Fetal rate of behavioral inhibition and preference for novelty during infancy

Abstract

Background Correlations between infant measures of information processing and later IQ have been established, and a few studies have extended this continuum by examining links between various fetal measures and cognitive measures during infancy. Aims This study compared fetal rate of behavioral habituation among infants identified as at high or low cognitive risk. Study design This study was a retrospective examination of differences in fetal rate of behavioral habituation as a function of cognitive risk status at 6.5 and 9 months postpartum, using an independent two-group design. Subjects Participants were 32 infants who were born between 36 and 42 weeks gestational age at normal birth weight and had normal APGAR scores. Outcome measures The Fagan Test of Infant Intelligence (FTII) was used to obtain a measure of preference for novelty, which served as the basis for identification of infants at high or low risk for cognitive difficulty. These infants had undergone up to three habituation trials using a vibroacoustic stimulus during fetal development. Results Infants who were classified as being at high cognitive risk at 6 months had required more trials to habituation as fetuses. Conclusions Fetal rate of behavioral habituation is associated with information processing during the first 6 months of infancy. We suggest that fetal habituation may be influenced by early cognitive mechanisms and therefore represents an immature but real form of information processing.