Toward a multi-level approach to the study of the intergenerational transmission of trauma: Current findings and future directions.

A central goal in the field of developmental psychopathology is to evaluate the complex, dynamic transactions occurring among biological, psychological, and broader social-cultural contexts that predict adaptive and maladaptive outcomes across ontogeny. Here, I briefly review research on the effects of a history of childhood maltreatment on parental, child, and dyadic functioning, along with more recent studies on the intergenerational transmission of trauma. Because the experience and sequelae of child maltreatment and the intergenerational transmission of trauma are embedded in complex biopsychosocial contexts, this research is best conceptualized in a developmental psychopathology framework. Moreover, there is a pressing need for investigators in this area of study to adopt dynamic, multi-level perspectives as well as using developmentally guided, sophisticated research methods. Other directions for research in this field are suggested, including the implementation of collaborative interdisciplinary team science approaches, as well as community-based participatory research, to increase representation, inclusion, and equity of community stakeholders. A greater focus on cultural and global perspectives is also recommended.

Predicting attachment in Portuguese infants born very or extremely preterm: Understanding the roles of infant regulatory behavior, maternal sensitivity, and risk factors.

A growing body of research shows that early attachment relationships are foundational for children's later developmental and psychosocial outcomes. However, findings are mixed regarding whether preterm birth predicts later attachment, but insecurity is generally more prevalent among infants at higher medical and/or social/familial risk. This longitudinal study aimed to identify specific relational, familial/demographic, and perinatal predictors of attachment in a sample of 63 Portuguese infants born very or extremely preterm (VEPT, <32 gestational weeks) and their mothers from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds. One-third of the mothers had social/family risk factors (e.g., single parent, immigrant, unemployed, low education, and/or low income). At 3 months (corrected age), dyads were observed during social interaction in the Face-to-Face Still-Face paradigm (FFSF) and during free play. At 12 months, mother-infant dyads were observed in Ainsworth's Strange Situation. Over half (58.7%) of the infants were classified as insecurely attached. Social-Positive Oriented regulatory behavior pattern, higher maternal sensitivity, higher infant cooperation during free play, number of siblings and an absence of social/family risk factors were associated with attachment security. Perinatal variables were unrelated to attachment. Findings indicate that both relational and social contextual factors contribute to attachment in this biologically vulnerable sample.

Un creciente cuerpo investigativo muestra que las relaciones afectivas tempranas son fundamentales para posteriores resultados de desarrollo y sicosociales de los niños. Sin embargo, los resultados son variados acerca de si el nacimiento prematuro predice la afectividad posterior, pero la inseguridad es generalmente más prevalente entre infantes bajo más alto riesgo médico y/o social/familiar. Este estudio longitudinal se propuso identificar factores específicos de predicción de la afectividad, relacionales, familiar/demográficos y perinatales en un grupo muestra de 63 infantes portugueses nacidos muy o extremadamente prematuros (VEPT, < 32 semanas gestacionales) y sus madres de diversos niveles socioeconómicos. Un tercio de las madres tenían factores de riesgo social/familiar (v.g. madre soltera, inmigrante, desempleada, de baja educación y/o de bajos recursos económicos). A los tres meses (edad corregida), se les observó a las díadas durante la interacción social en el paradigma de Cara a Cara y Rostro Inmutable (FFSF) y durante el juego libre. A los 12 meses, se les observó a las díadas madre-infante por medio de la Situación Extraña de Ainsworth. Se clasificó más de la mitad (58.7%) de los infantes como afectivamente inseguros. Entre los factores de predicción de la afectividad segura se incluyó un patrón de conducta regulatoria con orientación social positiva durante FFSF, una sensibilidad materna más alta y la cooperación del infante durante el juego libre, así como la ausencia de factores de riesgo sociales/familiares. Las variables perinatales no estuvieron relacionadas con la afectividad. Los resultados indican que los factores contextuales, tanto relacionales como sociales contribuyen a la afectividad en este grupo biológicamente vulnerable.

Cross-modal coherence and incoherence of early infant interactive behavior: links to attachment in infants born very preterm or full-term.

