contributes to parental controlling feeding styles and infant food responsiveness, 2 factors that play a role in shaping obesity risk across infancy and early childhood. OBJECTIVES: This longitudinal study tested the hypothesis that prenatal FI would be positively associated with higher infant food responsiveness via greater parental mental health symptomatology and controlling feeding styles (pressuring, restrictive). METHODS: Participants included a community sample of 170 birth parents and their infants participating in an ongoing longitudinal study. Parents self-reported household FI and mental health symptoms (depression and anxiety) during pregnancy. Postnatally, parents reported their mental health symptoms, their use of controlling feeding styles, and infant food responsiveness. Path analyses with bias-corrected 95% bootstrapped CIs tested direct and indirect associations between prenatal FI and infant food responsiveness. RESULTS: Prenatal FI was indirectly associated with higher infant food responsiveness via greater parental mental health symptomatology and pressuring to finish (b = 0.01; 95% CI: 0.001, 0.025). Prenatal FI was associated with greater parental mental health symptomatology across the peripartum period (ß = 0.54; P < 0.001), which in turn was associated with more pressuring to finish at 2 months pospartum (ß = 0.29; P = 0.01) and higher infant food responsiveness at 6 months (ß = 0.17; P = 0.04). There were no direct effects of prenatal FI on controlling feedings styles or infant food responsiveness. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings point to parental mental health as a potential pathway by which FI may be associated with obesity-promoting parental feeding styles and infant appetitive behaviors. In addition to ensuring reliable access to enough quality food during pregnancy, multipronged assistance that promotes emotional well-being during the peripartum period and clinical guidance on noncontrolling feeding styles could benefit parent and infant health and well-being.

Associations among eating behaviors, food security status, and dietary intake during pregnancy.

Dietary intake of certain food groups and/or nutrients during pregnancy has been associated with maternal and infant pregnancy-related outcomes. Few studies have examined how behavioral and environmental factors interact to influence prenatal diet. We examined associations between eating behaviors (dietary restraint, emotional eating, external eating) and food security status regarding dietary intake of selected nutrients/food groups during pregnancy. Participants (N = 299; 29% Non-Hispanic Black; 16% ≤ high school education; 21% food insecure) completed validated questionnaires to assess estimated daily intake of food groups/nutrients during pregnancy [e.g., added sugars from sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), % of energy from fat, fruit and vegetable (FV) intake] via National Cancer Institute Dietary Screener Questionnaires); eating behaviors (Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire); and food security status (6-item USDA Food security Module). Separate hierarchical multiple regressions for each dietary outcome were conducted controlling for maternal age, education, income-to-needs, race/ethnicity, pre-pregnancy BMI, and gestational diabetes. A significant interaction was found between dietary restraint and food security status on added sugar intake from SSBs (ß = -0.15, p = 0.02). The negative association between restraint and added sugar from SSBs was stronger among food insecure participants (ß = -0.47, p < 0.001 vs. ß = -0.15, p = 0.03). Higher external eating (ß = 0.21, p < 0.01) and lower restraint (ß = -0.13, p = 0.03) were associated with higher % of energy from fat and living in a food insecure household (ß = -0.15, p = 0.01) was associated with lower FV intake. Understanding dietary intake during pregnancy requires consideration of the broader context in which eating behaviors occur.

Childhood Adversity Predicts Maternal Pre-Pregnancy BMI but not Gestational Weight Gain.

