Hair collection protocol in 12-month-old infants.

Purpose: Most studies assessing hair cortisol were conducted with adults. As specific guidelines for infant hair collection are lacking, we developed a hair collection protocol for 12-month-old infants and assessed its acceptability and feasibility. Results: Out of the total (N = 45), 95.6 % (n = 43) of caregivers consented to the procedure, while one caregiver did not consent (2.2 %), and another requested the procedure to be halted before required amount of hair had been reached (2.2 %). Furthermore, two (4.4 %) infants did not have enough hair for collection. There was no attrition due to infant fussiness/crying. Discussion: We learned five lessons which can help to enhance reproducibility, mother's consent, and mother-infant comfort and acceptance of the procedure. The first lesson is to have the infant sit on the caregiver's lap to ensure the infant feels safe and remains relatively still. The second is to reassure caregivers by showing hair samples representing the amount to be cut as well as by clarifying no unaesthetic gaps would be visible. The third is to caress the infant's head to habituate them to the hair manipulation and to make soap bubbles as distractors. The fourth is to take extra care when securing the lock of hair for cutting because the infant scalp is thin and malleable. The fifth is to place a precision scale in the collection room to ensure the necessary weight is reached. Conclusion: Our hair collection protocol developed for 12-month-old infants was deemed feasible and acceptable, filled an important literature gap concerning the absence of published protocols for infants, and will contribute to increase the replicability and collection efficiency for other research teams.

Duration of face mask exposure matters: evidence from Swiss and Brazilian kindergartners' ability to recognise emotions.

Wearing facial masks became a common practice worldwide during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study investigated (1) whether facial masks that cover adult faces affect 4- to 6-year-old children's recognition of emotions in those faces and (2) whether the duration of children's exposure to masks is associated with emotion recognition. We tested children from Switzerland (N = 38) and Brazil (N = 41). Brazil represented longer mask exposure due to a stricter mandate during COVID-19. Children had to choose a face displaying a specific emotion (happy, angry, or sad) when the face wore either no cover, a facial mask, or sunglasses. The longer hours of mask exposure were associated with better emotion recognition. Controlling for the hours of exposure, children were less likely to recognise emotions in partially hideen faces. Moreover, Brazilian children were more accurate in recognising happy faces than Swiss children. Overall, facial masks may negatively impact children's emotion recognition. However, prolonged exposure appears to buffer the lack of facial cues from the nose and mouth. In conclusion, restricting facial cues due to masks may impair kindergarten children's emotion recognition in the short run. However, it may facilitate their broader reading of facial emotional cues in the long run.

The effect of limited healthcare access on poor outcomes among hospitalized COVID-19 patients in Honduras: A single center cohort study.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a severe impact on the Latin American subcontinent, particularly in areas with limited hospital resources and a restricted Intensive Care Unit (ICU) capacity. This study aimed to provide a comprehensive description of the clinical characteristics, outcomes, and factors associated with survival of COVID-19 hospitalized patients in Honduras. Research question: What were the characteristics and outcomes of COVID-19 patients in a large referral center in Honduras? Study design and methods: This study employed a retrospective cohort design conducted in a single center in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, between October 2020 to March 2021. All hospitalized cases of confirmed COVID-19 during this timeframe were included in the analysis. Univariable and multivariable survival analysis were performed using Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox proportional hazards model aiming to identify factors associated with decreased 30 day in-hospital survival, using a priori-selected factors. Results: A total of 929 confirmed cases were identified in this cohort, with males accounting for 55.4 % of cases. The case fatality rate among the hospitalized patients was found to be 50.1 % corresponding to 466 deaths. Patients with comorbidities such as hypertension, diabetes, obesity, chronic kidney disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and cardiovascular disease had a higher likelihood of mortality. Additionally, non-survivors had a significantly longer time from illness onset to hospital admission compared to survivors (8.2 days vs 4.7 days). Among the cohort, 306 patients (32.9 %) met criteria for ICU admission. However, due to limited capacity, only 60 patients (19·6 %) were admitted to the ICU. Importantly, patients that were unable to receive level-appropriate care had lower likelihood of survival compared to those who received level-appropriate care (hazard ratio: 1.84). Interpretation: This study represents, the largest investigation of in-hospital COVID-19 cases in Honduras and Central America. The findings highlight a substantial case fatality rate among hospitalized patients. In this study, patients who couldn't receive level-appropriate care (ICU admission) had a significantly lower likelihood of survival when compared to those who did. These results underscore the significant impact of healthcare access during the pandemic, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.