Infants exhibit flexibly organized configurations of facial, vocal, affective, and motor behavior during caregiver-infant interactions that convey convergent messages about their internal states and desires. Prior work documents that greater cross-modal discrepancy at 4 months predicts disorganized attachment. Here, we evaluated whether: very preterm (VPT) or full-term (FT) status predicts cross-modal coherence or incoherence in infants' behavior with the caregiver at 3 months; and, regardless of prematurity, whether cross-modal interactive coherence or incoherence predicts 12-month attachment. Participants included 155 infants (85 FT; 70 VPT), and their mothers followed from birth to 12 months (corrected age). Infants' cross-modal coherent and incoherent responses were scored microanalytically from videotaped en-face interactions. Infants' attachment security was evaluated during Ainsworth's Strange Situation. Infants born VPT exhibited more incoherent cross-modal responses and insecure attachment than infants born FT. Regardless of prematurity, infants' coherent and incoherent cross-modal interactive behaviors at 3 months predicted different attachment patterns at 12 months.

A self-comfort oriented pattern of regulatory behavior and avoidant attachment are more likely among infants born moderate-to-late preterm.

Infants born preterm (<37 gestational weeks, GW) are at increased risk for regulatory difficulties and insecure attachment. However, the association between infants' regulatory behavior patterns and their later attachment organization is understudied in the preterm population. We addressed this gap by utilizing a Portuguese sample of 202 mother-infant dyads. Specifically, we compared the regulatory behavior patterns of 74 infants born moderate-to-late preterm (MLPT, 32-36 GW) to those of 128 infants born full-term (FT, 37-42 GW) and evaluated the associations of these regulatory patterns with later attachment. Infants' regulatory behavior patterns (Social-Positive Oriented, Distressed-Inconsolable, or Self-Comfort Oriented) were evaluated in the Face-to-Face-Still-Face paradigm at 3 months, and their attachment organization (secure, insecure-avoidant, or insecure-ambivalent) was evaluated in the Strange Situation at 12 months corrected age. In both samples, the Social-Positive-Oriented regulatory pattern was associated with secure attachment; the Distressed-Inconsolable pattern with insecure-ambivalent attachment; and the Self-Comfort-Oriented pattern with insecure-avoidant attachment. However, compared to FT infants, infants born MLPT were more likely to exhibit a Self-Comfort-Oriented pattern and avoidant attachment. Most perinatal and demographic variables were not related to infant outcomes. However, infants with a higher 1-min Apgar were more likely to exhibit the Social-Positive-Oriented regulatory pattern and secure attachment.

Maternal caregiving representations of the infant in the first year of life: Associations with prenatal and concurrent reflective functioning.

Few studies have examined whether maternal caregiving representations are associated with maternal reflective functioning (MRF), especially when MRF is evaluated longitudinally beginning in pregnancy. This study addresses this gap by evaluating whether prenatal and postnatal MRF are associated with mothers' caregiving representations assessed at 7 months postpartum, and by exploring theoretically unexpected MRF scores in each of the representational categories. Forty-seven mothers were recruited during their last trimester of pregnancy from an obstetrics clinic at a university hospital located in a large mid-western city in the United States. During pregnancy, mothers completed the Pregnancy Interview, and at 7 months postpartum they completed the Parent Development Interview (PDI) and the Working Model of the Child Interview. Results indicate that higher prenatal and postnatal MRF increased the odds of being classified as balanced versus disengaged. At 7 months, MRF also increased the odds of being balanced vs. distorted. Ten mothers who were classified as balanced or distorted had unexpected prenatal MRF scores, and six mothers had unexpected MRF scores when representations were assessed concurrently. Mothers classified as balanced with low MRF scores tended to have a low level of education, whereas mothers classified as distorted with high MRF scores had responses that were hostile, helpless, and role-reversed.

