Infant Behavior Record Research Articles

Person-centered profiles of child temperament: A comparison of coder, mother, and experimenter ratings

This study compared person-centered temperament group classifications derived from latent profile analyses on maternal reports, post-visit experimenter ratings, and task-based coder-rated behaviors at 18 months of age. Toddlers (N = 148) completed a laboratory visit with tasks intended to assess temperament and early regulatory abilities. Following the visit, experimenters rated child temperament using the Infant Behavior Record and coders rated toddlers’ approach-withdrawal, affect, and regulatory behaviors across several laboratory tasks. Mothers completed the Early Childhood Behavior Questionnaire. Fisher’s exact tests revealed that latent profiles characterized by temperamental inhibition and early regulatory abilities were quite consistent across assessments, whereas those characterized by surgent/exuberant qualities were less consistent. These results support a “components of variance” approach which suggests that different assessment methods produce both unique and overlapping information about child temperament.

Low social affiliation predicts increases in callous-unemotional behaviors in early childhood.

Callous-unemotional (CU) behaviors predict risk for aggression and rule-breaking. Low social affiliation (i.e. reduced motivation for and enjoyment of social closeness) is hypothesized to be a phenotypic marker for CU behaviors in early childhood. However, studies need to establish observational methods to objectively assess social affiliation as well as to establish parenting practices that can buffer pathways from low social affiliation to CU behaviors. Using data from a longitudinal twin study of 628 children (age 2, 47% females; age 3, 44.9% females), we examined reciprocal associations between observed social affiliation, CU behaviors, and oppositional-defiant behaviors. We tested whether positive parenting moderated associations over time. We established that an observed measure of social affiliation derived from the Bayley's Behavior Rating Scale and Infant Behavior Record showed high inter-rater reliability and expected convergence with parent-reported temperament measures. Lower social affiliation at age 2 uniquely predicted CU behaviors, but not oppositional-defiant behaviors, at age 3. Finally, low social affiliation at age 2 predicted CU behaviors at age 3 specifically among children who experienced low, but not high, levels of parental positivity. An objective rating scale that is already widely used in pediatric settings reliably indexes low social affiliation and risk for CU behaviors. The dynamic interplay between parenting and low child social affiliation represents an important future target for novel individual- and dyadic-targeted treatments to reduce risk for CU behaviors.

Lab Versus Parent Ratings of Temperament: A Brief Examination of Potential Uses for Professionals Across Settings

This study investigated the Infant Behavior Record (IBR) as an observer-rated measure of temperament. The aim was to determine whether the IBR and a parent-rated measure of temperament were comparably associated with children’s performance on laboratory tasks and with a measure of the home environment. We found several significant associations between the IBR and laboratory performance and no significant correlations between parent ratings and laboratory performance. Conversely, there were several significant associations between parent-rated temperament and the home environment and no significant associations between the IBR and the home environment. These findings lend evidence to the utility of the IBR as an observer-rated measure of temperament that can be used by teachers, clinicians, and other professionals working with children.

Genetic and Environmental Contributions to Behavioral Stability and Change in Children 6-36months of Age Using Louisville Twin Study Data.

The Infant Behavior Record (IBR) from the Bayley Scales of Infant Development has been used to study behavioral development since the 1960s. Matheny (1983) examined behavioral development at 6, 12, 18, and 24months from the Louisville Twin Study (LTS). The extracted temperament scales included Task Orientation, Affect-Extraversion, and Activity. He concluded that monozygotic twins were more similar than same-sex dizygotic twins on these dimensions. Since this seminal work was published, a larger LTS sample and more advanced analytical methods are available. In the current analyses, Choleksy decomposition was applied to behavioral data (n=1231) from twins 6-36months. Different patterns of genetic continuity vs genetic innovations were identified for each IBR scale. Single common genetic and shared environmental factors explained cross-age twin similarity in the Activity scale. Multiple shared environmental factors and a single genetic factor coming on line at age 18months contributed to Affect-Extraversion. A single shared environmental factor and multiple genetic factors explained cross-age twin similarity in Task Orientation.

