Infant Behavioral Problems Research Articles

Impact of a Brief Parenting Intervention on Parent and Infant Imitation

Research examining the effect of behavioral parenting interventions, such as parent–child interaction therapy (PCIT), on parent and child imitation is limited despite known benefits to early child development. We examined the effect of a brief, home-based adaptation of PCIT, the Infant Behavior Program (IBP), on changes in observed frequency of parent and infant imitation, moderating effects of parent language (English, Spanish), and mediational effects of parent and infant imitation on the effect of intervention on infant behavior problems. Participants were 60 12- to 15-month-olds with elevated behavior problems and their primary caregiver, all of which were mothers. Parent–infant dyads were randomly assigned to receive either the IBP or standard pediatric primary care. Parents receiving the IBP demonstrated significantly higher rates of observed imitation at postintervention and at the 3-month follow-up compared to those receiving standard care, and the effect at postintervention was stronger for English-speaking than for Spanish-speaking families. Although the IBP did not directly affect changes in infant imitation at postintervention or the 3-month follow-up, rates of infant imitation increased significantly for those who received the IBP at the 6-month follow-up. Additionally, moderation results suggested that the IBP led to improvements in infant imitation at post for Spanish-speaking families but not for English-speaking families. There were no significant mediational effects of parent or infant imitation. Future research is needed to examine the impact of increases in imitation on other aspects of child development, such as social–cognitive and language abilities, and to examine how cultural factors may play a role in individual differences in imitation.

유아 성 행동에 대한 유치원 경력 교사의 인식, 경험과 요구 분석

Objectives In this research, by examining the perceptions, experiences, and needs of teachers with more than 3 years of experience regarding sexual behavior in children, we understand the application status of guidelines for managing and responding to sexual behavior (problems), find ways to operate them more effectively, and provide practical sexual behavior teacher education. It is intended to be used as basic data. Methods In order to find out the awareness, experience, and needs of experienced teachers regarding children's sexual behavior, 153 teachers who participated in the ‘Early childhood education Grade 1 Teacher Training’ in Gyeonggi-do for a total of 10 days starting January 2, 2024 were surveyed through an online survey with a total of 25 questions.The survey results were analyzed by calculating frequencies and percentages using SPSS 25, and in case of duplicate questions, rankings were calculated based on response frequency. Results Regarding whether they were aware of the difference between children's sexual behavior (problem) and the sexual behavior (problem) based on the main results of recognizing dolls related to play and guidance, the majority of teachers (45%) answered that they were at an average level, and that they considered children's sexual behavior as behavior. Thinking (54%) is the most common. Additionally, all teachers responded that children's sexual behavior (problems) and guidance are needed (100%). The main results regarding the instructor's experience related to infant sexual behavior (problems) and response and guidance include responses indicating that they have experience with infant sexual behavior (problems) (79.%) and response and guidance through consultation with families (20.8%). I think it got the most answers. The most common response was that families celebrate parties (45%) as the main form of recognition and need for educational support for play and guidance of children's sexual behavior (problems), and the most common response was that education was very helpful (52%). . Additionally, the most common need was for improvements in small environments and situations (31%) that represent response and guidance to children's sexual behavior (problems). Conclusions Training related to children's sexual behavior (problems) should be continuously conducted for teachers to strengthen teachers' response and guidance expertise, the need for parent education on the topic of sex education and sexual behavior (problems), and the publication and distribution of various sexual behavior (problem) casebooks. It was suggested that education related to children's sexual behavior (problems) is needed at the pre-service teacher stage.

The perinatal health secondary to pandemic: association between women's delivery concerns and infant's behavioral problems.

COVID-19 pandemic characterised a unique and vulnerable social, emotional, and health environment for pregnancy, with potential long-lasting risks to maternal and child health outcomes. In women who were pregnant at the peak of COVID-19 pandemic, we investigated the association between pandemic-related concerns about pregnancy and delivery and both the parent's (i.e. maternal parenting stress) and the infant's (i.e. emotional-behavioral problems) outcomes 12 months after birth. A sample of 352 Italian pregnant women completed a web-based survey from 8 April to 4 May 2020 and a follow-up at 12 months after delivery. Maternal assessment in pregnancy covered prenatal measures for: pandemic-related concerns about pregnancy and childbirth, COVID-19 stressful events exposure, pandemic psychological stress, and mental-health symptoms (i.e. depression, anxiety). The 12 months' assessment covered post-partum measures of social support, parenting stress and maternal reports of infants' behavioral problems. The results of the Quasi-Poisson regression models on the association between COVID-19 related influencing factors and parenting stress and infant's behavioral problems showed that the presence of higher pandemic-related concerns about pregnancy and childbirth scores was associated with greater total and internalising behavioral problems but not with parenting stress levels. Perinatal mother-infant health has been sensitively threatened by pandemic consequences with maternal concerns about childbirth in pregnancy being associated with 12 months' children's behavioral outcomes. There is a need to invest in psychological support for perinatal women throughout the transition to parenthood to protect risk conditions before they get chronic or severe and influence offspring development.

