In Utero Exposure to Alcohol and Tobacco and Electroencephalogram Power During Childhood.

Importance: Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) and prenatal tobacco exposure (PTE) are risk factors associated with adverse neurobehavioral and cognitive outcomes. Objective: To quantify long-term associations of PAE and PTE with brain activity in early and middle childhood via electroencephalography (EEG). Design, Setting, and Participants: This cohort study included participants enrolled in the Safe Passage Study (August 2007 to January 2015), from which a subset of 649 participants were followed up in the Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes Program. From September 2018 through November 2022, EEG recordings were obtained at ages 4, 5, 7, 9, or 11 years. Data were analyzed from November 2022 to November 2023. Exposures: Maternal self-reported consumptions of alcohol and tobacco during pregnancy were captured at the recruitment interview and at up to 3 visits during pregnancy (20-24, 28-32, and ≥34 weeks' gestation). Classifications of PAE (continuous drinking, quit-early drinking, and nondrinking) and PTE (continuous smoking, quit-early smoking, and nonsmoking) were previously obtained. Main Outcomes and Measures: EEG band powers (theta, alpha, beta, gamma) were extracted from the EEG recordings. Linear regression models were used to estimate the associations of PAE and PTE with EEG estimates. Results: The final sample included 649 participants (333 [51.3%] female) aged 4, 5, 7, 9, or 11 years. Children whose mothers were in the quit-early drinking cluster had increased alpha power (0.116 [95% CI, 0.023 to 0.209] µV2; P = .02) compared with individuals without PAE. The magnitude of this increase was approximately double for children exposed to continuous drinking (0.211 [95% CI, 0.005 to 0.417] µV2; P = .04). Children whose mothers were in the continuous smoking cluster had decreased beta power (-0.031 [95% CI, -0.059 to -0.003] µV2; P = .03) and gamma power (-0.020 [95% CI, -0.039 to -0.000] µV2; P = .04) compared with the nonsmoking cluster. In exploratory sex-stratified models, male participants in the quit-early PAE cluster had greater EEG power in the alpha band (0.159 [95% CI, 0.003 to 0.315] µV2; P = .04) compared with those with no PAE, and the difference was approximately double for male participants with continuous PAE (0.354 [95% CI, 0.041 to 0.667] µV2; P = .03). Male participants in the continuous PTE cluster had decreased beta (-0.048 [95% CI, -0.090 to - 0.007] µV2; P = .02) and gamma (-0.032 [95% CI, -0.061 - 0.002] µV2; P = .04) power compared with those with no PTE. Conclusions and Relevance: These findings suggest that even low levels of PAE and PTE were associated with long-term alterations of brain activity.

Neonatal rhinorrhea, heart rate variability, and childhood exercise-induced wheeze.

Background: There is increasing evidence linking infant rhinorrhea to school-age exercise-induced wheeze (EIW) via a parasympathetic nervous system pathway. The ratio of the root mean square of successive differences in heart beats (RMSSD) measured in quiet sleep versus active sleep (RMSSDQS:AS) is a novel biomarker in asthma. Objective: We tested the hypotheses that (1) neonatal rhinorrhea predicts childhood EIW independent of other neonatal respiratory symptoms, (2) neonatal RMSSDQS:AS predicts childhood EIW, and (3) RMSSDQS:AS mediates the association between neonatal rhinorrhea and childhood EIW. Methods: Participants from the Safe Passage/Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes (PASS/ECHO) prospective birth cohort had heart rate variability extracted from electrocardiogram traces acquired in the first month of life. Parents reported on rhinorrhea in their child at age 1 month and on EIW in their child at ages 4 to 11 years. Results: In models (N = 831) adjusted for potential confounders and covariates, including neonatal wheeze, cough and fever, neonatal rhinorrhea-predicted childhood EIW (relative risk [RR] = 2.22; P = .040), specifically, among females (RR = 3.38; P = .018) but not males (RR = 1.39; P = .61). Among participants contributing data in both active and quiet sleep (n = 231), RMSSDQS:AS predicted EIW (RR = 2.36; P = .003) and mediated the effect estimate of neonatal rhinorrhea predicting EIW among females. Half of the females with a higher RMSSDQS:AS and neonatal rhinorrhea (n = 5 of 10) developed EIW as compared with 1.8% of the other females (n = 2 of 109) (P < .001). Conclusions: Our findings support dysregulation of the parasympathetic nervous system in infancy as one of the possible underlying mechanisms for the development of EIW later in childhood among females, which could aid in the development of future interventions.

