Abstract
Maternal asthma in pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of adverse perinatal outcomes. Adverse perinatal outcomes may result in poorer infant developmental outcomes, such as temperament and sensory difficulties. This study aimed to (1) assess differences in temperament and sensory features between infants born to mothers with and without asthma and (2) investigate differences in these infant behaviours as a function of maternal asthma severity and asthma control. Mothers completed the Carey Temperament Scales and the Sensory Profile 2 at either 6 weeks, 6 months, or 12 months postpartum. Overall, we observed no significant differences between infants born to mothers with and without asthma in their temperament or sensory features; scores in both domains fell within the normative range. More infants in the asthma group, however, were reported to be highly distractible. When compared with normative data, infants in both groups were reported to have poor predictability of biological functions and fewer infants engaged in low levels of sensory behaviours. Some infants were observed to experience difficulties with hyper-reactivity within several domains. Maternal asthma severity and control during pregnancy were not linked to significant differences between infant temperament and sensory features. The present findings indicate that infants born to mothers with asthma are not at an increased risk overall for temperament or sensory difficulties, compared to control infants. However, a subset of infants across both groups may be at risk for attention or sensory hyper-reactivity difficulties. Further research into the developmental outcomes of infants born to mothers with asthma is warranted.
Highlights
Asthma is the leading respiratory disease to complicate pregnancy, occurring in 8–13% of pregnancies worldwide (Rejnö et al, 2014)
It was hypothesised that infants born to mothers with severe or uncontrolled asthma would have more challenging temperament features and greater sensory processing difficulties, compared to infants born to mothers with mild or moderate, or well- or partly controlled asthma
We hypothesised that infants born to mothers with severe or uncontrolled asthma would have more challenging temperament features and greater sensory processing issues, compared to infants born to mothers with mild/moderate or well-controlled/partly controlled asthma
Summary
Asthma is the leading respiratory disease to complicate pregnancy, occurring in 8–13% of pregnancies worldwide (Rejnö et al, 2014). Asthma exacerbations, which occur in as many as 45% of pregnant women with asthma, are associated with an even greater risk of poor infant outcomes, low birth weight and prematurity (Namazy et al, 2013; Robijn et al, 2020). These perinatal outcomes are posited to be due to respiratory alkalosis and hypoxia during pregnancy, resulting in reduced placental blood flow and oxygen supply to the foetus during pregnancy (Meakin et al, 2020). Despite these known risks for adverse outcomes, there is a paucity of research investigating the early behavioural development of infants born to mothers with asthma
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