Impact of postpartum depressive symptoms on mother and her 18-month-old infant

Postpartum depression (PPD) is known to have important negative effects on mother, infant and mother-child relationship. We present a case-control study of 35 mothers and their 18-month-old infants. These mothers suffered from postpartum depressive symptoms (PDS) when the infants were three months old, as rated with the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS, Cox 1987). A control group of 35 mothers without postpartum depressive symptoms (NPDS) with their 18-month-old infants was also evaluated. The infants were assessed using the Infant Behavior Record of the Bayley Scales of Infant Development, the Strange Situation and an object concept task. 15 months later, the PDS mothers were less affectionate and more anxious than the NPDS mothers. The PDS dyads demonstrated less verbal interaction and less playing interaction. 18-month-old infants of PDS mothers performed less well on object concept tasks, and were more often insecurely attached to their mothers. Only some results were linked to the mothers' depressive state (D-mothers) diagnosed at 18 months (e. g. responsiveness to persons). The important negative effects observed at 18 months on mother and infant of maternal PDS at 3 months confirm the need for early identification and therapeutic or preventive interventions.

Vagal Regulation and Observed Social Behavior in Infancy

The goal of the present study was to test a recent hypothesis that the ability to suppress cardiac vagal tone during a cognitive challenge was related to social behavior. One hundred thirty‐six infants participated with their parents in laboratory visits when infants were 12 (mother visit) and 13 months (father visit) of age. To measure the infants’ regulation of cardiac vagal tone, heart rate responses were recorded during the administration of a test of mental development (father visit). Responses to a stranger interaction were measured during the 12 month visit. In addition, experimenters evaluated the infants’ behavior across the laboratory sessions using an adaptation of the Infant Behavior Record. Results revealed that infants who were able to suppress vagal tone during the cognitive challenge were rated by the experimenters as more socially approaching at the two laboratory visits. Vagal regulation was unrelated to behavior during the stranger‐infant interaction. These findings partially support the hypothesis that infants who are able to regulate their vagal tone have a greater capacity for social engagement.

Postneonatal mental and motor development of infants exposed in utero to opioid drugs

AbstractWe compared the mental and motor development of 33 infants from innercity, African American families whose mothers used opioid drugs during pregnancy with that of 45 infants from demographically comparable families where the mothers were not users of opioids. We found that during the first 2 years of life, the children exposed to opioid drugs showed poorer functioning on Bayley Scales mental and psychomotor development indices as well as on Infant Behavior Record ratings of mental and motor functioning. Although both groups of children performed in the normal range during infancy, both groups showed sharp declines in their developmental scores during the second year of life relative to norms. The poorer performance of the opioid‐exposed group in mental development was related to social‐environmental risk factors; in psychomotor development, to reduced birth weight. © 2001 Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health.

Cognitive development, temperament and behavior at 2 years as indicative of language development at 4 years in pre-term infants.

This study focuses on the early temperamental (TTQ = toddler temperament questionnaire), behavioral (IBR = infant behavior record), and cognitive precursors of impaired language functioning in preschool-age pre-terms infants. The study group consisted of 63 pre-term infants with a mean birth weight of 1246 +/- 437 g born in 1989-1991 in the University Central Hospital of Helsinki. Children with major disabilities (CP or mental retardation) were excluded. At the age of 4 years, 22% showed impaired language function. Logistic regression analysis showed that the Bayley MDI score was the best predictor in identifying an increased risk for language impairment. Behavioral characteristics were more strongly associated with subsequent language impairment than temperament.

Modeling the effects of maternal nutritional status and socioeconomic variables on the anthropometric and psychological indicators of Kenyan infants from age 0-6 months.