Prenatal smoking and drinking are associated with altered newborn autonomic functions.

BACKGROUND: Prenatal smoking and drinking are associated with sudden infant death syndrome and neurodevelopmental disorders. Infants with these outcomes also have altered autonomic nervous system (ANS) regulation. We examined the effects of prenatal smoking and drinking on newborn ANS function. METHODS: Pregnant women were enrolled in Northern Plains, USA (NP) and Cape Town (CT), South Africa. Daily drinking and weekly smoking data were collected prenatally. Physiological measures were obtained during sleep 12-96 h post-delivery. RESULTS: In all, 2913 infants from NP and 4072 from CT were included. In active sleep, newborns of mothers who smoked throughout pregnancy, compared to non-smokers, had higher breathing rates (2.2 breaths/min; 95% CI: 0.95, 3.49). Quit-early smoking was associated with reductions in beat-to-beat heart rate variability (HRV) in active (-0.08 s) and quiet sleep (-0.11 s) in CT. In girls, moderate-high continuous smoking was associated with increased systolic (3.0 mmHg, CI: 0.70, 5.24) and diastolic blood pressure (2.9 mmHg, CI: 0.72, 5.02). In quiet sleep, low-continuous drinking was associated with slower heart rate (-4.5 beat/min). In boys, low-continuous drinking was associated with a reduced ratio of low-to-high frequency HRV (-0.11, CI: -0.21, -0.02). CONCLUSIONS: These findings highlight potential ANS pathways through which prenatal drinking and smoking may contribute to neurodevelopment outcomes. IMPACT: In this prospective cohort study of 6985 mother-infant dyads prenatal drinking and smoking were associated with multiple ANS parameters. Smoking was associated with increased neonatal breathing rates among all infants, and heart rate variability (HRV) and blood pressure (BP) among girls. Drinking was associated with reductions in HR and BP among all newborns, and reductions in the ratio of low to-high frequency HRV among boys. These findings suggest that prenatal smoking and drinking alter newborn ANS which may presage future neurodevelopmental disorders.

Longitudinal characterization of EEG power spectra during eyes open and eyes closed conditions in children.

This study is the first to examine spectrum-wide (1 to 250 Hz) differences in electroencephalogram (EEG) power between eyes open (EO) and eyes closed (EC) resting state conditions in 486 children. The results extend the findings of previous studies by characterizing EEG power differences from 30 to 250 Hz between EO and EC across childhood. Developmental changes in EEG power showed spatial and frequency band differences as a function of age and EO/EC condition. A 64-electrode system was used to record EEG at 4, 5, 7, 9, and 11 years of age. Specific findings were: (1) the alpha peak shifts from 8 Hz at 4 years to 9 Hz at 11 years, (2) EC results in increased EEG power (compared to EO) at lower frequencies but decreased EEG power at higher frequencies for all ages, (3) the EEG power difference between EO and EC changes from positive to negative within a narrow frequency band which shifts toward higher frequencies with age, from 9 to 12 Hz at 4 years to 32 Hz at 11 years, (4) at all ages EC is characterized by an increase in lower frequency EEG power most prominently over posterior regions, (5) at all ages, during EC, decreases in EEG power above 30 Hz are mostly over anterior regions of the scalp. This report demonstrates that the simple challenge of opening and closing the eyes offers the potential to provide quantitative biomarkers of phenotypic variation in brain maturation by employing a brief, minimally invasive protocol throughout childhood.