Predictors of screen exposure among infants under 2 years of age during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Contradicting pediatric societies' recommendations, studies show that screen exposure begins at the first year of life for many children worldwide, with parental needs, educational purposes, and parental stress emerging as associated factors. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has likely worsened this scenario. This study aims to: 1) estimate the average daily screen exposure time for Brazilian infants aged 0-23 months during the COVID-19 pandemic based on caregiver report; 2) analyze the correlation between average exposure time, parental motivations for exposure, parental burnout levels and infant age; and 3) test the predictive role of parental motivations, burnout, and infant age on infant screen exposure. For this purpose, 139 parents (living in Brazil) answered online to questionnaires on infant screen exposure, parental motivations for exposure (four subscales: Parental Needs; Educational; Child's Desires/Family Routine; Behavioral Control), and parental burnout (Total score; four subscales: Emotional Exhaustion; Contrast; Feelings of Being Fed Up; Emotional Distancing). On average, infants were exposed to screens for 131 min/day. Higher scores on the four parental motivation subscales and higher parental burnout (specifically the Contrast subscale) correlated with longer exposure times. Furthermore, the motivation subscales Parental Needs and Child's Desires/family routine, the burnout subscale Contrast and infant age predicted greater screen exposure, while the burnout scale Feelings of Being Fed Up predicted less exposure. Our results suggest that infants in Brazil were exposed to substantial amounts of screen time during the pandemic. Interventions aiming to reduce screen time must consider parental motivations and parental burnout/mental health along with infant age.

The multifaceted genomic history of Ashaninka from Amazonian Peru.

Despite its crucial location, the western side of Amazonia between the Andes and the source(s) of the Amazon River is still understudied from a genomic and archaeogenomic point of view, albeit possibly harboring essential information to clarify the complex genetic history of local Indigenous groups and their interactions with nearby regions,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 including central America and the Caribbean.9,10,11,12 Focusing on this key region, we analyzed the genome-wide profiles of 51 Ashaninka individuals from Amazonian Peru, observing an unexpected extent of genomic variation. We identified at least two Ashaninka subgroups with distinctive genomic makeups, which were differentially shaped by the degree and timing of external admixtures, especially with the Indigenous groups from the Andes and the Pacific coast. On a continental scale, Ashaninka ancestors probably derived from a south-north migration of Indigenous groups moving into the Amazonian rainforest from a southeastern area with contributions from the Southern Cone and the Atlantic coast. These ancestral populations diversified in the variegated geographic regions of interior South America, on the eastern side of the Andes, differentially interacting with surrounding coastal groups. In this complex scenario, we also revealed strict connections between the ancestors of present-day Ashaninka, who belong to the Arawakan language family,13 and those Indigenous groups that moved further north into the Caribbean, contributing to the early Ceramic (Saladoid) tradition in the islands.14,15.

Social cognition in individuals with schizophrenia, autism spectrum disorder and controls / Cognição social em indivíduos saudáveis, com esquizofrenia e com transtorno do espectro do autismo

ABSTRACT Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the social cognition profiles of male adults with ASD (n = 15), SCHZ (n = 16) and controls (n = 20). Change the second sentence of the abstract. Methods: A cross-sectional assessment of social cognition domains with emotional face perception with eye tracking was performed, and two IQ measures (Verbal IQ and Performance IQ) (Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale), and the DSM-IV Structured Clinical Interview were applied. Results: There were no significant differences in terms of average performance in social cognition tests or eye tracking tasks between the ASD and SCHZ groups. However, both had lower performances in most cases when compared to the control group. In the social cognition tasks, individuals in the control group performed better than both clinical groups. Conclusion: Although differences were identified between individuals with ASD and SCHZ, it was not possible to determine patterns or to differentiate the clinical groups.