This paper presents a comprehensive empirical analysis of the factors affecting growth and psychological development of over 100 infants from birth to age 6 months in the Embu region of Kenya. The analysis was divided into four parts. First, infants' birth weight, and length and head circumference as measured few days after birth, were modeled using multiple regression models. Maternal prepregnancy body mass index (BMI), gestation period, and parity were associated with infants' anthropometric measurements (P < 0.05). Second, the scores on seven clusters of the Brazelton Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale were explained by health and socioeconomic indicators. While the models had poor predictive power, the scores were comparable to those reported in the literature for Puerto Rican and African American infants. The third part of the analysis modeled infant growth between 1-6 months by analyzing longitudinal data on length, head circumference, and weight. Dynamic models were postulated for the effects of nutritional, socioeconomic, and environmental factors and morbidity on anthropometric variables. The results showed that infants' calcium intakes were positively associated with length (P < 0.05). Maternal BMI and hemoglobin concentration were positively associated with infant weight (P < 0. 05); infant morbidity was negatively associated with weight (P < 0. 05). Lastly, the infants' scores at 6 months on the Bayley Motor Scale and on eight items from the Bayley Infant Behavior Record were explained using anthropometric, socioeconomic, and psychological variables. The infants' arm circumference and intake of protein were significant predictors of scores on the Bayley Motor Scale. In addition, time spent by the mother talking to the infant was positively associated with the scores on the Bayley Infant Behavior Record. The empirical results have implications for identifying vulnerable children in developing countries.

Modeling the effects of maternal nutritional status and socioeconomic variables on the anthropometric and psychological indicators of Kenyan infants from age 0–6 months

This paper presents a comprehensive empirical analysis of the factors affecting growth and psychological development of over 100 infants from birth to age 6 months in the Embu region of Kenya. The analysis was divided into four parts. First, infants' birth weight, and length and head circumference as measured few days after birth, were modeled using multiple regression models. Maternal prepregnancy body mass index (BMI), gestation period, and parity were associated with infants' anthropometric measurements (P < 0.05). Second, the scores on seven clusters of the Brazelton Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale were explained by health and socioeconomic indicators. While the models had poor predictive power, the scores were comparable to those reported in the literature for Puerto Rican and African American infants. The third part of the analysis modeled infant growth between 1–6 months by analyzing longitudinal data on length, head circumference, and weight. Dynamic models were postulated for the effects of nutritional, socioeconomic, and environmental factors and morbidity on anthropometric variables. The results showed that infants' calcium intakes were positively associated with length (P < 0.05). Maternal BMI and hemoglobin concentration were positively associated with infant weight (P < 0.05); infant morbidity was negatively associated with weight (P < 0.05). Lastly, the infants' scores at 6 months on the Bayley Motor Scale and on eight items from the Bayley Infant Behavior Record were explained using anthropometric, socioeconomic, and psychological variables. The infants' arm circumference and intake of protein were significant predictors of scores on the Bayley Motor Scale. In addition, time spent by the mother talking to the infant was positively associated with the scores on the Bayley Infant Behavior Record. The empirical results have implications for identifying vulnerable children in developing countries. Am J Phys Anthropol 111:89–104, 2000. © 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Temperament profiles and their role in neurodevelopmental assessed preterm children at two years of age.

The aim of this study was to determine whether preterms (n = 80, mean birth weight 1,205 g) differ from full-terms (n = 80) in temperament profile at 24 months of age and to explore the relationship between temperament, neurodevelopment, and behavior. Temperament was assessed using the Toddler Temperament Questionnaire, which defines nine temperament dimensions: activity, rhythmicity, approach/withdrawal, adaptability, mood, intensity, distractability, persistence, and sensory threshold. Neurodevelopment was assessed by the Bayley Scales of Infant Development and by neuropediatric examination. Behavior was assessed using the Infant Behavior Record, which is a part of the Bayley Scales. When temperament was considered, the preterms were significantly less active, more adaptive, more positive in mood, less intense, and lower in threshold to respond than the controls. The results on IBR showed that preterms were significantly less goal directed, less attentive, and lower in endurance than the controls. The preterms performed significantly less well than the controls on the Bayley test. Low Bayley scores correlated with temperament scores of high rhythmicity, positive mood, low persistence, and high threshold and with IBR scores of poor social orientation, negative emotional tone, poor co-operation, short attention span, and poor endurance.