Increased Heart Rate Variability Response Among Infants with Reported Rhinorrhea and Watery Eyes: A Pilot Study.

INTRODUCTION: Previously, we found that reported infant rhinorrhea and watery eyes without a cold (RWWC) predicted school age exercise-induced wheeze, emergency department visits, and hospitalizations. These findings were independent of allergic sensitization, and we theorized that increased parasympathetic tone underlay the association. We also reported that increased heart-rate variability (HRV) in infants predicted wheeze in 2-3 year-olds. In a convenience sample of children participating in a birth cohort study, we tested the hypothesis that infants with RWWC would have elevated HRV, indicating increased parasympathetic tone. METHODS: RWWC symptoms since birth were queried for 3-month-old children. At 4-months, HRV was assessed (root mean square of successive differences [RMSSD]) during a standardized infant-mother still-face paradigm, which included 2 minutes of mother/child play immediately followed by 2 minutes of the mother maintaining a still-face. RESULTS: Among participants (n=38), RWWC was common for girls (32%) and boys (21%). The children with the greatest decrease in RMSSD between play and still-face challenge (lowest tertile) had a higher prevalence of RWWC as compared with children in the higher tertiles (50% vs 16%, P=0.045). In a logistic regression model controlling for sex, age and time between HRV and RWWC assessment, children with greater decrease in HRV between play and still-face (lowest tertile) had greater odds of having RWWC (odds ratio=6.0, P=0.029). CONCLUSION: In this relatively small study, we demonstrated greater decreases in HRV in response to a stressor among children with reported RWWC, suggesting that these children might have increased parasympathetic tone and/or overall greater vagal reactivity.

Effects of Prenatal Exposure to Alcohol and Smoking on Fetal Heart Rate and Movement Regulation.

Negative associations of prenatal tobacco and alcohol exposure (PTE and PAE) on birth outcomes and childhood development have been well documented, but less is known about underlying mechanisms. A possible pathway for the adverse fetal outcomes associated with PTE and PAE is the alteration of fetal autonomic nervous system development. This study assessed PTE and PAE effects on measures of fetal autonomic regulation, as quantified by heart rate (HR), heart rate variability (SD-HR), movement, and HR-movement coupling in a population of fetuses at ≥ 34 weeks gestational age. Participants are a subset of the Safe Passage Study, a prospective cohort study that enrolled pregnant women from clinical sites in Cape Town, South Africa, and the Northern Plains region, United States. PAE was defined by six levels: no alcohol, low quit early, high quit early, low continuous, moderate continuous, and high continuous; while PTE by 4 levels: no smoking, quit early, low continuous, and moderate/high continuous. Linear regression analyses of autonomic measures were employed controlling for fetal sex, gestational age at assessment, site, maternal education, household crowding, and depression. Analyses were also stratified by sleep state (1F and 2F) and site (South Africa, N = 4025, Northern Plains, N = 2466). The final sample included 6491 maternal-fetal-dyad assessed in the third trimester [35.21 ± 1.26 (mean ± SD) weeks gestation]. PTE was associated with a decrease in mean HR in state 2F, in a dose dependent fashion, only for fetuses of mothers who continued smoking after the first trimester. In state 1F, there was a significant increase in mean HR in fetuses whose mother quit during the first trimester. This effect was driven by the Norther Plains cohort. PTE was also associated with a significant reduction in fetal movement in the most highly exposed group. In South Africa a significant increase in mean HR both for the high quit early and the high continuous group was observed. In conclusion, this investigation addresses a critical knowledge gap regarding the relationship between PTE and PAE and fetal autonomic regulation. We believe these results can contribute to elucidating mechanisms underlying risk for adverse outcomes.

The effects of the Newborn Behavioral Observations (NBO) system in early intervention: A multisite randomized controlled trial.

The purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate the effect of an infant mental health intervention, the Newborn Behavioral Observations system (NBO), versus usual care (UC) on infant neurodevelopment and maternal depressive symptoms in early intervention (EI). This multisite randomized trial enrolled newborns into the NBO (n = 16) or UC group (n = 22) and followed them for 6 months. Outcome measures included the Battelle Developmental Inventory (BDI-2), Bayley Scales of Infants Development (BSID-III), and Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). The CES-D and BSID-III were collected at 3- and 6-months post EI entry and the BDI-2 was collected at EI entry and 6-months post-EI entry. We estimated group differences [95% CI], adjusting for program characteristics. At 6 months, the NBO group had greater gains in Communication (b = 1.0 [0.2, 1.8]), Self-Care (b = 2.0 [0.1, 3.9]), Perception and Concepts (b = 2.0 [0.4, 3.6]), and Attention and Memory (b = 3.0 [0.4, 6.0]) than the UC group. The NBO group also had greater decline in maternal postnatal depressive symptoms (b = -2.0 [-3.7, -0.3]) than the UC group. Infants receiving the NBO infant mental health intervention had greater gains in cognitive and adaptive functions at 6 months than infants receiving UC. Caregivers receiving NBO care had greater improvements in maternal depressive symptoms than caregivers receiving UC.

El propósito de este estudio piloto fue evaluar el efecto que una intervención de salud mental infantil, el sistema de Observación de Comportamiento del Recién Nacido (NBO), versus el cuidado usual (UC), tiene en el desarrollo neurológico del infante y los síntomas de depresión materna en la Temprana Intervención (EI). Este ensayo al azar de múltiples lugares inscribió a recién nacidos en el NBO (n = 16) o en el grupo UC (n = 22) y les dio seguimiento por 6 meses. Las medidas de los resultados incluyeron el Inventario Battelle del Desarrollo (BDI-2), las Escalas Bayley del Desarrollo de Infantes (BSID-III), y la Escala de Depresión del Centro para Estudios Epidemiológicos (CES-D). El CES-D y BSID-III fueron implementados a los 3 y 6 meses posteriores a la entrada en EI y el BDI-2 fue implementado al momento de entrar en EI y a los 6 meses posteriores a dicha entrada. Estimamos las diferencias de grupos [95% CI], con ajustes en cuanto a características del programa. A los 6 meses, el grupo NBO presentaba mayores logros en Comunicación (b = 1.0 [0.2, 1.8]), Autocuidado (b = 2.0 [0.1, 3.9]), Percepción y Conceptos (b = 2.0 [0.4, 3.6]) y Atención y Memoria (b = 3.0 [0.4, 6.0]) que el grupo de UC. El grupo NBO también tuvo una mayor baja en síntomas maternos depresivos postnatales (b = 2.0 [-3.7, -0.3]) que el grupo UC. Los infantes que recibían la intervención NBO tuvieron mayores logros en la función cognitiva y adaptiva a los 6 meses que los infantes del grupo UC. Aquellos cuidadores que recibían el cuidado NBO presentaron mejoras significativamente mayores en síntomas depresivos maternos que los cuidadores del grupo UC.