The Australian Temperament Project Generation 3 study: a population-based multigenerational prospective cohort study of socioemotional health and development

PurposeThe Australian Temperament Project Generation 3 Study (ATPG3) was established to examine the extent to which offspring social and emotional development is shaped in the decades prior to conception, in...

유아의 정서·행동문제에 대한 개별차원의 긍정적 행동지원의 협력적 자문 효과*

The purpose of this study was to provide cooperative advisory for individualized positive behavior support to help teachers prevent emotional and behavioral issues and guide desirable alternative actions for infants who need individual support for emotional and behavioral problems. This study involved 48 infants and 48 teachers attending one kindergarten and 23 daycare centers in Y city. The results of the study were as follows. First, the function of the infant's emotional and behavioral problems was expressed as an out-of-the-box emotional and behavioral problem with the highest compensation variable. Second, teachers most frequently used negative response strategies for the out-of-the-box emotional and behavioral problems of infants, which changed to the most frequent use of positive response strategies after positive behavior support advice. Positive response strategies were used most frequently for internalized emotional and behavioral problems in infants, and positive prevention strategies I were changed to the most frequent use after positive behavior support advice. This study was meaningful in that it demonstrated the effectiveness of cooperative advice on positive action support at individual levels and confirmed its need to prevent and manage emotional and behavioral problems in infants.

Paid maternal leave is associated with better language and socioemotional outcomes during toddlerhood.

The United States is the only high-income country that does not have a national policy mandating paid leave to working women who give birth. Increased rates of maternal employment post-birth call for greater understanding of the effects of family leave on infant development. This study examined the links between paid leave and toddler language, cognitive, and socioemotional outcomes (24-36months; N=328). Results indicate that paid leave was associated with better language outcomes, regardless of socioeconomic status. Additionally, paid leave was correlated with fewer infant behavior problems for mothers with lower levels of educational attainment. Expanding access to policies that support families in need, like paid family leave, may aid in reducing socioeconomic disparities in infant development.

Infant temperament, parenting and behavior problems: Variation by parental education and income

Although research has linked infants' negative temperamental characteristics with later behavior problems, it has not accounted for unobserved heterogeneity in this association, nor has it examined potential variation by socioeconomic status. Using data from the Child and Young Adult Supplement of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY), the present study compares behavioral outcomes at age 5 (mean age = 60.6 months) of siblings who differed with regard to infant temperament (N = 3480). Associations between temperament and parenting behavior, and the role parenting behavior plays in those associations, were also explored. Findings indicate that negative reactivity predicts greater internalizing behavior problems consistently across the socioeconomic distribution, whereas negative reactivity predicts externalizing behavior problems only among children from the lowest education group. Moreover, negative reactivity predicts less optimal parenting behavior, and consistently by education and income. No evidence emerged that parenting explains links between temperament and child behavior or variation in links by education or income.

Mothers' self-reported emotion dysregulation: A potentially valid method in the field of infant mental health.

In the current study, we evaluated the extent to which mothers reported emotion dysregulation on the Difficulties with Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (DERS) (a) converged with physiological indices of emotion dysregulation while parenting, (b) correlated with maternal sensitivity, and (c) predicted infant attachment disorganization and behavior problems in a sample of 259 mothers and their infants. When infants were 6 months old, mothers' physiological arousal and regulation were measured during parenting tasks and mothers completed the DERS. Maternal sensitivity was observed during distress-eliciting tasks when infants were 6 and 14 months old. Infant attachment disorganization was assessed during the Strange Situation when infants were 14 months old and mothers reported on infants' behavior problems when infants were 27 months old. Mothers who reported greater emotion regulation difficulties were more physiologically dysregulated during stressful parenting tasks and also showed lower levels of maternal sensitivity at 6 months. Mother-reported dysregulation predicted higher likelihood of infant attachment disorganization and more behavior problems. Results suggest that the DERS is a valid measure of maternal emotional dysregulation and may be a useful tool for future research and intervention efforts aimed toward promoting positive parenting and early child adjustment.