INTRODUCTION: Obesity and excessive weight gain during pregnancy have lasting implications for both women and infant health. Adverse childhood experiences and stressful life events have been associated with pre-pregnancy obesity and excessive gestational weight gain. However, the effect of each has been examined independently and scant work has investigated the effects of both in the same analysis. The current study examined the unique and conjoint effects of adverse childhood experiences and recent stressful life events on women's pre-pregnancy BMI and gestational weight gain. METHODS: A racially and socioeconomically diverse sample of 176 pregnant women completed questionnaires and anthropometric measurements during the third trimester and two months postpartum. RESULTS: Maternal adverse childhood experiences were uniquely associated with pre-pregnancy BMI (ß = 0.21, p = .02), but not gestational weight gain. Recent stressful life events did not uniquely predict pre-pregnancy BMI or gestational weight gain, nor did it explain the association between adverse childhood experiences and pre-pregnancy BMI. Adverse childhood experiences and recent stressful life events did not interact to predict either of the women's weight outcomes. DISCUSSION: Adverse childhood experiences have lasting unique effects on women's pre-pregnancy BMI. Obesity is related to several perinatal health issues for the mother and child, thus understanding the effects of childhood adversity on women's weight outcomes is critical. Routine screening for ACEs among women of childbearing age and pregnant women, paired with referrals and educational resources, can mitigate the deleterious effects of childhood adversity on women and infant health.

Interactive effects of maternal physiological arousal and regulation on maternal sensitivity: Replication and extension in an independent sample.

This study examined the extent to which mothers' physiological arousal (i.e., skin conductance level [SCL] augmentation) and regulation (i.e., respiratory sinus arrhythmia [RSA] withdrawal) interacted to predict subsequent maternal sensitivity. Mothers' (N = 176) SCL and RSA were measured prenatally during a resting baseline and while watching videos of crying infants. Maternal sensitivity was observed during a free-play task and the still-face paradigm when their infants were 2 months old. The results demonstrated that higher SCL augmentation but not RSA withdrawal predicted more sensitive maternal behaviors as a main effect. Additionally, SCL augmentation and RSA withdrawal interacted, such that well-regulated maternal arousal was associated with greater maternal sensitivity at 2 months. Further, the interaction between SCL and RSA was only significant for the negative dimensions of maternal behavior used to derive the measure of maternal sensitivity (i.e., detachment and negative regard) suggesting that well-regulated arousal is particularly important for inhibiting the tendency to engage in negative maternal behaviors. The results replicate findings from mothers in previous studies and demonstrate that the interactive effects of SCL and RSA in relation to parenting outcomes are not sample specific. Considering joint effects of physiological responding across multiple biological systems may enhance understanding of the antecedents of sensitive maternal behavior.

Autonomic profiles and self-regulation outcomes in early childhood.

This study examined autonomic profiles in preschoolers (N = 278, age = 4.7 years) and their relations to self-regulation outcomes concurrently and one year later, in kindergarten. Children's sympathetic (preejection period [PEP]) and parasympathetic activity (respiratory sinus arrythmia [RSA]) were measured at rest and during cognitive and emotional tasks. Three self-regulatory competencies were assessed: executive functions, emotion regulation and behavioral regulation. Executive functioning was measured at ages 4 and 5 using laboratory tasks designed to assess updating/working memory, inhibitory control, and cognitive flexibility. Emotion regulation was observed during emotionally distressing tasks in the laboratory, both at ages 4 and 5. Behavioral regulation and emotional reactivity were assessed via teacher ratings in kindergarten, at age 5. Latent profile analysis yielded four autonomic profiles: moderate parasympathetic inhibition (45%), reciprocal sympathetic activation (26%), coinhibition (25%), and high sympathetic activation (7%). The reciprocal sympathetic activation group showed better executive functioning in preschool and kindergarten, particularly compared to the high sympathetic activation group. The moderate parasympathetic inhibition group showed lower emotional reactivity and better behavioral regulation in kindergarten, compared to the other three groups. Findings suggest that autonomic profiles meaningfully associate with self-regulation outcomes in early childhood, such that certain profiles relate to better self-regulation than others.

Maternal sleep problems, depression, and infant negative emotionality are associated with maternal feeding to soothe in early infancy.