Le but de cette étude pilote était d'évaluer l'effet d'une intervention en santé mentale du nourrisson, le système d'Observation Comportementale du Nourrisson (en anglais, Newborn Behavioral Observation system, soit NBO utilisé ici dans ce texte), par rapport aux soins ordinaires (ici abbrégé SI) sur le neurodéveloppement du nourrisson et les symptômes dépressifs maternels dans l'Intervention Précoce (IP). Cet essai randomisé effectué sur plusieurs sites a concerné des nouveaux-nés dans le NBO (n = 16) ou le groupe SI (n = 22) et les a suivis pendant 6 mois. Les mesures de résultat ont inclus l'Inventaire du Développement de Battelle (BDI-2), les Echelles Bayley de Développement des Nourrissons (BSID-III) et les Echelles de Dépression du Centre d'Etudes Epidémiologiques (CES-D). Les CES-D et BSID-III ont été faites à 3 et à 6 mois après l'entrée en IP et la BDI-2 a été faite à l'entrée en IP et à 6 mois après l'entrée en IP. Nous avons estimé les différences de groupe [95% CI), en faisant des ajustements pour les caractéristiques du programme. A six mois, le groupe NBO avait fait de plus grands gains en Communication (b = 1,0 [0,2, 1,8]), Autosoin (b = 2,0 [0,1, 3,9]), Perception & Concepts (b = 2,0 [0,4, 3,6]), et Attention & Mémoire (b = 3,0 [0,4, 6,0]) que le groupe SI. Le groupe NBO a également vu le plus grand déclin dans les symptômes dépressifs postnatals maternels (b = -2,0 [-3,7, -0,3]) par rapport au groupe SI. Les nourrissons recevant l'intervention NBO ont fait preuve de plus grands gains dans la fonction cognitive et adaptive à 6 mois, par rapport aux nourrissons SI. Les personnes prenant soin des enfants et recevant le soin NBO ont témoigné d'améliorations plus importantes dans les symptômes dépressifs maternels que le groupe SI.

A Pilot Validation Study of the Newborn Behavioral Observations System: Associations with Salivary Cortisol and Temperament.

OBJECTIVE: There are few standardized neonatal neurobehavioral instruments available for longitudinal child development research. We adapted an established clinical tool, the Newborn Behavioral Observations (NBO) system, for research by standardizing the administration protocol and expanding the 3-point coding scale to 5 points. METHODS: We administered the 5-point NBO to 144 racially/ethnically diverse late preterm or term infants born to low-income women (average age 5 weeks). Cronbach's alphas were calculated to determine internal consistency reliability of Autonomic, Motor, Organization of State, and Responsivity subscales. We examined concurrent validity using subscale associations with infant salivary cortisol reactivity to the NBO and maternally reported infant temperament. RESULTS: Two of the 4 NBO subscales, Organization of State and Responsivity, had excellent (0.91) and good (0.76) reliability, respectively, and were retained for further analyses. Infants with higher Organization of State scores (more optimal regulation) demonstrated lower cortisol reactivity (r = -0.30, p < 0.01) and temperamental negativity (r = -0.16, p < 0.05). Responsivity was unrelated to cortisol reactivity or temperament. CONCLUSIONS: State regulation, as measured by the 5-point NBO, was associated with a biologic marker of infant stress response to the NBO administration and reported temperament. Poor reliability of the NBO's 3-item Autonomic and 7-item Motor subscales suggests that further psychometric research in other samples and likely refinement are needed. Given the paucity of neurobehavioral assessment tools for infants, these findings justify such research as next steps in the incremental progression toward the development of a practical, reliable, and predictive measure of early neurobehavioral development.

Association Between Prenatal Exposure to Alcohol and Tobacco and Neonatal Brain Activity: Results From the Safe Passage Study.