Infant Behavior and Competence Following Prenatal Exposure to a Natural Disaster: The QF2011 Queensland Flood Study.

This study utilized a natural disaster to investigate the effects of prenatal maternal stress (PNMS) arising from exposure to a severe flood on maternally reported infant social-emotional and behavioral outcomes at 16months, along with potential moderation by infant sex and gestational timing of flood exposure. Women pregnant during the Queensland floods in January 2011 completed measures of flood-related objective hardship and posttraumatic stress (PTS). At 16months postpartum, mothers completed measures describing depressive symptoms and infant social-emotional and behavioral problems (n=123) and competence (n=125). Greater maternal PTS symptoms were associated with reduced infant competence. A sex difference in infant behavioral problems emerged at higher levels of maternal objective hardship and PTS; boys had significantly more behavioral problems than girls. Additionally, greater PTS was associated with more behavioral problems in boys; however, this effect was attenuated by adjustment for maternal depressive symptoms. No main effects or interactions with gestational timing were found. Findings highlight specificity in the relationships between PNMS components and infant outcomes and demonstrate that the effects of PNMS exposure on behavior may be evident as early as infancy. Implications for the support of families exposed to a natural disaster during pregnancy are discussed.

Dissemination of evidence based interventions for pediatric sleep disorders – The Niagara project: process and outcomes

Background/objectiveThis paper describes evidence-based strategies for the dissemination of empirically supported interventions for infant behavioral sleep problems. MethodsTo identify parents' needs, a survey sampled 1022 parents in the Niagara region about use of health resources, tracking occurred of public health nurses' consultations with parents about infant sleep, and nurses obtained sleep workshop evaluation data from 18 parents. A focus group with 10 participants, a survey of Niagara Region Public Health and Emergency Services (NRPH&ES) employees, and consultations with external stakeholders identified gaps in parents' and infants' care and public health nurses' training needs. We developed solutions by creating evidence-based tools and a program for parents and public health nurses. We implemented and disseminated information via sharing tools on the NRPH&ES website, and workshops for community agencies and public health nurses. ResultsSeventy childhood educators, support workers, and social and public health professionals attended our community workshop. Twenty-three public health nurses attended our training workshop. In guided discussion, nurses evaluated the workshop as addressing gaps in knowledge and enhancing NRPH&ES interventions to manage infants' behavioral sleep problems. Fifteen parents attended a sleep workshop pilot, with seven parents indicating a preference for follow-up telephone support. Fifty individuals attended our oral presentation at the Ontario Public Health Convention. ConclusionsFor next directions, community and other public health agencies want access to our tools and program components. We received a research grant to design, implement, and evaluate sharing tools and program components with community agencies (daycares and childcare centres).

Infant withdrawal and behavior problems in urban Chinese toddlers: Roles of maternal sensitivity to infant distress and emerging delay ability.

Using a longitudinal design, this study examined the associations between infant temperamental withdrawal and behavior problems during toddlerhood and tested the moderating effects of maternal sensitivity to infant distress (MSID) and toddlers' ability to delay gratification (ADG) in urban Chinese families. Participants were 84 Chinese children (37 boys, 47 girls) and their mothers. When the infants were 6 months old (T1: infancy), their mothers reported their temperamental withdrawal, and research assistants observed and coded MSID by using a subscale of the Maternal Behavior Q-Sort during free-play interaction. When the toddlers were 1 year old (T2: early toddlerhood), their mothers reported their internalizing and externalizing problems. When the toddlers were 2 years old (T3: late toddlerhood), their mothers again reported their internalizing and externalizing problems, and their abilities of delay gratification were assessed through a laboratory-based procedure. Infant temperamental withdrawal was associated with increased internalizing problems in early toddlerhood and increased externalizing problems during middle to late toddlerhood; infants whose mothers were extremely high sensitive or low sensitive to their distress or those with late poor ability of delay gratification were at particular risk. The findings highlight the importance of matching parenting and promotion of self-control for temperamental withdrawn children's optimal development.

Maternal childhood emotional abuse predicts Chinese infant behavior problems: Examining mediating and moderating processes.

