Infant regulatory behavior problems during first month of life and neurobehavioral outcomes in early childhood

Elena Toffol,Jari Lipsanen,Polina Girchenko,Soile Tuovinen,Marius Lahti-Pulkkinen,Pia M Villa,Jari Lahti,Eero Kajantie,Anu-Katriina Pesonen,Esa Hämäläinen,Ville Rantalainen,Katri Räikkönen,Hannele Laivuori

doi:10.1007/s00787-018-1243-8

Abstract

Whether infant regulatory behavior problems already in the first month of life indicate an increased risk of childhood neurobehavioral problems, and whether maternal depression in the postpartum and early childhood underpins these associations remain unclear. Altogether, 2049–2364 mothers from the Prediction and Prevention of Pre-eclampsia and Intrauterine Growth Restriction (PREDO) study completed the Neonatal Perception Inventory on regulatory behavior problems at the infant’s age of 15.6 days (SD 3.2, range 1–30), the Infant Behavior Questionnaire-Revised on temperament at 6.5 months (SD 0.9, range 4.2–12.4), and the Ages and Stages Questionnaire-3 on developmental milestones and the Child Behavior Checklist on behavioral problems at 3.5 years (SD 0.7, range 1.9–6.0). Maternal depressive symptoms were measured by the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (infancy follow-ups) and Beck Depression Inventory-II (childhood follow-up). Father-rated infant temperament and paternal depressive symptoms were also available (n = 1474). Higher levels of infant regulatory behavior problems predicted higher levels of mother- and father-rated negative affectivity temperament (0.13 SD units per SD unit, 95% confidence interval 0.09–0.17; and 0.09, 0.04–0.14, respectively), lower levels of mother-rated orienting/regulation temperament (− 0.09, − 0.13 to − 0.05) and problem-solving skills (− 0.12, − 0.21 to − 0.04), and higher levels of Externalizing (0.07, 0.03–0.11) and Total behavioral problems (0.07, 0.03–0.11). Regulatory behaviors partially mediated the effect of maternal depressive symptoms. Regulatory behavior problems already during the first month of life predict neurobehavioral outcomes, and partially mediate the effect of maternal depressive symptoms. Our study may inform design of interventions aimed at timely prevention in children at risk.

Highlights

According to Fraley and Roberts [1], constitutional factors operate together with environmental factors and transactional and stochastic processes to create both continuity and change in development
Higher infant behavior problem scores were associated with higher maternal early-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) (r = 0.04, p = 0.045), infant’s lower birth weight (r = − 0.04, p = 0.018), and higher maternal depressive symptoms at rating the infant’s regulatory behaviors (r = 0.22, p < 0.001)
While maternal postpartum depression increases the mother’s risk for later depressive episodes, and increases the risk of infant regulatory behavior problems and neurobehavioral adversities, our study showed that the associations between infant regulatory behavior problems and childhood neurobehavioral outcomes were not explained by maternal depressive symptoms in the early childhood period

Summary

Introduction

According to Fraley and Roberts [1], constitutional factors operate together with environmental factors and transactional and stochastic processes to create both continuity and change in development. They provide data on the partial continuity of psychological development from the 1st year of life onwards. Extended author information available on the last page of the article predict child psychiatric problems and personality traits later in childhood and adulthood [2,3,4]. As the genotype stays the same, this contributes to the stability of psychological development, suggesting that early evident behaviors may predict later psychological development

Objectives

Results

Discussion

Conclusion