Importance: Research to date has not determined a safe level of alcohol or tobacco use during pregnancy. Electroencephalography (EEG) is a noninvasive measure of cortical function that has previously been used to examine effects of in utero exposures and associations with neurodevelopment. Objective: To examine the association of prenatal exposure to alcohol (PAE) and tobacco smoking (PTE) with brain activity in newborns. Design, Setting, and Participants: This prospective cohort study enrolled mother-newborn dyads from December 2011 through August 2015, with data analyzed from June 2018 through June 2019. Pregnant women were recruited from clinical sites in Cape Town, South Africa, and the Northern Plains region of the US. Participants were a subset of newborns enrolled in the Safe Passage Study. Exclusions included birth at less than 37 or more than 41 weeks' gestation, multiple birth, or maternal use of psychiatric medication during pregnancy. Exposures: PAE and PTE groups were determined by cluster analysis. Main Outcomes and Measures: Analyses of covariance were run on EEG spectral power at 12 scalp locations across the frequency spectrum from 1 to 45 Hz in 3-Hz bins by sleep state. Results: The final sample consisted of 1739 newborns (median [interquartile range] gestational age at birth, 39.29 [1.57] weeks; 886 [50.9%] were female; median [interquartile range] newborn age at assessment, 48.53 [44.96] hours). Newborns whose mothers were in the low continuous (95% CI, -0.379 to -0.031; P < .05; 95% CI, -0.379 to -0.045; P < .05), quit (95% CI, -0.419 to -0.127; P < .001; 95% CI, -0.398 to -0.106; P < .005), and moderate or high continuous (95% CI, -0.430 to -0.124; P < .001; 95% CI, -0.420 to -0.119; P < .005) PAE clusters had increased 4- to 6-Hz and 7- to 9-Hz left-temporal EEG power. Newborns with moderate or high continuous PTE had decreased 19- to 21-Hz (95% CI, 0.034 to 0.327; P < .05) and 22- to 24-Hz (95% CI, 0.022 to 0.316; P < .05) right-central EEG compared with newborns with no PTE. Newborns with moderate or high continuous PTE had significantly decreased 22- to 36-Hz right-central EEG power compared with the quit smoking group (22-24 Hz, 95% CI, 0.001 to 0.579; P < .05; 25-27 Hz, 95% CI, 0.008 to 0.586; P < .05; 28-30 Hz, 95% CI, 0.028 to 0.607; P < .05; 31-33 Hz, 95% CI, 0.038 to 0.617; P < .05; 34-36 Hz, 95% CI, 0.057 to 0.636; P < .05). Conclusions and Relevance: These findings suggest that even low levels of PAE or PTE are associated with changes in offspring brain development.

Fetal heart rate, heart rate variability, and heart rate/movement coupling in the Safe Passage Study.

OBJECTIVE: To determine normative values for heart rate patterns in healthy fetuses. METHODS: This research is from the Safe Passage Study conducted by the Prenatal Alcohol and SIDS and Stillbirth (PASS) Network. A standardized protocol assessed fetal heart rate (FHR), heart rate variability (HRV), and movement from 1655 fetuses at three-time points during gestation (20-24 weeks, 28-32 weeks, 34-38 weeks gestation). RESULTS: FHR decreased while HRV increased over gestation. At the latter two ages, males had significantly lower FHR than females while there were no sex differences in FHR at 20-24 weeks. When accounting for the fetal state during late gestation (34-28 weeks), we found that males had significantly lower FHR than females in the active fetal state only. CONCLUSION: Results demonstrate significant state, gestational age, and sex-related changes in cardiac activity, somatic activity, and autonomic function as the fetus approaches birth.

Cluster Analysis of Alcohol Consumption during Pregnancy in the Safe Passage Study.

Characterization of patterns of alcohol consumption during pregnancy encompasses multiple factors such as magnitude, frequency, and timing of exposure throughout gestation. Traditional statistical models are limited in dealing with multivariate and diverse patterns of exposure as in the context of this analysis. We propose a finite mixture model-based approach to derive clusters of alcohol exposure of participants in the Safe Passage Study (PASS). Daily alcohol consumption data for 11,083 pregnant women have been clustered in 10 different exposed groups. The resulting cluster analysis was able to characterize alcohol consumption in a comprehensive framework capable of taking into account both quantity and timing of exposure as well as the occurrence of binge drinking.

An antenatal marker of neurodevelopmental outcomes in infants with congenital heart disease.