Tester‐rated temperament at 14, 20 and 24 months: Environmental change and genetic continuity

The present paper examines genetic and environmental sources of continuity and change in temperament in a sample of 301 twin pairs participating in the MacArthur Longitudinal Twin Study. At 14, 20 and 24 months of age, temperament was assessed independently for each twin using tester ratings on the Infant Behavior Record (IBR; Bayley, 1969). Cross‐age correlations for the three IBR factors (Activity, Task Orientation and Affect‐Extraversion) were moderately low, suggesting that temperament in the second year of life is marked by change rather than continuity. At each age there was significant genetic influence on each temperament dimension. Moreover, the magnitude of heritability was similar across age, suggesting that heritability does not change dramatically from 14 to 24 months of age. The results of model‐fitting analyses of continuity and change were similar for each IBR factor: no new genetic effects emerged at 20 or 24 months; shared environmental influences were non‐significant at all ages; and there were substantial non‐shared environmental influences unique to each age. Thus, change, which predominates over continuity in tester‐rated temperament during the second year of life, can be attributed to environmental factors. Continuity appears to be due to genetic factors.

Prevention of iron deficiency and psychomotor decline in high-risk infants through use of iron-fortified infant formula: A randomized clinical trial

Objective: To determine the efficacy of iron-fortified infant formula in preventing developmental delays and abnormal behavior. Design: Double-blind, randomized, controlled trial. Setting: Urban hospital clinic. Participants: A total of 283 healthy, bottle-fed infants from very low income families. Children with prematurity, low birth weight, and major anomalies and those who had received more than 2 weeks of evaporated-milk feedings were excluded. The groups were similar for sociodemographic background variables. Fifty-eight infants (20.5%) dropped out before any outcome data were gathered; 225, 204, 186, and 154 remained at 6-, 9-, 12-, and 15-month assessments, respectively. Intervention: Iron-fortified formula (12.8 mg iron per liter) versus regular formula (1.1 mg iron per liter). Main outcome measures: Iron status was measured on venous blood by determination of hemoglobin, serum iron and iron-binding capacity, serum ferritin, and free erythrocyte protoporphyrin values. The Bayley Scales of Infant Development (mental and psychomotor indexes) and two factors of the Infant Behavior Record (test affect and task orientation) were the outcomes of interest. Results: All measures of iron status were significantly different between groups ( p <0.001). Psychomotor development patterns differed between groups ( F 3,520, 3.4; p = 0.02) with time. Mean values were similar at 6 months but differed at 9 and 12 months of age ( p <0.001), with a decline of 6.4 points in the regular-formula group. By 15 months of age the differences were no longer significant ( p = 0.23). Mental development and behavior were not affected. Conclusions: Iron-fortified formula significantly reduced iron deficiency in a high-risk group of infants and prevented a decline in psychomotor development quotients. This effect may be transient, and its long-term significance needs further study. (J P EDIATR 1994;125:527-34)

Alternative approaches to clustering and scoring the Bayley infant behavior record

One hundred eighty three black, low-income infants were assessed on the Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment (HOME) at 12 months and on the Bayley Mental Development Index (MDI) and Infant Behavior Record (IBR) at 13 months. Ninety infants were retested at 25 months. Factor analysis of the IBR at 13 months yielded three factors similar in content to those found for middle-class infants by Matheny (1980). A comparison of the two sets of clusters—one derived from Matheny, the other from this study—indicated that the Matheny (1980) attention cluster was the strongest predictor of 25-month MDI and the only one to add significantly to 13-month MDI in predicting 25-month MDI. Although clusters relating to affect and arousal related to HOME scores, attention did not, suggesting that attention may be more constitutionally than environmentally based. Analyses of suspect ratings demonstrated the validity of this approach and indicated high suspect ratings for this sample on hyporeactivity.

Rapid assessment of infant predictors of adult IQ: Midtwin-midparent analyses.