Pocos estudios han examinado el hecho de si las representaciones maternas acerca del cuidado están asociadas con el funcionamiento reflexivo materno (MRF), especialmente cuando MRF se evalúa longitudinalmente comenzando en el embarazo. Este estudio aborda este vacío por medio de evaluar si el MRF prenatal y postnatal está asociado con las representaciones que las madres tienen de prestar el cuidado evaluadas a los 7 meses después del parto, y por medio de explorar teoréticamente los puntajes no esperados de MRF en cada categoría representativa. Se reclutaron cuarenta y siete madres durante su último trimestre de embarazo del hospital de una universidad localizado en una ciudad del medio oeste de los Estados Unidos. Durante el embarazo, las madres completaron la Entrevista de Embarazo y a los 7 meses después del parto ellas completaron la Entrevista del Desarrollo del Progenitor y el Modelo de Trabajo de la Entrevista del Niño. Los resultados indican que el más alto MRF prenatal y postnatal también aumentó las posibilidades de ser clasificada como equilibrada vs. indiferente. A los 7 meses, el MRF también aumentó las posibilidades de ser equilibrada vs. distorsionada. Diez madres a quienes se les clasificó como equilibradas o distorsionadas tuvieron puntajes de MRF prenatales no esperados, y seis madres tuvieron no esperados puntajes de MRF cuando las representaciones fueron evaluadas al mismo tiempo. Las madres a quienes se les clasificó como equilibradas con bajos puntajes de MRF tendían a tener un nivel bajo de educación, mientras que las madres a quienes se les clasificó como distorsionadas con puntajes altos de MRF tuvieron respuestas que eran hostiles, indefensas y de inversión de papeles.

Peu d'études ont examiné si les représentations du soin maternel sont liées au fonctionnement réflectif maternel (abrégé ici selon l'anglais maternal reflective functioning, soit MRF), surtout lorsque le MRF est évalué de manière longitudinale à commencer par la grossesse. Cette étude porte sur cet écart en évaluant si le MRF prénatal et postnatal est lié aux représentations du soin des mères évalué à 7 mois postpartum, et en explorant des scores MRF théoriquement inattendus dans chacune des catégories représentationnelles. Quarante-sept mères ont été recrutées durant leur dernier trimestre de grossesse dans un CHU situé dans une grande ville du centre des Etats-Unis. Durant la grossesse les mères ont passé l'Entretien de Grossesse et à 7 mois postpartum elles ont passé l'Entretien du Développement du Parent et le Modèle de Travail de l'Entretien de l'Enfant. Les résultats indiquent qu'un MRF prénatal et postnatal élevé augmentait les chances d'être classé comme équilibrée par rapport à désengagée. A 7 mois, le MRF augmentait aussi les chances d'être équilibrée par rapport à faussée. Dix mères qui ont été classées comme étant équilibrées ou faussées avaient des scores de MRF prénatal inattendus et six mères avaient des scores de MRF inattendu quand les représentations étaient évaluées en même temps. Les mères classées comme équilibrées avec des scores de MRF bas tendaient à avoir un niveau d'éducation plus bas, alors que les mères classées comme faussées avec des scores de MRF élevés ont fait preuve de réactions qui étaient hostiles, désemparées et de rôle inversé.

Emerging patterns of infant regulatory behavior in the Still-Face paradigm at 3 and 9 months predict mother-infant attachment at 12 months.

Prior research described three stable patterns of organized behavior employed by infants to manage stressful interactive situations with their mothers in the Face-to-Face Still-Face paradigm (FFSF) at 3 and 9 months postpartum.  The current longitudinal study expands this research by examining the extent to which these patterns predict infants' later attachment quality. For that purpose, 108 full-term infants and their mothers participated in the FFSF at 3 and 9 months, and in the Strange Situation at 12 months. Cross-tabulation analyses indicated a significant association between (1) the Social-positive oriented pattern and secure attachment, (2) the Distressed-inconsolable pattern and insecure-ambivalent attachment, and (3) the Self-comfort oriented pattern and insecure-avoidant attachment. Our results contribute to a growing body of studies suggesting that patterns of infants' regulatory behavior assessed during the FFSF during the first year, may be early developmental precursors of attachment patterns at 12 months.

Maternal perinatal representations and their associations with mother-infant interaction and attachment: A longitudinal comparison of Portuguese and Brazilian dyads.