OBJECTIVE: Prenatal exposures are known to alter fetal neurodevelopment and autonomic control. We aimed to explore the correlation between fetal autonomic activity, measured by fetal heart rate variability, and 18-month developmental outcome in subjects with congenital heart disease. STUDY DESIGN: From 2010 to 2013, 5 fetuses with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, 9 with transposition of the great arteries and 9 with tetralogy of Fallot were included in this prospective cohort study. A maternal abdominal fetal electrocardiogram monitor recorded fetal heart rate at 34 to 38 weeks gestational age. We assessed associations between fetal heart rate parameters including interquartile range and s.d. of the fetal RR intervals and 18-month Bayley Scales of Infant Development-III scores using Pearson's correlation coefficient. Multivariable regression modeling identified predictors of neurodevelopmental scores. RESULTS: Fetal heart rate variability parameters at 34 to 38 weeks gestational age correlated with 18-month Cognition (r=0.47, P=0.03) and Motor scores (r=0.66, P=0.001). The interquartile range of the fetal RR intervals predicted Cognition (ß=0.462, P=0.028, R2=0.282) and Motor (ß=0.637, P<0.001, R2=0.542) scores. CONCLUSIONS: In fetuses with congenital heart disease, low heart rate variability at 34 to 38 weeks gestational age predicts diminished 18-month Cognitive and Motor performance. Prenatal autonomic activity may serve as a marker of early childhood development in these high-risk patients.

Autonomic regulation in fetuses with congenital heart disease.

BACKGROUND: Exposure to antenatal stressors affects autonomic regulation in fetuses. Whether the presence of congenital heart disease (CHD) alters the developmental trajectory of autonomic regulation is not known. AIMS/STUDY DESIGN: This prospective observational cohort study aimed to further characterize autonomic regulation in fetuses with CHD; specifically hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS), transposition of the great arteries (TGA), and tetralogy of Fallot (TOF). SUBJECTS: From 11/2010 to 11/2012, 92 fetuses were enrolled: 41 controls and 51 with CHD consisting of 19 with HLHS, 12 with TGA, and 20 with TOF. Maternal abdominal fetal electrocardiogram (ECG) recordings were obtained at 3 gestational ages: 19-27 weeks (F1), 28-33 weeks (F2), and 34-38 weeks (F3). OUTCOME MEASURES: Fetal ECG was analyzed for mean heart rate along with 3 measures of autonomic variability of the fetal heart rate: interquartile range, standard deviation, and root mean square of the standard deviation of the heart rate (RMSSD), a measure of parasympathetic activity. RESULTS: During F1 and F2 periods, HLHS fetuses demonstrated significantly lower mean HR than controls (p<0.05). Heart rate variability at F3, as measured by standard deviation, interquartile range, and RMSSD was lower in HLHS than controls (p<0.05). Other CHD subgroups showed a similar, though non-significant trend towards lower variability. CONCLUSIONS: Autonomic regulation in CHD fetuses differs from controls, with HLHS fetuses most markedly affected.

A neurobehavioral intervention incorporated into a state early intervention program is associated with higher perceived quality of care among parents of high-risk newborns.

The purpose of this study is to compare two models of early intervention (EI) service delivery-a neurobehavioral intervention and usual care-on parents' perceived quality of EI service delivery. Families of newborns referred to EI were randomly assigned to a neurobehavioral intervention or usual care group and followed until the infant was 12 weeks corrected gestational age. The intervention group (n = 25) received a weekly neurobehavioral intervention. The usual care group (n = 13) received standard weekly home visits. Mothers completed the Home Visiting Index (HVI) measuring the quality of EI service delivery. Mixed linear regression was used to examine group differences in quality scores. The intervention group reported higher quality of care related to facilitating optimal parent-infant social interaction (mean difference = 2.17, 95% CI: 0.41, 3.92).A neurobehavioral model of service delivery can be successfully integrated into EI programming and appears to be associated with higher parent-reported perceived quality.

The competent newborn and the neonatal behavioral assessment scale: T. Berry Brazelton's legacy.

This article celebrates Berry Brazelton's extraordinary contribution to our understanding of child development by focusing on two representative themes. The first is that newborns are competent and organized from the very beginning and that the neonate is in a dynamic rather than passive relationship with the environment. The second is the recognition that the newborn period is an extremely sensitive stage in the transition to parenthood and as such may be the intervention "touchpoint" par excellence for professionals who are dedicated to giving children and families the best possible start in life.

Chronic glucocorticoid exposure potentiates placental chorionic plate artery constriction: implications for aberrant fetoplacental vascular resistance in fetal growth restriction.

