Parental sensitivity modifies the associations between maternal prenatal stress exposure, autonomic nervous system functioning and infant temperament in a diverse, low-income sample.
Attach Hum Dev
; 25(5): 487-523, 2023 10.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-37749913
ABSTRACT
Evidence suggests that adversity experienced during fetal development may shape infant physiologic functioning and temperament. Parental sensitivity is associated with child stress regulation and may act as a buffer against risk for intergenerational health effects of pre- or postnatal adversity. Building upon prior evidence in a racially and ethnically diverse sample of infants (M infant age = 6.5 months) and women of low socioeconomic status, this study examined whether coded parenting sensitivity moderated the association between an objective measure of prenatal stress exposures (Stressful Life Events (SLE)) and infant parasympathetic (respiratory sinus arrhythmia; RSA) or sympathetic (pre-ejection period; PEP) nervous system functioning assessed during administration of the Still-Face-Paradigm (SFP) (n = 66), as well as maternal report of temperament (n = 154). Results showed that parental sensitivity moderated the associations between prenatal stress exposures and infant RSA reactivity, RSA recovery, PEP recovery, and temperamental negativity. Findings indicate that greater parental sensitivity is associated with lower infant autonomic nervous system reactivity and greater recovery from challenge. Results support the hypothesis that parental sensitivity buffers infants from the risk of prenatal stress exposure associations with offspring cross-system physiologic reactivity and regulation, potentially shaping trajectories of health and development and promoting resilience.
Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Bases de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Temperamento
/
Arritmia Sinusal Respiratória
Tipo de estudo:
Diagnostic_studies
/
Risk_factors_studies
Limite:
Child
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Infant
/
Pregnancy
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Attach Hum Dev
Assunto da revista:
CIENCIAS DO COMPORTAMENTO
/
MEDICINA SOCIAL
Ano de publicação:
2023
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Estados Unidos