Prior research in Western countries (mostly the US, Canada and northern Europe) indicates that mothers' representations are associated with mother-infant interaction quality and their child's attachment security later in the first year. Fewer studies, however, have evaluated whether these associations hold for mother-infant dyads in other countries, such as Brazil and Portugal. Although these countries share a similar language and culture, they differ on societal dimensions that may affect parenting attitudes and mother-infant relationships, such as economic stress, social organisation, social policy, and the availability of services for young families. In this longitudinal study, we followed two independent samples of Brazilian and Portuguese mother-infant dyads from the perinatal period to 12 months post-partum. We assessed mothers' perinatal representations using semi-structured interviews in the first 48 hours after the infant's birth, and evaluated the associations of these representations with mother interaction quality at 9 months and infant attachment at 12 months. Results were similar in each country, corroborating prior research in single Western countries: Mothers with more positive perinatal representations were more sensitive to their infants during free play at 9 months and were more likely to have infants classified as securely attached at 12 months.

Predicting Patterns of Regulatory Behavior in the Still-Face Paradigm at 3 Months.

The current study addressed two aims: (1) to describe different patterns of infant regulatory behavior during the Face-to-Face Still-Face (FFSF) paradigm at 3 months of age and (2) to identify specific, independent predictors of these patterns from an a priori set of demographic, infant (e.g., temperament), and maternal (e.g., sensitivity) variables. Analyses were based on data collected for 121 mother-infant dyads assessed longitudinally in the newborn period and again at 3 months. In the newborn period, infants' neurobehavior was evaluated using the Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale (NBAS) and mothers reported on their caregiving confidence and their newborns' irritability and alertness. At 3 months, mothers reported on their infant's temperament, and mother-infant interactions were videotaped during free play and the FFSF. Three patterns of infant regulatory behavior were observed. The most common was a Social-Positive Oriented Pattern, followed by a Distressed-Inconsolable Pattern, and a Self-Comfort Oriented Pattern. Results of multinomial logistic regression indicated that categorical assignment was not associated with demographic or infant characteristics, but rather with dyadic regulatory processes in which maternal reparatory sensitivity played a crucial role.

Prenatal neural origins of infant motor development: Associations between fetal brain and infant motor development.

Functional circuits of the human brain emerge and change dramatically over the second half of gestation. It is possible that variation in neural functional system connectivity in utero predicts individual differences in infant behavioral development, but this possibility has yet to be examined. The current study examines the association between fetal sensorimotor brain system functional connectivity and infant postnatal motor ability. Resting-state functional connectivity data was obtained in 96 healthy human fetuses during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy. Infant motor ability was measured 7 months after birth using the Bayley Scales of Infant Development. Increased connectivity between the emerging motor network and regions of the prefrontal cortex, temporal lobes, posterior cingulate, and supplementary motor regions was observed in infants that showed more mature motor functions. In addition, females demonstrated stronger fetal-brain to infant-behavior associations. These observations extend prior longitudinal research back into prenatal brain development and raise exciting new ideas about the advent of risk and the ontogeny of early sex differences.

Maternal insightfulness protects against the detrimental effects of postpartum stress on positive parenting among at-risk mother-infant dyads.

The current study evaluated whether maternal insightfulness can buffer the negative influence of postpartum stressful life events on maternal parenting behaviors. Participants were 125 mother-infant dyads (55% boys) who present a subsample of a larger longitudinal study on maternal maltreatment during childhood and its impact on peripartum maternal adjustment. Women were primarily white and middle class. At 4 months postpartum, mothers reported on the stressful life events experienced after the child's birth and current depressive symptoms. At 6 months postpartum, maternal parenting quality was assessed using videotaped mother-infant interactions and maternal insightfulness was evaluated using the Insightfulness Assessment. Insightfulness significantly moderated the effect of postpartum stressful events on maternal parenting behaviors. Mothers who were insightful displayed high levels of positive parenting during interactions with their infant regardless of the amount of stressful life events experienced. In contrast, mothers classified as non-insightful showed less positive parenting as they experienced more stressful life events. Findings highlight the protective role of maternal insightfulness in the face of postpartum stress, and suggest that efforts to enhance insightfulness during the early postpartum period may be particularly relevant for women in high-risk contexts.

ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN EARLY MATERNAL DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOM TRAJECTORIES AND TODDLERS' FELT SECURITY AT 18 MONTHS: ARE BOYS AND GIRLS AT DIFFERENTIAL RISK?

The goal of this study was to evaluate whether there are sex differences in children's vulnerability to caregiving risk, as indexed by trajectories of maternal depressive symptoms assessed from 2 to 18 months' postpartum, and children's rated attachment security in toddlerhood, adjusting for maternal social support and demographic risk. Analyses utilized longitudinal data collected for 182 African American mother-child dyads from economically diverse backgrounds. Participants were recruited at the time of the child's birth and followed to 18 months' postpartum. Results of conditional latent growth models indicated that an increasing rate of change in level of maternal depressive symptoms over time negatively predicted toddlers' felt attachment security. Higher social support was associated with decreasing levels of maternal depressive symptoms over time whereas higher demographic risk was associated with increasing levels of maternal depressive symptoms. A subsequent multigroup conditional latent growth model revealed that child sex moderated these associations. For male (but not female) children, a rapid increase in maternal depressive symptoms was associated with lower felt attachment security at 18 months. These findings suggest that boys, as compared to girls, may be more vulnerable to early caregiving risks such as maternal depression, with negative consequences for mother-child attachment security in toddlerhood.

Positive predictors of quality of life for postpartum mothers with a history of childhood maltreatment.

The postpartum period brings a host of biopsychosocial, familial, and economic changes, which may be challenging for new mothers, especially those with trauma histories. Trauma-exposed women are at heightened risk for psychiatric symptomatology and reduced quality of life. The current study sought to evaluate whether a set of hypothesized promotive factors assessed during the first 18 months postpartum (positive parenting, family cohesion, and maternal resilience) are associated with life satisfaction in this population, after controlling for income and postpartum psychiatric symptoms. Analyses were based on data collected for 266 mother-infant dyads from a longitudinal cohort study, Maternal Anxiety during the Childbearing Years (MACY), of women oversampled for childhood maltreatment history. Hierarchical linear regression was used to evaluate the study hypotheses. Consistent with prior work, greater postpartum psychiatric symptoms and less income predicted poor perceptions of life quality. In hierarchical regressions controlling for income and psychiatric symptoms, positive parenting and family cohesion predicted unique variance in mothers' positive perceptions of life quality, and resilience was predictive beyond all other factors. Factors from multiple levels of analysis (maternal, dyadic, and familial) may serve as promotive factors predicting positive perceptions of life quality among women with childhood trauma histories, even those struggling with high levels of psychiatric or economic distress.

Understanding Bidirectional Mother-Infant Affective Displays across Contexts: Effects of Maternal Maltreatment History and Postpartum Depression and PTSD Symptoms.

BACKGROUND: This study examined the bidirectional nature of mother-infant positive and negative emotional displays during social interactions across multiple tasks among postpartum women accounting for childhood maltreatment severity. Additionally, effects of maternal postpartum psychopathology on maternal affect and effects of task and emotional valence on dyadic emotional displays were evaluated. SAMPLING AND METHODS: A total of 192 mother-infant dyads (51% male infants) were videotaped during free play and the Still-Face paradigm at 6 months postpartum. Mothers reported on trauma history and postpartum depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. Reliable, masked coders scored maternal and infant positive and negative affect from the videotaped interactions. RESULTS: Three path models evaluated whether dyadic affective displays were primarily mother driven, infant driven, or bidirectional in nature, adjusting for mothers' maltreatment severity and postpartum psychopathology. The bidirectional model had the best fit. Child maltreatment severity predicted depression and PTSD symptoms, and maternal symptoms predicted affective displays (both positive and negative), but the pattern differed for depressive symptoms compared to PTSD symptoms. Emotional valence and task altered the nature of bidirectional affective displays. CONCLUSIONS: The results add to our understanding of dyadic affective exchanges in the context of maternal risk (childhood maltreatment history, postpartum symptoms of depression and PTSD). Findings highlight postpartum depression symptoms as one mechanism of risk transmission from maternal maltreatment history to impacted parent-child interactions. Limitations include reliance on self-reported psychological symptoms and that the sample size prohibited testing of moderation analyses. Developmental and clinical implications are discussed.