Maternal overreliance on feeding to soothe to relieve infants' distress has been associated with higher rates of childhood obesity. Limited research has examined infant and maternal characteristics that predict maternal feeding to soothe. The goal of the present study was to examine the role of infant (temperament) and maternal (depression, sleep problems) characteristics as predictors of maternal feeding to soothe. Mothers (N = 176) completed the Food to Soothe Scale, the Infant Behavior Questionnaire-Revised Very Short Form, the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, and the Pittsburgh Sleep Questionnaire when their infants were 6 months old. Hierarchical multiple regression was used. Maternal depression only predicted feeding to soothe among mothers receiving WIC benefits, and this association was no longer significant when maternal sleep problems were added to the model. Maternal sleep problems predicted higher feeding to soothe as a main effect and in interaction with infant negative emotionality, maternal depression, and to a lesser extent WIC status. Specifically, infant negative emotionality was only associated with greater feeding to soothe among mothers with higher sleep problems, and sleep problems were only associated with greater feeding to soothe among depressed mothers and mothers receiving WIC benefits. The findings suggest that addressing multiple stressors, including maternal sleep, in the early postnatal period may strengthen the effectiveness of early child obesity interventions that target maternal feeding behaviors.

Infant appetite and weight gain in early infancy: Moderating effects of controlling feeding styles.

Excessive infant weight gain is a strong predictor of later obesity. While controlling feeding has been linked to negative weight outcomes, research has not considered associations between infant appetite and maternal feeding simultaneously in relation to infant weight. This longitudinal study examined infant food responsiveness and slowness in eating as predictors of infant weight outcomes and tested controlling feeding styles (restrictive and pressuring) as moderators. Data came from a diverse sample of mothers and their infants participating in an ongoing longitudinal study. Mothers (n = 159) reported infant appetite and feeding styles at 2 postnatal timepoints (2-month visits and 6-month visits). The infant weight outcomes included change in weight-for-age z-scores (WAZ-change) and rapid weight gain (RIWG; WAZ-change ≥ 0.67 SD) from birth to the second postnatal visit. Data were analyzed using hierarchical multiple and logistic regressions, controlling for birthweight, gestational age, maternal race/ethnicity, feeding mode, and residing with an intimate partner. Over 25% of infants exhibited RIWG. Greater infant food responsiveness predicted both greater infant weight gain and RIWG status. Infant food responsiveness and slowness in eating interacted with controlling feeding styles in a unique way. Infants with higher food responsiveness whose mothers were less restrictive had greater weight gain (b = 0.61, p < 0.001) and increased probability of RIWG (b = 2.71, p < 0.01) than infants with more restrictive mothers. Higher slowness in eating was associated with a lower RIWG probability among infants of mothers with lower pressuring feeding (b = -1.86, p < 0.05). For infants with a large appetite, some level of restrictive feeding may be beneficial for preventing excessive weight gain while pressuring may exacerbate the positive association between faster eating and RIWG.

Mothers' preparation for bias and responses to children's distress predict positive adjustment among Black children: an attachment perspective.

Traditional conceptualizations of maternal sensitivity overlook the adaptive function of some parenting behaviors. This study examined mothers' preparation for bias, suppression responses, and supportive responses to their Black children's distress as indicators of secure base provision at age five and predictors of children's age six emotional and behavioral self-regulation. Participants included 91 Black children (52% female) and their mothers. Results indicated a significant 3-way interaction such that mothers' preparation for bias predicted children's greater self-regulation when mothers reported high support and moderate suppression in response to children's distress, b = .40, p < .001. Preparation for bias predicted children's lower self-regulation when mothers were highly supportive yet low on suppression responses to distress, b = -.31, p < .01. Attachment researchers should consider evaluating caregiving behaviors traditionally deemed insensitive (e.g. parental suppression) through the lens of serving an adaptive function within a complex system of protective practices among Black families.

Maternal Personality Predicts Insensitive Parenting: Effects through Causal Attributions about Infant Distress.

The association between parent personality and parenting has been established in the literature; however, the mechanisms explaining this relationship remain poorly understood. In the current study, we examined associations between maternal personality and maternal insensitive behaviors through causal attributions about infant distress. Primiparous mothers (N = 259) reported maternal personality during the third trimester of pregnancy. Mothers and 6-month-old infants were videotaped during distress eliciting tasks and mothers' causal attributions were assessed using a video recall method. Maternal unresponsiveness and negativity were coded. Maternal neuroticism was indirectly associated with more overtly negative maternal behaviors through negative attributions, whereas agreeableness was directly associated with fewer unresponsive maternal behaviors. Additionally, mothers who made more situational attributions engaged in fewer unresponsive behaviors. Results suggest maternal personality and causal attributions play an important role in maternal behavior in distressing contexts. Directions for intervention, parent education, and future research are discussed.

