Stroking in early mother-infant exchanges: The role of maternal tactile biography and interoceptive sensibility.

Caress-like is a crucial component of caregiving and a key factor in mother-infant interactions. Mother's experience of touch during her own childhood (i.e., tactile biography) has been found to be related to maternal actual use of caress-like touch (i.e., stroking) during mother-infant exchanges. Evidence also suggests that maternal interoceptive sensibility (i.e., self-perceived sensitivity to inner-body sensations) might be related to sensitive caregiving abilities. However, further empirical investigation is needed to understand to what extent tactile biography and interoceptive sensibility have an impact on mothers' stroking when interacting with their infants. Using an online survey, this cross-sectional study explored the potential association between maternal tactile biography, interoceptive sensibility and use of touch for interaction with their own infants in a group of 377 Italian mothers (mean age = 33.29; SD = 4.79). We tested and compared a series of multivariate linear mediation models using maternal tactile biography as predictor, maternal use of affective touch as outcome variable and Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness (MAIA) subscale scores as mediators. We found that, if a mother had positive touch experiences in her own childhood, she may be more likely to use touch in a positive and nurturing way with her own infant (i.e., stroking). Furthermore, mothers' interoceptive sensibility in the form of attention regulation, self-regulation and body listening mediates the association between their past experiences of positive touch and their use of caress-like touch in mother-infant exchanges. This study highlights that maternal tactile biography is directly associated with mothers' use of caress-like touch and indirectly linked to it through the mediating role of interoceptive sensibility.

Exploring maternal touch in the infant's first 18 months of Life: A study on an Italian sample.

Affective touch is a crucial component of caregiving in early life and constitutes a key factor with a significant impact on infant later-life outcomes. The Parent-Infant Caregiving Touch Scale (PICTS) allows to quantify and qualify the caregiver's self-perception of touch in the first months of an infant's life. In the current study, we contributed to validation of the PICTS in the Italian language in order to explore whether early maternal touch would be associated with maternal emotional state, maternal history of affective touch experiences throughout the lifespan, and infants' sex and age. Data analyses were run on a sample of 377 Italian mothers (mean age = 33.29; SD = 4.79) participating in an online survey. Confirmatory factor analysis was applied. A three-dimensional structure of PICTS (i.e., stroking, affective communication, and holding) after removing one item out resulted in the best model in our sample. Maternal emotional state did not affect PICTS factor scores while maternal comfort and amount of affective touch experienced during adulthood was significantly associated with the stroking, affective communication, and holding factors. Regarding infants' dimensions, infants' sex and age were not associated with PICTS factor scores. Findings suggest that the PICTS Italian version is a good measurement of caregiver's self-perception of touch in early infancy and that maternal history of touch is associated with a mother's current use of touch.

Tactile Biography Questionnaire: A contribution to its validation in an Italian sample.

As the interest in the beneficial effects of positive touch experiences is rapidly growing, having reliable and valid tools to its assessment is essential. The Tactile Biography Questionnaire (TBQ) allows to quantify individual differences in affective touch experiences throughout life. The aim of this article is to present a contribution to its validation in the Italian population. Data analysis were run on a sample of 2040 Italian individuals (Females = 1342, 64%) participating in an on-line survey. Confirmatory Factor Analysis and invariance analyses for gender were applied. Concurrent validity was checked using two specific subscales of the Touch Avoidance Questionnaire (TAQ-i.e., Family and Stranger). The four-dimensional structure of the TBQ was confirmed in the overall sample and by gender. Also, the TBQ showed an excellent internal consistency and a good concurrent validity with TAQ. The present study suggests that the TBQ can be used to support healthcare professionals and researchers to assess experiences of affective touch in different settings.

Serotonin transporter gene methylation and emotional regulation in preschool children born preterm: A longitudinal evaluation of the role of negative emotionality in infancy.