RESUMO Objetivo: O objetivo deste estudo foi comparar os perfis de cognição social de adultos do sexo masculino com TEA (n = 15), SCHZ (n = 16) e controles (n = 20). Métodos: Foram aplicadas uma avaliação transversal dos domínios de cognição social com percepção emocional com rastreamento ocular, duas medidas de QI (QI verbal e QI de desempenho) (Escala de Inteligência Adulta de Wechsler) e a Entrevista Clínica Estruturada DSM-IV. Resultados: Não houve diferenças significativas em termos de desempenho médio em testes de cognição social ou tarefas de rastreamento ocular entre os grupos ASD e SCHZ. No entanto, ambos tiveram desempenhos mais baixos na maioria dos casos, quando comparados ao grupo controle. Nas tarefas de cognição social, os indivíduos do grupo controle tiveram melhor desempenho do que ambos os grupos clínicos. Conclusão: Embora tenham sido identificadas diferenças entre indivíduos com TEA e SCHZ, não foi possível determinar padrões ou diferenciar os grupos clínicos.

Sexual dysfunction, depression, and marital dissatisfaction among Brazilian couples.

BACKGROUND: Health professionals treating sexual dysfunction and relational dissatisfaction recognize that they are multifactorial phenomena, and depression can be bidirectionally associated with both. AIM: The purpose of this study was to investigate sexual dysfunction in heterosexual couples in relation to the quality of their marital relationship and depression symptoms. METHODS: The sample consisted of 100 heterosexual couples recruited in Brazil. Both partners of each couple completed the Golombok-Rust Inventory of Sexual Satisfaction and the Golombok-Rust Inventory of Marital Satisfaction, which were translated and adapted, and the Beck Depression Inventory, which was validated for the Brazilian population. Both partners completed their questionnaires separately, and the couple's surveys were linked to preserve conjugal data for dyadic analysis. The Actor-Partner Interdependence Model was used to understand how sexual dysfunction in couples is related to depression and relationship quality among and between partners. RESULTS: Sexual dysfunction was found to be strongly associated with dissatisfaction in the relationship (husbands, ß = 0.57, P < 0.001; wives, ß = 0.60, P < 0.001), and a positive association was found between depressive symptoms and marital dissatisfaction (husbands, ß = .32, P < .001; wives ß = .40, P < .001). CLINICAL IMPLICATION: The results suggest that it is important for health professionals to be aware of the dyadic impact of struggles with both sex and the relationship and the presence of depression symptoms in patients who seek care for sexual complaints or depression and who are in a marital relationship. STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS: The different results found for men and women may shed light on the biopsychosocial dimensions of human sexuality. When treated as a purely physical experience, sex is myopic. In this study we demonstrated psychosocial aspects associated with gender and sexuality, and the partner's variables were found to have a greater impact on women than they did on the men. A limitation of this study is that the sample is not generalizable as it is not demographically representative of all socioeconomic groups in Brazil. Furthermore, the participants in this sample did not have clinical levels of depression, so the results cannot be extended to couples in which one or both spouses have depressive disorder. CONCLUSION: It was found that sexual dysfunction is strongly associated with the quality of the couple relationship, and that the quality of relationship plays a mediating role between depression and marital quality, especially for the women.

Saúde mental de puérperas durante a pandemia de Covid-19 no Brasil / Postpartum women mental health during the Covid-19 pandemic in Brazil / Salud mental de mujeres posparto durante la pandemia de Covid-19 en Brasil

Estudos internacionais têm reportado níveis elevados de sintomas de depressão e ansiedade em mulheres no período perinatal em resultado da atual pandemia. O presente estudo avaliou a sintomatologia de depressão e ansiedade em puérperas durante a pandemia de COVID-19 no Brasil. Participaram 625 mulheres, com idades entre 18 e 44 anos (M = 31.6; DP = 5.3), que tinham um bebê até 6 meses de idade. Foram administrados o Questionário de Transtorno de Ansiedade Generalizada (GAD-7) e a Escala de Depressão Pós-Natal de Edimburgo (EPDS). Os resultados mostraram níveis clinicamente significativos de depressão (EPDS ≥13) em 47.4% das participantes, níveis clinicamente significativos de ansiedade generalizada (GAD-7 ≥10) em 41.8% dos casos, e sintomas comórbidos em 33.1% da amostra. Registrou-se uma correlação positiva significativa entre os sintomas de depressão e ansiedade. Além disso, mais dias de vida do bebê, idade mais jovem da mãe e menor nível de escolaridade estavam associados a níveis potencialmente clínicos de sintomas. Assim, é prioritária a definição de programas de prevenção e intervenção na saúde mental perinatal durante o atual período pandêmico, com continuidade para o futuro.