Protocol for iGrow (Infant Growth and Development Study): biopsychosocial predictors of childhood obesity risk at 2 years.

BACKGROUND: Childhood obesity remains a significant public health problem. To date, most research on the causes and correlates of obesity has focused on a small number of direct predictors of obesity rather than testing complex models that address the multifactorial nature of the origins of obesity in early development. We describe the rationale and methods of iGrow (Infant Growth and Development Study) which will test multiple pathways by which (a) prenatal maternal psychobiological risk predicts infant weight gain over the first 6 months of life, and (b) this early weight gain confers risk for obesity at age 2. Infant hormonal and psychobiological risk are proposed mediators from prenatal risk to early weight gain, though these are moderated by early maternal sensitivity and obesogenic feeding practices. In addition, higher maternal sensitivity and lower obesogenic feeding practices are proposed predictors of adaptive child self-regulation in the second year of life, and all three are proposed to buffer/reduce the association between high early infant weight gain and obesity risk at age 2. METHODS: iGrow is a prospective, longitudinal community-based study of 300 diverse mothers and infants to be followed across 5 data waves from pregnancy until children are age 2. Key measures include (a) maternal reports of demographics, stress, well-being, feeding practices and child characteristics and health; (b) direct observation of maternal and infant behavior during feeding, play, and distress-eliciting tasks during which infant heart rate is recorded to derive measures of vagal withdrawal; (c) anthropometric measures of mothers and infants; and (d) assays of maternal prenatal blood and infant saliva and urine. A host of demographic and other potential confounds will be considered as potential covariates in structural equation models that include tests of mediation and moderation. Efforts to mitigate the deleterious effects of COVID-19 on study success are detailed. DISCUSSION: This study has the potential to inform (1) basic science about early life processes casually related to childhood obesity and (2) development of targeted intervention and prevention approaches that consider mother, infant, and family risks and resources.

Autonomic nervous system functioning in early childhood: Responses to cognitive and negatively valenced emotional challenges.

Although autonomic nervous system (ANS) functioning is "context-dependent," few studies examined children's normative sympathetic and parasympathetic autonomic responses to distinct challenges in early childhood years. Examining children's ANS responsivity to distinct challenges is important for understanding normative autonomic responses toward everyday life stressors and identifying paradigms that effectively elicit a "stress response." We examined children's (N = 278) sympathetic (preejection period [PEP]) and parasympathetic (respiratory sinus arrhythmia [RSA]) responses to cognitive (i.e., problem-solving and cognitive control) and negatively valenced emotional (i.e., blocked goal and unfairness) challenges in preschool, kindergarten, and grade 1. Children, on average, demonstrated parasympathetic inhibition (RSA withdrawal) in response to all challenges but the magnitude of these responses depended on the task. Children showed sympathetic activation (PEP shortening) toward the problem-solving task at each assessment and there was no sample-level change in the magnitude of this response over time. Children showed greater sympathetic responsivity toward the cognitive control task over time, with evidence for a sympathetic activation response only in grade 1. Children experienced sympathetic inhibition (PEP lengthening) toward the unfairness tasks but did not experience significant sympathetic responsivity toward the blocked goal tasks. Parasympathetic responsivity to most challenges were modestly stable but there was no stability in sympathetic responsivity across time.

Individual Differences in Maternal, Marital, Parenting and Child Outcomes Following Perinatal Loss: A Longitudinal Study.