The current study examined the mediating effect of maternal negative expressiveness as well as the moderating effects of infant inhibitory control (IC) in the association between maternal childhood emotional abuse (CEA) and infant behavior problems. Drawing from 207 families from mainland China, 2-wave data were reported in this study when the infants were 6 months (T1) and 14 (T2) months. Mothers (Mean age = 32.85 years, SD = 4.04) reported their CEA on the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form (CTQ-SF) at T1, and their negative expressiveness on the Self-Expressiveness in the Family Questionnaire (SEFQ) at T2. The Infant-Toddler Social and Emotional Assessment (ITSEA) and a reverse categorization task were used to measure infant behavior problems and IC at T2, respectively. The results showed that T1 maternal CEA, rather than physical and sexual abuse, uniquely predicted T2 negative expressiveness. Maternal negative expressiveness significantly mediated the positive relations of maternal CEA and infant externalizing, internalizing and dysregulation problems. In addition, the moderated mediation model showed that the association between maternal negative expressiveness and infant dysregulation problems was moderated by infant IC. Specifically, the mediating pathway from maternal CEA to dysregulation problems through maternal negative expressiveness was significant, only for infants with poor IC. The results were robust even after controlling for family socio-economic status (SES), maternal childhood physical and sexual abuse. The importance of mediating and moderating processes in understanding the effect of maternal emotional abuse during childhood on infant behavior problems is discussed.

Infant temperament and behavioral problems: analysis of high-risk infants in child welfare

ABSTRACTResearchers have demonstrated the association between difficult temperament in infancy and early childhood behavioral problems, but to date this has not been demonstrated in the child welfare population. This study utilized the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW), a nationally representative, longitudinal survey of children in the child-welfare system. The sample consisted of 1084 infants 0–12 months old at baseline who were investigated for suspected child abuse. The researchers used longitudinal, multivariable logistic regression to examine the association between difficult temperament score in infants 0–12 months who had child welfare involvement and clinical-range Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL; Achenbach & Rescorla, 2000) score at 36-months-follow-up. Findings from this study suggest that among children with substantiated maltreatment, difficult temperament in infancy predicts early childhood behavioral problems. This relationship persists after adjusting for other risk factors, such as placement, caregiver depression, and family income. The study also discusses implications for child welfare practices.Abbreviations: National Survey of Child and Adolescent Wellbeing II (NSCAW-II); Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL); Early Childhood Behavioral Problems (ECBPs)

Infants' Biological Sensitivity to the Effects of Maternal Social Support: Evidence Among Mexican American Families.

The identification of infants who are most susceptible to both negative and positive social environments is critical for understanding early behavioral development. This study longitudinally assessed the interactive effects of infant vagal tone (respiratory sinus arrhythmia; RSA) and maternal social support on behavioral problems and competence among 322 low-income Mexican American mother-infant dyads (infants: 54.1% female) and explored sex differences. Infant RSA was calculated from resting HR data at 6weeks of age. Mothers reported on general social support, partner support, and family support at 6months, and infant behavioral problems and competence at 1year. Two-way interactions (RSA×support source) were evaluated to predict behavioral problems and competence, adjusting for covariates. Results indicated higher competence among infants with lower RSA whose mothers reported higher general support or higher partner support. Interactive effects on behavior problems of RSA with maternal partner or family support were only found for female infants: Girls with higher RSA showed more behavior problems when mothers reported low support, but fewer problem levels in the context of high support. Our results suggest that infant RSA is an important moderator of the effects of the early social environment on early development.

Biological Sensitivity to the Effects of Maternal Postpartum Depressive Symptoms on Children's Behavior Problems.

Resting respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) may confer infant susceptibility to the postpartum environment. Among infants with higher RSA, there may be a positive relation between depressive symptoms across the first 6months postpartum (PPD) and later behavior problems, and toddlers' dysregulation during mother-child interactions may partially explain the effects. Among a sample of low-income Mexican-American families, infant RSA (N=322; 46% male) was assessed at 6weeks of age; mothers (Mage =27.8, SD=6.5) reported PPD symptoms every 3weeks from 6 to 24weeks and infant behavior problems at 36months. Dysregulation was observed at 24months. PPD was positively associated with behavior problems only among infants with lower RSA; however, this relation was not mediated by dysregulation.

5.57 Maternal Depression Trajectories in Adolescent Mothers Living in a Poor Urban Area and Their Association With Parental Stress, Infant Behavioral Problems, and Psychological Violence

The goals of this study are to identify maternal depression trajectories (MDT) during the antenatal and postnatal period and to evaluate whether distinct MDTs predict parental stress, home environment characteristics, and infants' behavior and developmental problems.