The aim of the study was to assess the contribution of negative emotionality at 3 months (T1) and serotonin transporter gene (SLC6A4) DNA methylation at 4.5 years of age (T2) to emotion regulation in pre-schoolers born very preterm and full-term. Forty one children (n = 21 born very preterm, n = 20 born full-term) participated in the study. Fretful behavior was assessed at T1 in response to the Face-to-FaceStill-Face (FFSF) paradigm. At T2, SLC6A4 DNA methylation was analyzed and emotion regulation was assessed using an observational procedure (i.e., the Pre-schooler Regulation of Emotional Stress, PRES). The very preterm group displayed higher emotion dysregulation during the PRES Reactivity phase than the full-term group. Higher levels of fretful behavior at 3 months were associated with greater emotional distress only for very preterm children with higher methylation at T2. No significant associations emerged in the full-term group. Despite current findings cannot be generalized owing to the relatively small sample size, this work provides preliminary longitudinal evidence about the link between negative emotionality during infancy, stress-linked epigenetic status at 4.5 years and emotion dysregulation in preschoolers born preterm.

El propósito del estudio fue evaluar la contribución de la emocionalidad negativa a los 3 meses (T1) y la metilación del ADN en el gen transportador de la serotonina (SLC6A4) a los 4 años y medio de edad (T2) a la regulación de la emoción en prescolares nacidos muy antes de la gestación completa o de gestación completa. Cuarenta y un niños (n = 21 nacidos muy antes de la gestación completa, n = 20 nacidos de gestación completa) participaron en el estudio. El comportamiento irritable se evaluó a T1 como respuesta al Cara-a-Cara del paradigma de la Cara Inmóvil (FFSF). A T2, se analizó la metilación de ADN SLC6A4 y se evaluó la regulación de la emoción usando un procedimiento de observación (v.g. La Regulación del Estrés Emocional del Prescolar, PRES). El grupo nacido muy antes de la gestación completa mostró una más alta desregulación durante la fase de Reactividad PRES que el grupo nacido de gestación completa. Los niveles más altos de comportamiento irritable a los 3 meses se asociaron con una mayor angustia emocional solamente para los niños nacidos muy antes de la gestación completa con más alta metilación al T2. Ninguna asociación significativa surgió del grupo nacido de gestación completa. A pesar de que los actuales resultados no se pueden generalizar debido al tamaño relativamente pequeño del grupo muestra, este trabajo ofrece aporta evidencia longitudinal preliminar acerca de la conexión entre la emocionalidad negativa durante la infancia, el estado epigenético relacionado con el estrés a los 4 años y medio y la desregulación de la emoción en prescolares nacidos antes de la completa gestación.

Le but de cette étude était d'évaluer la contribution de l'émotivité négative à 3 mois (T1) et du gène vecteur de la sérotonine (SLC6A4) méthylation de l'ADN à l'âge de 4,5 ans (T2) à la régulation de l'émotion chez les enfants d'âge préscolaire nés très prématurés et à plein terme. Quarante et un enfant (n = 21 nés très prématurés, n = 20 nés à plein terme) ont participé à l'étude. Le comportement agité a été évalué au T1 en réponse au paradigme face-à-face visage inexpressif (abrégé FFSF en anglais). Au T2, la méthylation de l'ADN SLC6A4 a été analysée et la régulation de l'émotion a été évaluée en utilisant un protocole d'observation (à savoir, la Régulation du Stress Emotionnel de l'Enfant d'Age Préscolaire, abrégé en anglais PRES). Le groupe très prématuré a fait état d'une dysrégulation de l'émotion plus élevée durant la phase de Réactivité PRES que le groupe né à plein terme. Des niveaux plus élevés de comportement agité à 3 mois étaient liés à une détresse émotionnelle plus grande uniquement pour les enfants très prématurés avec une méthylation plus élevée au T2. Aucune association importante n'a émergé dans le groupe à plein terme. En dépit du fait que les résultats actuels ne peuvent pas être généralisés à cause de la taille relativement petite de l'échantillon, ce travail offre des preuves longitudinales préliminaires sur le lien entre l'émotivité négative durant la petite enfant, le statut épigénétique lié au stress à 4,5 ans et la dysrégulation de l'émotion chez les enfants d'âge préscolaires nés avant terme.