Objective: To examine the impact of past perinatal loss on mothers and children in a community sample and to consider maternal race and adult attachment status as moderators.Background: Prior perinatal loss has been shown to impact subsequent maternal parenting and child outcomes, but findings have been inconsistent particularly in minority mothers and samples not chosen due to perinatal loss history.Methods: Participants were 204 first-time mothers from a longitudinal study about predictors of sensitivity. Mothers completed the Adult Attachment Interview prenatally and reported on depressive symptoms and marital satisfaction prenatally and at 6 months and 1 year postpartum. Maternal sensitivity was observed at 6 months and 1 year, and infant-mother attachment security was assessed via the Strange Situation when children were 1 year old. Mothers reported on their reproductive history and current attitudes about the target child during the preschool period.Results: Fifty-eight (28.43%) mothers had a history of prior perinatal loss. Between group analysis revealed no differences based on perinatal loss and no moderation by maternal race or adult attachment. However, within the loss group, mothers who experienced losses later in the gestational period had less positive feelings about parenting and their children had less secure attachments to them; and mothers who had more perinatal losses had higher depressive symptoms at 1 year postpartum and less positive attitudes about parenting independent of race and SES.Conclusion: In the circumstance of multiple and later perinatal losses maternal well-being and child outcomes may be negatively impacted.

The My Emotions Questionnaire: A self-report of mothers' emotional responses to infant crying.

The purpose of this article was to examine the psychometrics of the My Emotions Questionnaire, a self-report designed to assess mothers' emotional reactions when their infants cry. Participants were 240 first-time mothers. When infants were 6 months and 1 year old, mothers completed the new questionnaire and measures assessing beliefs and behavioral responses to infant crying, and interview-based measures of mothers' emotional reactions and causal attributions about crying were administered. Maternal sensitivity and negative behaviors were observed when infants were 6 months and 1 and 2 years old. Mothers reported on their discipline practices when children were 2 years old. Five emotion factors emerged based on exploratory factor analysis (EFA) of the 6-month data: Amusement, Anxiety, Frustration, Sympathy, and Protective. The five-factor structure was supported via a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) of the 1-year data. All scales demonstrated adequate internal consistency reliability and significant stability from 6 months to 1 year. Amusement, Frustration, and Protectiveness demonstrated the best convergent validity with cry cognitions and predictive validity to parenting measures, followed by Anxiety, although effects tended to be small to moderate. Evidence for the validity of Sympathy was less compelling. The potential utility of the questionnaire for basic and applied research is discussed.

El propósito de este ensayo fue examinar la sicometría del Cuestionario Mis Emociones, un auto-reporte diseñado para evaluar las reacciones emocionales de las madres cuando sus infantes lloran. Las participantes fueron 240 madres primerizas. Cuando los infantes tenían 6 meses y 1 año de edad, las madres completaron el nuevo cuestionario y se les administraron medidas para evaluar creencias y la conducta de respuesta al llanto del infante, así como medidas basadas en entrevistas sobre las reacciones emocionales de las madres y atribuciones causales acerca del llanto. Cuando los infantes tenían 6 meses, 1 año y 2 años, se observaron la sensibilidad materna y las conductas negativas. Las madres reportaron acerca de sus prácticas disciplinarias cuando los niños tenían 2 años. Cinco factores de emoción surgieron de la información a los 6 meses, con base en los análisis exploratorios de factores: diversión, ansiedad, frustración, simpatía y actitud de protección. La estructura de cinco factores fue apoyada por medio de un análisis confirmatorio de factores de la información de 1 año. Todas las escalas demostraron una confiabilidad adecuada de consistencia interna y significativa estabilidad desde los 6 meses hasta 1 año. La diversión, la frustración y la actitud de protección demostraron la mejor validez convergente con conocimientos del llanto y validez predictiva hacia las medidas de crianza, y fueron seguidas por la ansiedad, aunque los efectos tendieron a ser entre pequeños y moderados. La evidencia por la validez de la simpatía fue menos convincente. Se discute la posible utilidad del cuestionario para la investigación básica y aplicada.