Exposure to intimate partner violence in utero and infant internalizing behaviors: Moderation by salivary cortisol-alpha amylase asymmetry

Guided by the main tenets of contemporary models of the developmental origins of health and disease, this study evaluated whether individual differences in reactivity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS) moderate the effect of prenatal exposure to trauma on internalizing and externalizing behaviors during infancy. Participants were a community sample of 182 mothers (M age=25years, 43% Caucasian, 33% Black/African American, 24% Biracial/Other) and their infants (59% girls; M age=11.8months). Each mother completed questionnaires that assessed IPV experienced during pregnancy and also reported on her infant's behavior problems. Infant saliva samples (later assayed for cortisol and sAA) were collected before and after a frustrating task (i.e., arm restraint). Results revealed that the association between in utero IPV and infant internalizing behaviors was most pronounced for infants with asymmetrical HPA-SNS (i.e., high-cortisol and low-sAA) reactivity to frustration, and least pronounced for infants with symmetrical HPA-SNS (i.e., low-cortisol and low-sAA or high-cortisol and high-sAA) reactivity to frustration. Higher levels of externalizing behavior, in contrast, were associated with higher levels of prenatal IPV but unrelated to either cortisol or sAA reactivity to stress. Findings replicate documented associations between maternal IPV exposure during pregnancy and offspring risk. Moreover, findings advance our understanding of individual differences in the developmental origins of health and disease and provide additional evidence that assessing multiple stress biomarkers contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of individual vulnerability to adversity.

정신장애 영유아의 발달수준과 문제행동의 관계에서 사회성숙도의 매개효과

정신장애 영유아의 발달수준과 문제행동의 관계에서 사회성숙도의 매개효과

Relationships between parental sleep quality, fatigue, cognitions about infant sleep, and parental depression pre and post-intervention for infant behavioral sleep problems

BackgroundMaternal and paternal depression has been associated with infants’ behavioral sleep problems. Behavioral sleep interventions, which alter parental cognitions about infant sleep, have improved infant sleep problems. This study reports relationships between parental depression, fatigue, sleep quality, and cognitions about infant sleep pre and post-intervention for a behavioral sleep problem.MethodsThis secondary analysis of data from Canadian parents (n = 455), with healthy infants aged 6-to-8-months exposed to a behavioral sleep intervention, examined baseline data and follow-up data from 18 or 24 weeks post intervention (group teaching or printed material) exposure. Parents reported on sleep quality, fatigue, depression, and cognitions about infant sleep. Data were analyzed using Pearson’s r and stepwise regression analysis.ResultsParents’ fatigue, sleep quality, sleep cognitions, and depression scores were correlated at baseline and follow-up. At baseline, sleep quality (b = .52, 95% CI .19–.85), fatigue (b = .48, 95% CI .33–.63), doubt about managing infant sleep (b = .44, 95% CI .19–.69), and anger about infant sleep (b = .69, 95% CI .44–.94) were associated with mothers’ depression. At baseline, fathers’ depression related to sleep quality (b = .42, 95% CI .01–.83), fatigue (b = .47, 95% CI .32–.63), and doubt about managing infant sleep (b = .50, 95% CI .24–.76). At follow-up, mothers’ depression was associated with sleep quality (b = .76, 95% CI .41–1.12), fatigue (b = .25, 95% CI .14–.37), doubt about managing infant sleep (b = .44, 95% CI .16–.73), sleep anger (b = .31, 95% CI .02–.59), and setting sleep limits (b = −.22, 95% CI -.41-[−.03]). At follow-up, fathers’ depression related to sleep quality (b = .84, 95% CI .46–1.22), fatigue (b = .31, 95% CI .17–.45), sleep doubt (b = .34, 95% CI .05–.62), and setting sleep limits (b = .25, 95% CI .01–.49).ConclusionsMothers’ and fathers’ cognitions about infant sleep demonstrate complex relationships with their depression scores. While mothers’ setting sleep limit scores are associated with decreased depression scores, fathers’ setting limits scores are associated with increased depression scores. Parental doubts about managing infant sleep and difficulties with setting sleep limits require attention in interventions.

Nonstandard maternal work schedules and infant mental health in impoverished families: A brief report

Guided by a bioecological model, this study examines variability in infant mental health by maternal work schedule in the context of poverty. More time in irregular work schedules, but not fixed night/evening schedules, predicts maternal depression and subsequent behavior problems in infants.