International studies have reported high levels of depression and anxiety symptoms in perinatal women due to the ongoing pandemic. The present study examined symptoms of depression and anxiety in postpartum women during the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil. Participants were 625 women, aged between 18 and 44 years (M = 31.6; SD = 5.3), who had an infant up to 6 months of age. The Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire (GAD-7) and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) were administered. Results showed clinically significant levels of depression (EPDS ≥13) in 47.4% of the participants, clinically significant levels of generalized anxiety (GAD-7 ≥10) in 41.8% of the cases, and comorbid symptoms in 33.1% of the participants. There was a significant positive correlation between symptoms of depression and anxiety. Furthermore, infant's older age, mother's younger age, and lower educational level were associated with potentially clinical levels of symptoms. Thus, prevention and intervention programs targeting perinatal mental health during the ongoing pandemic and beyond should be developed and prioritized.

Estudios internacionales han reportado altos niveles de síntomas de depresión y de ansiedad en mujeres em el período perinatal como consecuencia de la actual pandemia. El presente estudio examinó los síntomas de depresión y ansiedad en mujeres posparto durante la pandemia de COVID-19 en Brasil. Las participantes fueron 625 mujeres, con edades entre 18 y 44 años (M = 31.6; SD = 5.3), que tenían un hijo de hasta 6 meses de edad. Se administró el Cuestionario de Trastorno de Ansiedad Generalizada (GAD-7) y la Escala de Depresión Postnatal de Edimburgo (EPDS). Los resultados mostraron niveles clínicamente significativos de depresión (EPDS ≥13) en el 47.4 % de las participantes, niveles clínicamente significativos de ansiedad generalizada (GAD-7 ≥10) en el 41.8 % de los casos y síntomas comórbidos en el 33.1 % de las participantes. Hubo una correlación positiva significativa entre los síntomas de depresión y ansiedad. Además, más días de vida del bebé, menor edad de la madre y menor nivel educativo se asociaron con niveles potencialmente clínicos de síntomas. Por lo tanto, se debe priorizar la definición de programas de prevención e intervención dirigidos a la salud mental perinatal durante la pandemia en curso, con continuidad para el futuro.

Decomposing the Intraurban Malnutrition Gap Between Poor and Non-poor Children in Colombia : Decomposing the Intraurban Malnutrition Gap Between Poor and Non-poor Children in Colombia.

In Colombia, although it can be said that, on average children living in urban areas have better quality of life than their rural peers, it is also true that within cities, there are high levels of socioeconomic inequality. Our objective is to identify the contribution of the factors that explain the gap in stunting and excess weight between poor and non-poor children under 5 years of age in urban areas of Colombia. We use data from the 2015 National Nutritional Status Survey, and two nonlinear decomposition techniques based on the classical decomposition method developed by Blinder-Oaxaca. With a sample of 6877 observations, the results show that the intraurban gap of stunting between poor and non-poor children in urban areas is 4.8 percentage points. Its main determinants are the mother's educational level (46.5%), affiliation to the health system by the mother (19.4%), and assisted delivery in a medical institution (16.6%). For excess weight, the gap is - 2.1 percentage points, and its main determinants are the mother's educational level (39.2%) and birth attended by a physician (21.8%). This study suggests the coexistence of a double burden of malnutrition (DBM) in children under 5 years of age living in urban areas of Colombia. Stunting is associated with low-income levels while excess weight is associated with higher income levels. The identification of the main determinants of DBM and its relative importance, constitutes a contribution for public policy makers aimed at reducing socioeconomic gaps.

The lifetime costs of perinatal depression and anxiety in Brazil.

BACKGROUND: Each year, an estimated 860,000 Brazilian women experience depression and anxiety perinatally. Despite well-known devastating impacts of these conditions on mothers and children, they remain neglected in low- and middle-income countries. Knowing the costs of untreated perinatal depression and anxiety can inform decision-making. METHODS: Simulation modelling is used to examine lifetime costs of perinatal depression and anxiety for a hypothetical cohort of women and their children, followed until children are aged 40 years. Costs are measured from a societal perspective, including healthcare expenditure, productivity and health-related quality of life losses; 2017 data are taken from country-specific sources. Present values are calculated using a discount rate of 3 %. RESULTS: Lifetime cost of perinatal depression and anxiety in Brazil are USD 4.86 billion or R$ 26.16 billion, including costs linked to poorer quality of life (USD 2.65 billion), productivity loss (USD 2.16 billion) and hospital care (USD 0.05 billion). When the costs associated with maternal suicide are included, total costs increase to USD 4.93 billion. LIMITATIONS: Several costs could not be included in the analysis because of a lack of data. The study is reliant of longitudinal data on associations between perinatal depression and anxiety and impacts on mothers and children. Therefore, no causality can be inferred. CONCLUSION: Our findings illustrate the economic rationale for investment in this area. This is the first study that estimates the costs of perinatal mental health problems in a low- or middle-income country setting.