Fetal growth restriction (FGR) is a serious pregnancy complication, resulting in significant perinatal morbidity and mortality. Increased vascular resistance in the fetoplacental circulation is a hallmark of FGR and is associated with enhanced vasoconstriction of the resistance arteries in the placenta, the chorionic plate arteries (CPAs). Although the cause is unknown, FGR is associated with excess exposure to glucocorticoids (GCs), key mediators of vascular resistance in the systemic circulation. We hypothesized that GCs alter CPA reactivity, thereby contributing to the altered blood flow dynamics seen in FGR. We aimed to examine the acute and chronic effects of GCs on CPA reactivity and the operational mechanisms. Glucocorticoid receptors were highly expressed by CPA. 11ß-Hydroxysteroid isoenzyme type 2 was detected within the endothelium, whereas 11ß-hydroxysteroid isoenzyme type 1 was absent. Acute GC treatment significantly attenuated U46619-induced constriction. This effect was reversed by cotreatment with mifepristone or an endothelial NOS inhibitor. In contrast, chronic GC treatment potentiated U46619 constriction in a dose-dependent manner, which was partially abolished by mifepristone cotreatment. Similar effects were observed using a novel nonsteroidal glucocorticoid receptor-specific agonist. Chronic treatment with GCs altered the expression of several vasoactive factors, including thromboxane and bradykinin receptors, prokineticin-1, cyclooxygenase-2, and endothelial NOS. In summary, acute and chronic GC treatment exerts contrasting effects on CPA vasoreactivity. These opposing effects are consistent with temporal actions in other vascular beds and reflect activation of distinct nongenomic and genomic pathways. Chronic exposure to elevated GCs may contribute to the raised vascular resistance observed in the fetoplacental circulation in FGR.

Reduced infant birth weight in the North West of England consequent upon 'maternal exposure' to 7/7 terrorist attacks on central London.

The effect of media coverage of the London terrorist attacks on 7 July 2005 on pregnancy outcome in mothers living in the North Western region of England was assessed. Pregnant women exposed to media coverage of these attacks had infants with mean birth weight lowered by 16 g and increased risks of a small and very small for gestational age infant (odds ratio 1:10 and 1:09, respectively). This small, but significant reduction in birth weight may indicate excess glucocorticoid exposure within the fetus, which could contribute to fetal programming and an increased likelihood of disease in adult life.

Prenatal organochlorine exposure and measures of behavior in infancy using the Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale (NBAS).

BACKGROUND: Previous literature suggests an association between organochlorines and behavioral measures in childhood, including inattention. OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to assess whether prenatal organochlorine exposure is associated with measures of attention in early infancy. METHODS: We investigated an association between cord serum polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and p,p'-dichlorodiphenyl dichloroethene (DDE) levels and measures of attention from the Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale (NBAS) in a cohort of 788 infants born 1993-1998 to mothers residing near a PCB-contaminated harbor and Superfund site in New Bedford, Massachusetts. RESULTS: Medians (ranges) for the sum of four prevalent PCB congeners and DDE levels were 0.19 (0.01-4.41) and 0.30 (0-10.29) ng/g serum, respectively. For the 542 subjects with an NBAS exam at 2 weeks, we observed consistent inverse associations between cord serum PCB and DDE levels and NBAS measures of alertness, quality of alert responsiveness, cost of attention, and other potential attention-associated measures including self-quieting and motor maturity. For example, the decrement in quality of alert responsiveness score was -0.51 (95% confidence interval, -0.99 to -0.03) for the highest quartile of exposure to the sum of four prevalent PCB congeners compared with the lowest quartile. We found little evidence for an association with infant orientation, habituation, and regulation of state, assessed as summary cluster measures. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings provide evidence for an association between low-level prenatal PCB and DDE exposures and poor attention in early infancy. Further analyses will focus on whether organochlorine-associated decrements in attention and attention-related skills in infancy persist in later childhood.