Abstract
BackgroundMany young children in developing countries do not reach their developmental potential. Traditional methods for assessing developmental outcome are time consuming, thus, physiological measures that can contribute to the prediction of developmental outcomes in high risk groups have been suggested. Vagally mediated heart rate variability (vmHRV) is considered a neurophysiological or peripheral proxy for prefrontal and executive functioning and might serve as a supplement for traditional measurements of developmental status and as a potential useful risk indicator.AimIn the present study, we wanted to describe the vmHRV in Nepalese infants and relate it to the Bayley Scales of infant and toddler development, 3. edition (Bayley-III) subscales.Methods600 Nepalese infants were included in the study. At 6–11 and 17–24 months, we measured neurodevelopmental and socio-emotional outcomes by the Bayley-III. Inter-beat intervals were recorded at two measurement points when the children were 17–24 months.ResultsThere was a high intraclass correlation between HRV indices generated from the two measurement points. No significant associations between vmHRV and Bayley-III sub scales were found at any time.ConclusionThis study is the first to describe vmHRV in healthy infants and the relationship between Bayley-III scores. Our results suggest that vmHRV is not associated with measures of general development in infancy.
Highlights
Reaching optimal neurocognitive and socio-emotional potential is a challenge for many children, and efforts to understand the process of poor developmental outcomes are necessary (McCoy et al, 2016)
A number of studies have found associations between Vagally mediated heart rate variability (vmHRV) and developmental outcomes in various infant populations, we argue that vmHRV could be associated with cognitive and socio-emotional developmental outcomes
Visual representation of the total distribution of root Mean Square of Successive Differences (RMSSD) and HFms2 scores from both recordings are provided in Figures 1, 2
Summary
Reaching optimal neurocognitive and socio-emotional potential is a challenge for many children, and efforts to understand the process of poor developmental outcomes are necessary (McCoy et al, 2016). Available tools for measuring neurodevelopment in infants are time-consuming and physiological measures that can contribute to the prediction of developmental outcomes in high risk groups have been suggested. It has been suggested that vagal tone is influenced by the prefrontal cortical structures (Thayer et al, 2012; Jennings et al, 2016; Nikolin et al, 2017) that provide the neurocognitive basis for executive functions and include basic cognitive processes such as the preparation and planning for action, decision-making, cognitive-emotional regulation, and components crucial for key social behavior (Anderson, 2002). Mediated heart rate variability (vmHRV) is considered a neurophysiological or peripheral proxy for prefrontal and executive functioning and might serve as a supplement for traditional measurements of developmental status and as a potential useful risk indicator
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
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.