Longitudinal examination of infant baseline and reactivity cortisol from ages 7 to 16 months.

This study characterized the longitudinal evolution of HPA axis functioning from 7 to 16 months of age and identified individual and environmental factors that shape changes in HPA axis functioning over time. Participants were 167 mother-infant dyads drawn from a larger longitudinal study, recruited based on maternal history of being maltreated during childhood. Salivary cortisol levels were assessed before and after age-appropriate psychosocial stressors when infants were 7 and 16 months old. Maternal observed parenting and maternal reports of infant and environmental characteristics were obtained at 7 months and evaluated as predictors of changes in infant baseline cortisol and reactivity from 7 to 16 months. Results revealed that infants did not show a cortisol response at 7 months, but reactivity to psychosocial stress emerged by 16 months. Individual differences in cortisol baseline and reactivity levels over time were related to infant sex and maternal overcontrolling behaviors, underscoring the malleable and socially informed nature of early HPA axis functioning. Findings can inform prevention and intervention efforts to promote healthy stress regulation during infancy.

Maternal parenting predicts infant biobehavioral regulation among women with a history of childhood maltreatment.

Early biobehavioral regulation, a major influence of later adaptation, develops through dyadic interactions with caregivers. Thus, identification of maternal characteristics that can ameliorate or exacerbate infants' innate vulnerabilities is key for infant well-being and long-term healthy development. The present study evaluated the influence of maternal parenting, postpartum psychopathology, history of childhood maltreatment, and demographic risk on infant behavioral and physiological (i.e., salivary cortisol) regulation using the still-face paradigm. Our sample included 153 women with high rates of childhood maltreatment experiences. Mother-infant dyads completed a multimethod assessment at 7 months of age. Structural equation modeling showed that maternal positive (i.e., sensitive, warm, engaged, and joyful) and negative (i.e., overcontrolling and hostile) behaviors during interactions were associated with concurrent maternal depressive symptoms, single parent status, and low family income. In turn, positive parenting predicted improved infant behavioral regulation (i.e., positive affect and social behaviors following the stressor) and decreased cortisol reactivity (i.e., posttask levels that were similar to or lower than baseline cortisol). These findings suggest increased risk for those women experiencing high levels of depressive symptoms postpartum and highlight the importance of maternal positive interactive behaviors during the first year for children's neurodevelopment.

Secure base scripts are associated with maternal parenting behavior across contexts and reflective functioning among trauma-exposed mothers.

There is growing evidence that "secure-base scripts" are an important part of the cognitive underpinnings of internal working models of attachment. Recent research in middle class samples has shown that secure-base scripts are linked to maternal attachment-oriented behavior and child outcomes. However, little is known about the correlates of secure base scripts in higher-risk samples. Participants in the current study included 115 mothers who were oversampled for childhood maltreatment and their infants. Results revealed that a higher level of secure base scriptedness was significantly related to more positive and less negative maternal parenting in both unstructured free play and structured teaching contexts, and to higher reflective functioning scores on the Parent Development Interview-Revised Short Form. Associations with parent-child secure base scripts, specifically, indicate some level of relationship-specificity in attachment scripts. Many, but not all, significant associations remained after controlling for family income and maternal age. Findings suggest that assessing secure base scripts among mothers known to be at risk for parenting difficulties may be important for interventions aimed at altering problematic parental representations and caregiving behavior.

Maternal reflective functioning among mothers with childhood maltreatment histories: links to sensitive parenting and infant attachment security.

This study examined relationships among maternal reflective functioning, parenting, infant attachment, and demographic risk in a relatively large (N = 83) socioeconomically diverse sample of women with and without a history of childhood maltreatment and their infants. Most prior research on parental reflective functioning has utilized small homogenous samples. Reflective functioning was assessed with the Parent Development Interview, parenting was coded from videotaped mother-child interactions, and infant attachment was evaluated in Ainsworth's Strange Situation by independent teams of reliable coders masked to maternal history. Reflective functioning was associated with parenting sensitivity and secure attachment, and inversely associated with demographic risk and parenting negativity; however, it was not associated with maternal maltreatment history or PTSD. Parenting sensitivity mediated the relationship between reflective functioning and infant attachment, controlling for demographic risk. Findings are discussed in the context of prior research on reflective functioning and the importance of targeting reflective functioning in interventions.