The role of maternal touch in the association between SLC6A4 methylation and stress response in very preterm infants.

Very preterm (VPT) infants requiring hospitalization in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) are exposed to several stressful procedural experiences. One consequence of NICU-related stress is a birth-to-discharge increased serotonin transporter gene (SLC6A4) methylation that has been associated with poorer stress regulation at 3 months of age. Maternal touch is thought to support infants' stress response, but its role in moderating the effects of SLC6A4 methylation changes is unknown. The aim of this study was to assess the role of maternal touch in moderating the association between increased SLC6A4 methylation and stress response in 3-month-old VPT infants. Twenty-nine dyads were enrolled and at 3 months (age corrected for prematurity), participated in the Face-to-Face Still-Face paradigm to measure infants' stress response (i.e., negative emotionality) and the amount of maternal touch (i.e., dynamic and static). Results showed that low level of maternal touch is associated with high level of negative emotionality during social stress. Furthermore, during NICU stay SLC6A4 methylation in VPT exposed to low level of maternal touch at 3 months was associated with increased negative emotionality. Thus, low levels of maternal static touch can intensify the negative effects of SLC6A4 epigenetic changes on stress response in 3-month-old VPT infants.

COPEWithME: The Role of Parental Ability to Support and Promote Child Resilient Behaviors During the COVID-19 Emergency.

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to lockdown in many countries and Italy was the first one interested in Europe. The lockdown strategy is an essential step to curb the exponential rise of COVID-19 cases, but it is very demanding for the population involved and especially for children and their families. The aims of the present study are: (a) to explore the psychometric properties of the COPEWithME questionnaire, a new tool to evaluate parents' ability to support and promote child resilient behaviors, (b) to investigate the relation between parents' resilience and their ability to support and promote child resilient behaviors with child resilience and child stress-related behaviors assessed during the COVID-19 outbreak. Participants (N = 158 mothers, with 6- to 11-years-old children, 53% female), who were volunteers and anonymous, filled out an online questionnaire composed by CD-RISC 25, PMK-CYRM-R, and COPEWithME. With regard to the COPEWithME, validation exploratory factor analyses revealed a one-factor solution of 18 items. The COPEWithME positively correlates both with mothers' resilience and with children's resilience. Mediation analysis showed that the association between mothers' resilience and children's stress-related behaviors was mediated by the mothers' ability to support and promote child resilient behaviors. The COPEWithME, to our knowledge, is the first measure of parents' ability to support and promote resilient behaviors in school-age children, a key parenting skill that may help children in dealing with stressful situations such as the COVID-19 outbreak. These findings represent useful insights to advance mental health interventions in the post-pandemic phases suggesting focusing on a family's resources and resilience processes.

Neuroimaging and DNA Methylation: An Innovative Approach to Study the Effects of Early Life Stress on Developmental Plasticity.

DNA methylation plays a key role in neural cell fate and provides a molecular link between early life stress and later-life behavioral phenotypes. Here, studies that combine neuroimaging methods and DNA methylation analysis in pediatric population with a history of adverse experiences were systematically reviewed focusing on: targeted genes and neural correlates; statistical models used to examine the link between DNA methylation and neuroimaging data also considering early life stress and behavioral outcomes. We identified 8 studies that report associations between DNA methylation and brain structure/functions in infants, school age children and adolescents faced with early life stress condition (e.g., preterm birth, childhood maltreatment, low socioeconomic status, and less-than optimal caregiving). Results showed that several genes were investigated (e.g., OXTR, SLC6A4, FKBP5, and BDNF) and different neuroimaging techniques were performed (MRI and f-NIRS). Statistical model used ranged from correlational to more complex moderated mediation models. Most of the studies (n = 5) considered DNA methylation and neural correlates as mediators in the relationship between early life stress and behavioral phenotypes. Understanding what role DNA methylation and neural correlates play in interaction with early life stress and behavioral outcomes is crucial to promote theory-driven studies as the future direction of this research fields.