Le but de cet article était d'examiner la psychométrie du Questionnaire Mes Emotions, une auto-évaluation conçue pour évaluer les réactions émotionnelles des mères lorsque leurs bébés pleurent. Les participantes étaient 240 mères pour la première fois. Lorsque les bébés avaient 6 mois et 1 an, les mères ont rempli le nouveau questionnaire et les mesures évaluant les croyances et les réactions comportementales aux pleurs du bébé et des mesures basées sur des entretiens de réactions émotionnelles des mères et les attributions causales sur les pleurs ont été administrées. La sensibilité maternelle et les comportements négatifs ont été observés lorsque les enfants avaient 6 mois, 1 an, 2 ans. Les mères ont fait état de leurs disciplinaires quand les enfants avaient 2 ans. Cinq facteurs d'émotion ont émergé, basé sur l'analyse des facteurs exploratoires des données de 6 mois : amusement, anxiété, frustration, sympathie et protectrice. La structure de 5 facteurs a été soutenue au travers d'une analyse des facteurs de confirmation des données d'une année. Toutes les échelles ont démontré une fiabilité adéquate de la cohérence interne et une stabilité importante de 6 mois à 1 an. L'amusement, la frustration et la protection ont démontré la meilleure validité convergente avec les cognitions des pleurs et la validité prédictive aux mesures de parentages suivies par de l'anxiété, bien que les effets avaient tendance à être petits à modérés. Les preuves de la validité de la sympathie étaient moins convaincantes. L'utilité potentiel du questionnaire pour les recherches de base et les recherches appliquées sont discutées.

Mothers' self-reported emotion dysregulation: A potentially valid method in the field of infant mental health.

In the current study, we evaluated the extent to which mothers reported emotion dysregulation on the Difficulties with Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (DERS) (a) converged with physiological indices of emotion dysregulation while parenting, (b) correlated with maternal sensitivity, and (c) predicted infant attachment disorganization and behavior problems in a sample of 259 mothers and their infants. When infants were 6 months old, mothers' physiological arousal and regulation were measured during parenting tasks and mothers completed the DERS. Maternal sensitivity was observed during distress-eliciting tasks when infants were 6 and 14 months old. Infant attachment disorganization was assessed during the Strange Situation when infants were 14 months old and mothers reported on infants' behavior problems when infants were 27 months old. Mothers who reported greater emotion regulation difficulties were more physiologically dysregulated during stressful parenting tasks and also showed lower levels of maternal sensitivity at 6 months. Mother-reported dysregulation predicted higher likelihood of infant attachment disorganization and more behavior problems. Results suggest that the DERS is a valid measure of maternal emotional dysregulation and may be a useful tool for future research and intervention efforts aimed toward promoting positive parenting and early child adjustment.

En el presente estudio, evaluamos el punto al cual la madre reporta la desregulación de la emoción en el Cuestionario de Dificultades con la Regulación de la Emoción (DERS) (1) presentaba una convergencia con índices fisiológicos de desregulación de la emoción durante la crianza, (2) se correlacionaba con la sensibilidad materna, y (3) predecía la desorganización de la afectividad del infante y problemas de comportamiento en un grupo muestra de 259 madres y sus infantes. Cuando los infantes tenían 6 meses de edad, se midió la excitación y regulación fisiológica de las madres durante tareas de crianza y las madres completaron el DERS. La sensibilidad de las madres fue observada durante una tarea que motivaba la angustia cuando los infantes tenían 6 y 14 meses de edad. La desorganización de la afectividad del infante fue evaluada durante una sesión de la Situación Extraña cuando los infantes tenían 14 meses de edad y las madres reportaron acerca de los problemas de comportamiento de los infantes cuando los infantes tenían 27 meses de edad. Las madres que reportaron mayores dificultades con la regulación de la emoción se encontraban más desreguladas fisiológicamente durante las estresantes tareas de crianza y también mostraron más bajos niveles de sensibilidad materna a los 6 meses. La desregulación reportada por las madres predijo una más alta propensión de la desorganización de afectividad del infante y más problemas de comportamiento. Los resultados sugieren que el DERS es una medida válida para la desregulación emocional materna y pudiera ser una herramienta útil para la futura investigación y los esfuerzos de intervención con miras a promover la crianza positiva y la adaptación temprana del niño. Palabras claves: regulación de la emoción, interacción madre-infante, desorganización de la afectividad, problemas de comportamiento, regulación fisiológica.