It's You and Me: Infants' cross-modal communicative signals and mother-infant interactive behavior predict infant regulatory patterns in the still-face paradigm at 3 months.

Infant regulatory behavior develops since birth and impacts their early social interactions. Infants differ in the relative coherence and incoherence of their cross-modal communicative signals during en-face infant-caregiver interactions. We expand this research by evaluating whether different infant regulatory patterns observed during the Face-to-Face Still-Face (FFSF) at 3 months are associated with the coherence or incoherence of infants' cross-modal communicative behaviors during en-face interactions or with multiple dimensions of mother-infant interactive behavior during free-play. Analyses were based on data collected from 100 mother-infant dyads from urban, working- and middle-class backgrounds in Portugal who were videotaped during the FFSF and free play at 3 months. Results confirm that infants' different regulatory behavior patterns in the FFSF at 3 months are associated with the coherence and incoherence of their cross-modal interactive behaviors and specific aspects of mother-infant interaction. Infants with a Social-Positive oriented regulatory pattern during the FFSF displayed more coherent and less incoherent communicative behaviors with their mothers and were more cooperative during free play. In turn, their mothers were more sensitive. Our findings support the perspective that infants' regulatory behavior strategies in the context of caregiver regulatory support and sensitivity are likely to increase dyadic correspondence and infant ability to engage with the world.

The association of maternal-infant interactive behavior, dyadic frontal alpha asymmetry, and maternal anxiety in a smartphone-adapted still face paradigm.

Mother-infant interactions form a strong basis for emotion regulation development in infants. These interactions can be affected by various factors, including maternal postnatal anxiety. Electroencephalography (EEG) hyperscanning allows for simultaneous assessment of mother-infant brain-to-behavior association during stressful events, such as the still-face paradigm (SFP). This study aimed at investigating dyadic interactive behavior and brain-to-behavior association across SFP and identifying neural correlates of mother-infant interactions in the context of maternal postnatal anxiety. We measured frontal alpha asymmetry (FAA), a physiological correlate of emotion regulation and a potential marker of risk for psychopathology. To emulate real-life interactions, EEG and behavioral data were collected from 38 mother-infant dyads during a smartphone-adapted dual-SFP. Although the behavioral data showed a clear still-face effect for the smartphone-adapted SFP, this was not reflected in the infant or maternal FAA. Brain-to-behavior data showed higher infant negative affect being associated with more infant leftward FAA during the still-face episodes. Finally, mothers with higher postnatal anxiety showed more right FAA during the first still-face episode, suggesting negative affectivity and a need to withdraw from the situation. Our results form a baseline for further research assessing the effects of maternal postnatal anxiety on infants' FAA and dyadic interactive behavior.

Risk, Emotional Support, Child Abuse Potential, and Parenting During the First Year of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic and associated mitigation efforts created stress that threatened parent and child well-being. Conditions that increase stress within families heighten the likelihood of child abuse, but social support can mitigate the impact. This short-term investigation considered whether cumulative risk, COVID-19 specific risk, and emotional support (one aspect of social support), were associated with child abuse potential during the pandemic. Additionally, we investigated whether emotional support moderated the association between COVID-19 specific risk and child abuse potential, and associations between child abuse potential and emotionally positive and emotionally negative parenting. Participants included 89 parents, from a metropolitan area with a large number of economically distressed families, who completed online questionnaires. COVID-19 specific risk and emotional support each explained additional variance in child abuse potential beyond cumulative risk, but emotional support did not moderate the association between COVID-19 specific risk and child abuse potential. Consistent with expectations, child abuse potential was negatively associated with emotionally positive parenting and positively associated with emotionally negative parenting practices. Results highlight the importance of addressing both risks and supports at multiple levels for parents during times of stress.