Rates of depressive and anxiety symptoms in the perinatal period during the COVID-19 pandemic: Comparisons between countries and with pre-pandemic data.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic was a significant threat to perinatal mental health. This study examined differences in clinically significant depression, anxiety, and co-morbid symptoms among pregnant and postpartum women across several countries and compared prevalence of perinatal depression and anxiety before and during the pandemic in each participating country. METHODS: Participants were 3326 pregnant and 3939 postpartum women (up to six months postpartum) living in Brazil, Chile, Cyprus, Greece, Israel, Portugal, Spain, Turkey, and the United Kingdom. An online survey was completed between June 7th and October 31st 2020, and included the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Screener (GAD-7). The pre-pandemic studies were identified through literature review. RESULTS: Prevalence of clinically significant depression (EPDS≥13), anxiety (GAD-7 ≥ 10), and co-morbid (EPDS≥13 and GAD-7 ≥ 10) symptoms was 26.7 %, 20 % and 15.2 %, in pregnant women, and 32.7 %, 26.6 % and 20.3 %, in postpartum women, respectively. Significant between-country differences were found in all mental health indicators in both perinatal periods. Higher levels of symptoms were observed during (versus before) the pandemic, especially among postpartum women. LIMITATIONS: Participants were mostly highly educated and cohabiting with a partner. The online nature of the survey may have limited the participation of women from vulnerable socio-economically backgrounds. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings expand previous literature on the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on perinatal mental health, by highlighting that this may be influenced by country of residence. Mental health care policies and interventions should consider the unique needs of perinatal women in different parts of the world.

Clinical features, coagulation and inflammatory biomarkers associated with poor in-hospital outcomes in a Honduran population with RT-PCR confirmed COVID-19.

Background: SARS-COV-2, in most cases, only generates a mild acute respiratory disease. However, patients with severe disease show an exaggerated response of the immune system, creating a pro-inflammatory state, which could cause abnormalities in the coagulation system that increases mortality. Latin American countries, specially those with limited resources, have few studies about clinical features, coagulation and inflammatory biomarkers that could be useful at admission to assess poor outcomes. Objective: The objective of this study is to describe the clinical features, coagulation, and inflammatory biomarkers, and identify risk factors at admission that are associated poor outcomes in Honduran population. Methods: A cohort study was conducted. 210 patients were included, which 105 died during hospitalization due to COVID-19 and 105 were discharged alive, between September 2020 and January 2021. Clinical and laboratorial data was retrospectively collected. Results: 57,6% of the population were male. The median age was 58 years. The median time between symptom onset and hospital admission was 6 days. D-dimer median was higher in the dead group compared with the alive group. Poor prognosis factors in the Cox multivariable model were male gender, age, symptom's duration, obesity and an elevated d dimer at admission. Conclusion: In low-middle income countries, the assessment of these clinical and laboratory tools, especially in those with risk factors for prothrombotic states, could help clinicians to correctly stratify disease prognosis, establish a baseline to evaluate further evolution, and also predict outcomes, thus improving patient management.

Weaving Mitochondrial DNA and Y-Chromosome Variation in the Panamanian Genetic Canvas.

The Isthmus of Panama was a crossroads between North and South America during the continent's first peopling (and subsequent movements) also playing a pivotal role during European colonization and the African slave trade. Previous analyses of uniparental systems revealed significant sex biases in the genetic history of Panamanians, as testified by the high proportions of Indigenous and sub-Saharan mitochondrial DNAs (mtDNAs) and by the prevalence of Western European/northern African Y chromosomes. Those studies were conducted on the general population without considering any self-reported ethnic affiliations. Here, we compared the mtDNA and Y-chromosome lineages of a new sample collection from 431 individuals (301 males and 130 females) belonging to either the general population, mixed groups, or one of five Indigenous groups currently living in Panama. We found different proportions of paternal and maternal lineages in the Indigenous groups testifying to pre-contact demographic events and genetic inputs (some dated to Pleistocene times) that created genetic structure. Then, while the local mitochondrial gene pool was marginally involved in post-contact admixtures, the Indigenous Y chromosomes were differentially replaced, mostly by lineages of western Eurasian origin. Finally, our new estimates of the sub-Saharan contribution, on a more accurately defined general population, reduce an apparent divergence between genetic and historical data.