Dans cette étude nous avons évalué dans quelle mesure la dysrégulation de l'émotion rapportée par la mère dans le Questionnaire sur les Difficultés de Régulation de l'Emotion (DERS, soit en anglais Difficulties with Emotion Regulation Questionnaire) (1) convergeait avec des indices physiologiques de dysrégulation de l'émotion durant le parentage, (2) était liée à la sensibilité maternelle, et (3) prédisait la désorganisation de l'attachement du nourrisson et des problèmes de comportement chez un échantillon de 259 mères et leurs bébés. Lorsque les bébés ont atteint l'âge de soi moi, la stimulation physiologique des mères et la régulation ont été mesurées durant des exercices de parentage et les mères ont rempli le questionnaire DERS. La sensibilité maternelle a été observée durant les exercices déclenchant de la détresse quand les bébés avaient 6 et 14 mois. La désorganisation de l'attachement du bébé a été évaluée en utilisant la Situation Etrange lorsque les bébés avaient 14 mois et les mères ont fait état des problèmes de comportement de leurs bébés lorsque ceux-ci avaient 27 mois. Les mères ayant rapporté de plus grandes difficultés de régulation de l'émotion étaient plus dysrégulées physiologiquement durant les exercices de parentage stressant et faisaient également preuve de niveaux de sensibilité maternelle plus bas à six mois. La dysrégulation rapportée par la mère prédisait une plus grande propension à la désorganisation de l'attachement du bébé et plus de problèmes de comportement. Les résultats suggèrent que le questionnaire DERS est une mesure valide de la dysrégulation émotionnelle maternelle et peut être un outil utile pour les recherches à venir et les efforts d'intervention visant la promotion d'un parentage positive et l'ajustement précoce de l'enfant. Mots clés: régulation de l'émotion, interaction mère-bébé, désorganisation de l'attachement, problèmes de comportement, régulation physiologique.

Latent trajectories of alcohol use from early adolescence to young adulthood: Interaction effects between 5-HTTLPR and parenting quality and gender differences.

Using a large and nationally representative sample, we examined how adolescents' 5-HTTLPR genotype and perceived parenting quality independently and interactively associated with trajectories of alcohol use from early adolescence to young adulthood and whether/how gender may moderate these associations. The sample for this study included 13,749 adolescents (53.3% female; 56.3% non-Hispanic White, 21.5% Black, 16.0% Hispanic, and 6.1% Asian) followed prospectively from adolescence to young adulthood. Using growth mixture modeling, we identified four distinct trajectories of alcohol use (i.e., persistent heavy alcohol use, developmentally limited alcohol use, late-onset heavy alcohol use, and non/light alcohol use). Results indicated that the short allele of 5-HTTLPR was associated with higher risk of membership in the persistent and the late-onset heavy alcohol use trajectories. Parenting quality was associated with lower likelihoods of following the persistent heavy and the developmentally limited alcohol use trajectories but was not associated with risk of membership for the late-onset heavy drinking trajectory. 5-HTTLPR interacted with parenting quality to predict membership in the persistent heavy alcohol use trajectory for males but not for females. Findings highlighted the importance of considering the heterogeneity in trajectories of alcohol use across development and gender in the study of Gene Environment interactions in alcohol use.

Longitudinal associations between conflict monitoring and emergent academic skills: An event-related potentials study.