Infant predictors of adult IQ were assessed with same-sex infant twins (114 pairs) and their parents. The midtwin-midparent design permits the rapid assessment of infant measures to predict later behavior, because the midparent score serves as a proxy for the infant's potential score at maturity. At 5, 7, and 9 months, Ss were observed on the Fagan Test of Infant Intelligence, hand preference, vocalizations, selected Bayley Scales of Infant Development items, and a modified Bayley Infant Behavior Record. At 8 months, Ss received the Visual Expectation Paradigm and an auditory discrimination task. Their parents received the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised. Some infant measures, indicative of information processing, language ability, and temperament, predicted midparent IQ. This study extended and partially replicated findings from a previous midtwin-midparent cohort

Bayley??s Infant Behavior Record Ratings of Infants with Recurrent Apnea

The goal of this study was to provide a behavioral profile of apneic infants and to examine relationships between behavioral ratings, apnea frequency, age, and concurrent developmental status. Two samples of previously apneic infants were included in this exploratory analysis using the Infant Behavior Record (IBR) as a measure of temperament. Frequency of IBR suspect ratings was more than twice those reported for the Bayley standardization sample for tension, object orientation, attention, and reactivity. Apnea frequency, age, and developmental status were significantly related to a number of IBR ratings with relationships remaining significant for apnea and decreased responsiveness to persons and sensory interest after controlling for age and developmental status in the combined samples. These findings are consistent with a behavioral profile described as a lethargic temperament but may reflect early physiologic instability rather than inherent behavioral style.

Genetic influence on tester-rated infant temperament as assessed by Bayley's Infant Behavior Record: Nonadoptive and adoptive siblings and twins.

Results are reported for the 1st sibling adoption study of temperament in infancy, using tester ratings on the Infant Behavior Record (IBR) at 1 and 2 years for a sample of 95 pairs of nonadoptive siblings and 80 pairs of adoptive siblings. Twin data reported by Matheny (1980) for 85 identical (MZ) and 50 fraternal (DZ) twin pairs on the same measure at the same ages were combined with the sibling adoption data in maximum-likehood model-fitting analyses for 3 IBR factors (affect-extraversion, activity, and task orientation). Both the sibling adoption and twin data yielded evidence for significant genetic influence for the 3 IBR factors at 12 and 24 months : heritability estimates ranged from 35% to 75%. Shared environment contributed little to the total variance for any of the 3 traits

Genetic influence on tester-rated infant temperament as assessed by Bayley's Infant Behavior Record: Nonadoptive and adoptive siblings and twins.

Genetic influence on tester-rated infant temperament as assessed by Bayley's Infant Behavior Record: Nonadoptive and adoptive siblings and twins.

Temperament and language: Relations from toddlerhood to middle childhood.

This study examined contemporaneous and longitudinal relations between temperament and language in toddlerhood and middle childhood. Language was assessed using the Sequenced Inventory of Communicative Development in 229 children at age 2 and in 212 of these children at age 2. Observers rated dimensions of the children's temperament at age 2 on the Infant Behavior Record. In addition, 164 of these children were administered a battery of language measures after the completion of Ist grade. Affect-extraversion at age 2 made a unique contribution to individual differences in both receptive and expressive language at age 3 and to receptive language skills at age 7

Sources of continuity in infant predictors of later IQ

The sources of continuity between nine measures of infant cognitive processing and later childhood IQ were examined by application of developmental structural equation models to longitudinal data from a sample of 208 twin pairs measured from 7 to 36 months. The models were designed to assess whether the longitudinal trends observed in the infant tests follow a developmental pattern in which infant skills are persistently transmitted into those measured later, or whether transient discontinuities interrupt the continuity observed over the course of early development. Infant cognitive measures administered at 7, 8, and 9 months included Fagan's Test of Infant Intelligence, Visual Expectation and Vocalization measures, and Bayley's Infant Behavior Record. The Bayley Scales of Mental Development, administered at 12 and 24 months, and the Stanford-Binet IQ test, collected at 36 months, served as dependent measures of general mental ability. Model-fitting results suggest that, in general, the specific skills assessed by the infant measures are not continuously incorporated into later general ability measurements but, instead, appear related to general cognitive ability in a relatively unstable manner over the developmental period examined. Exploration of the genetic and environmental sources of the longitudinal measurements further suggests that, although the outcome depends upon the measure, observed continuity is a result of both genetic influences and features of the infant home environment.