Maternal sensitivity and infant neural response to touch: an fNIRS study.

The mother's attunement to her infant's emotional needs influences her use of touching behaviors during mother-infant interactions. Moreover, maternal touch appears to modulate infants' physiological responses to affective touch. However, little is known about the impact of maternal sensitivity on infants' touch processing at a brain level. This study explored the association between maternal sensitivity when infants (N = 24) were 7 months old and their patterns of cortical activation to touch at 12 months. Brain activation was measured using functional near-infrared spectroscopy. Changes in oxy-hemoglobin (HbO2) and deoxy-hemoglobin (HHb) concentrations were measured in the left somatosensory cortex and right temporal cortex while infants received two types of tactile stimulation-affective and discriminative touch. Results showed that a lower maternal sensitivity was associated with a higher HbO2 response for discriminative touch over the temporal region. Additionally, infants of less sensitive mothers tended to present a higher response in HbO2 for affective touch over the somatosensory region. These findings suggest that less sensitive interactions might result in a lower exposure to maternal touch, which can be further related to infants' neural processing of touch.

The Child Emotion Facial Expression Set: A Database for Emotion Recognition in Children.

Background: This study developed a photo and video database of 4-to-6-year-olds expressing the seven induced and posed universal emotions and a neutral expression. Children participated in photo and video sessions designed to elicit the emotions, and the resulting images were further assessed by independent judges in two rounds. Methods: In the first round, two independent judges (1 and 2), experts in the Facial Action Coding System, firstly analysed 3,668 emotions facial expressions stimuli from 132 children. Both judges reached 100% agreement regarding 1,985 stimuli (124 children), which were then selected for a second round of analysis between judges 3 and 4. Results: The result was 1,985 stimuli (51% of the photographs) were produced from 124 participants (55% girls). A Kappa index of 0.70 and an accuracy of 73% between experts were observed. Lower accuracy was found for emotional expression by 4-year-olds than 6-year-olds. Happiness, disgust and contempt had the highest agreement. After a sub-analysis evaluation of all four judges, 100% agreement was reached for 1,381 stimuli which compound the ChildEFES database with 124 participants (59% girls) and 51% induced photographs. The number of stimuli of each emotion were: 87 for neutrality, 363 for happiness, 170 for disgust, 104 for surprise, 152 for fear, 144 for sadness, 157 for anger 157, and 183 for contempt. Conclusions: The findings show that this photo and video database can facilitate research on the mechanisms involved in early childhood recognition of facial emotions in children, contributing to the understanding of facial emotion recognition deficits which characterise several neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders.

Joint attention abilities in Brazilian preterm and full-term infants.

Joint attention abilities of preterm and full-term Brazilian infants were assessed at 12- and 18-months, age corrected for prematurity. Results showed that preterm infants displayed significantly lower levels of correct responses to others' bids for joint attention at both time-points, compared to full-term infants. Both groups improved their responding to joint attention from 12 to 18 months of age. Contrastingly, prematurity did not impact infants' initiating joint attention behaviors, which remained stable over time for both groups. Findings were discussed in terms of the specific mental processes involved in distinct behavioural dimensions of joint attention.

Oxytocin increases the social salience of the outgroup in potential threat contexts.

A growing body of literature suggests that OT administration may affect not only prosocial outcomes, but also regulate adversarial responses in the context of intergroup relations. However, recent reports have challenged the view of a fixed role of OT in enhancing ingroup favoritism and outgroup derogation. Studying the potential effects of OT in modulating threat perception in a context characterized by racial miscegenation (Brazil) may thus afford additional clarification on the matter. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled study, White Brazilian participants completed a first-person shooter task to assess their responses towards potential threat from racial ingroup (White) or outgroup (Black) members. OT administration enhanced the social salience of the outgroup, by both increasing the rate at which participants refrained from shooting unarmed Black targets to levels similar to White targets, and by further increasing the rate of correct decisions to shoot armed Black targets (versus White armed targets). In summary, our results indicate that a single dose of OT may promote accurate behavioral responses to potential threat from members of a racial outgroup, thus offering support to the social salience hypothesis.