Identifying the links between specific cognitive functions and emergent academic skills can help determine pathways to support both early academic performance and later academic achievement. Here, we investigated the longitudinal associations between a key aspect of cognitive control, conflict monitoring, and emergent academic skills from preschool through first grade, in a large sample of socioeconomically diverse children (N = 261). We recorded event-related potentials (ERPs) during a Go/No-Go task. The neural index of conflict monitoring, ΔN2, was defined as larger N2 mean amplitudes for No-Go versus Go trials. ΔN2 was observed over the right hemisphere across time points and showed developmental stability. Cross-lagged panel models revealed prospective links from ΔN2 to later math performance, but not reading performance. Specifically, larger ΔN2 at preschool predicted higher kindergarten math performance, and larger ΔN2 at kindergarten predicted higher first-grade math performance, above and beyond the behavioral performance in the Go/No-Go task. Early academic skills did not predict later ΔN2. These findings provided electrophysiological evidence for the contribution of conflict monitoring abilities to emergent math skills. In addition, our findings suggested that neural indices of cognitive control can provide additional information in predicting emergent math skills, above and beyond behavioral task performance.

Attentional fluctuations in preschoolers: Direct and indirect relations with task accuracy, academic readiness, and school performance.

Attentional control fluctuates in the presence of internal and external distractors, wandering on and off a given task. The current study investigated individual differences in attentional fluctuations in 250 preschoolers. Attentional fluctuations were assessed via intra-individual variability in response time in a Go/No-Go task. Greater fluctuations in attentional control were linked to lower task accuracy. In addition, greater attentional fluctuations predicted lower performance in a task of cognitive flexibility, the Dimensional Change Card Sort task. Attentional fluctuations were also associated with laboratory measures of academic readiness in preschool, as assessed by the Applied Problems and Letter-Word Identification subscales of the Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Achievement, which in turn predicted teacher reports of academic performance in first grade. Attentional fluctuations also had indirect associations with emergent math skills in preschool, via cognitive flexibility, as well as indirect associations with first-grade teacher reports of academic performance, via the relations between cognitive flexibility and emergent math skills in preschool. These results suggest that consistency is an important aspect of attentional control during early childhood.

Measuring preschool learning engagement in the laboratory.

Learning engagement is a critical factor for academic achievement and successful school transitioning. However, current methods of assessing learning engagement in young children are limited to teacher report or classroom observation, which may limit the types of research questions one could assess about this construct. The current study investigated the validity of a novel assessment designed to measure behavioral learning engagement among young children in a standardized laboratory setting and examined how learning engagement in the laboratory relates to future classroom adjustment. Preschool-aged children (N = 278) participated in a learning-based Tangrams task and Story sequencing task and were observed based on seven behavioral indicators of engagement. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the construct validity for a behavioral engagement factor composed of six of the original behavioral indicators: attention to instructions, on-task behavior, enthusiasm/energy, persistence, monitoring progress/strategy use, and negative affect. Concurrent validity for this behavioral engagement factor was established through its associations with parent-reported mastery motivation and pre-academic skills in math and literacy measured in the laboratory, and predictive validity was demonstrated through its associations with teacher-reported classroom learning behaviors and performance in math and reading in kindergarten. These associations were found when behavioral engagement was observed during both the nonverbal task and the verbal story sequencing tasks and persisted even after controlling for child minority status, gender, and maternal education. Learning engagement in preschool appears to be successfully measurable in a laboratory setting. This finding has implications for future research on the mechanisms that support successful academic development.

Patterns of RSA and observed distress during the still-face paradigm predict later attachment, compliance and behavior problems: A person-centered approach.

This study examined profiles of infant observed distress and physiological regulation indexed by respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) levels during the still-face paradigm at 6 months using a person-centered approach. Mothers and infants (N = 206) participated in the study when infants were 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years old. Attachment was assessed at 1 year via the Strange Situation. Children's compliance behaviors were assessed at 2 years during a toy clean-up task. Mothers reported children's behavior problems at 4.5 years. Latent profile analysis yielded four profiles: highly distressed, but regulating; over-regulated; resilient to distress; and under-regulated. Infants in the "resilient to distress" profile characterized by high RSA levels and low negative affect exhibited the most adaptive outcomes such as lower attachment avoidance, higher compliance, and lower behavior problems. Therefore, this study highlights the importance of considering patterns of behavioral and physiological indicators of infant emotionality together for understanding adaptive functioning.