Infant Interaction Research Articles

Weaving Smartphones Into Mother–Infant Interaction: Digital Disruptions or Participatory Possibilities?

Weaving Smartphones Into Mother–Infant Interaction: Digital Disruptions or Participatory Possibilities?

미디어 리터러시 함양 프로그램이 영유아와 어머니의 상호작용 및 양육효능감에 미치는 영향

This study aimed to investigate the effects of a media literacy program on mother–infant interactions and parenting efficacy. The subjects were mothers of infants and toddlers residing in the southeastern region of Gyeongsangbuk-do. They were divided into the experimental and control groups, with 20 mothers in each group. The experimental group participated in a media literacy program comprising 10 sessions, each lasting 3 h. To evaluate the effectiveness of the program, mean and standard deviation analyses were performed, and data were collected and analyzed using SPSS WIN 29.0. The pretest scores were controlled as covariates, and the posttest scores were compared between the two groups using analysis of covariance. The results showed significant improvements in mother–infant interactions, particularly in positive and verbal engagements. Furthermore, enhancements were observed in parenting efficacy, specifically in areas of communication and the ability to raise healthy children. These findings highlight the potential value of media literacy cultivation programs for mothers, suggesting their high utility and effectiveness as a targeted intervention. The results can serve as foundational data for the development and implementation of practical media literacy programs aimed at enhancing mater nal capabilities and strengthening mother–infant bonds.

From behavioral synchrony to language and beyond.

Decades of research on joint attention, coordinated joint engagement, and social contingency identify caregiver-child interaction in infancy as a foundation for language. These patterns of early behavioral synchrony contribute to the structure and connectivity of the brain in the temporoparietal regions typically associated with language skills. Thus, children attune to their communication partner and subsequently build cognitive skills directly relating to comprehension and production of language, literacy skills, and beyond. This has yielded marked interest in measuring this contingent, synchronous social behavior neurally. Neurological measures of early social interactions between caregiver and child have become a hotbed for research. In this paper, we review that research and suggest that these early neural couplings between adults and children lay the foundation for a broader cognitive system that includes attention, problem solving, and executive function skills. This review describes the role of behavioral synchrony in language development, asks what the relationship is between neural synchrony and language growth, and how neural synchrony may play a role in the development of a broader cognitive system founded in a socially-gated brain. We address the known neural correlates of these processes with an emphasis on work that examines the tight temporal contingency between communicative partners during these rich social interactions, with a focus on EEG and fNIRS and brief survey of MRI and MEG.

The Transmission Mechanisms of War Trauma in Early Mother–Child Interactions, Observed Through the Coding Interactive Behaviour Scale

ABSTRACT Background This study examines the transmission of trauma from mother to infant in war trauma contexts. We investigated how maternal exposure to war trauma affects mental health and its association with mother–child interaction quality. We hypothesise that maternal trauma negatively influences these interactions, reducing sensitivity and leading to increased emotional withdrawal and negative emotional states in children. Method Participants were twenty-four mother–infant dyads from Central Africa, Chad, and Cameroon. Mothers were exposed to war trauma before the birth or without direct exposure of the child. Children were aged between 1.5 and 30 months. Maternal mental health problems were indicated by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale and the Impact of Event Scale—Revised. Mother–infant interaction quality by the Coding Interactive Behaviour tool. Results The exposure to war trauma was associated with high levels of poor maternal mental health. Mothers showed high levels of post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and depression, as scored on different scales. This seems to influence the mother–baby interactions which obtain less than optimal scores following the observation and evaluation with the CIB (Maternal sensitivity M 2.7 SD 0.2; Maternal intrusiveness M 2.4, SD 0.1; Dyadic reciprocity M 2.7 SD 0.2; Negative emotional state of the baby M 1.9, SD 0.1; Negative state of the dyad M 2.1, SD 0.1; Baby social engagement M 2.6, SD 0.1). Conclusion The results suggest that maternal exposure to war trauma may impact interaction quality and maternal availability. Inferential statistics indicating low social engagement and negative emotional states in infants suggest potential trauma transmission through interactions with mothers affected by trauma. However, resilience factors may offer some protective effects against this transmission.

Prenatal representations link pregnancy intention to observed caregiving

ABSTRACT Aims/Background Children from unintended pregnancies are at an increased risk of experiencing less positive parenting practices as well as abuse and neglect. Thus, identifying factors that may explain the association between pregnancy intention and caregiving behaviours is critical, as well as identifying if these associations can be assessed during pregnancy. Design/Methods In a sample of 297 pregnant people (Mage = 31.17, SD = 4.89; gestational age range 9.71–35.14, M = 23.55, SD = 5.54) and, later, their 6-month-old infants, this prospective study examined the degree to which two facets (i.e. acceptance and richness of perceptions of the child and their role in being a parent for that child) of caregivers’ prenatal mental representations of the child explained the association between pregnancy intention and the caregiver behaviour observed during caregiver – child interactions in infancy. Results Results indicated that caregiver–child interactions following pregnancies that were intended, relative to those non-intended, were rated as higher in caregiving sensitivity and warmth. These relations were explained, in part, by a greater richness of perceptions, but not through acceptance. Conclusion Findings suggest richness of perceptions as a potential target for exploration in interventions to support pregnant people who were not intending to become pregnant as a means to promote positive caregiver – child relationships.

The Interactive Role of Music as a Facilitator for Mother–Infant Bonding in Early Motherhood

This two-part study explored if mothers’ uses of music in everyday life enhanced and facilitated the quality of mother–infant interactions, and consequently influenced maternal bonding. Study 1 was an exploratory qualitative study, which analysed the patterns of the mothers’ general uses of music and general experiences of motherhood. Study 2 analysed and explored the effects of mothers’ self-selected music on the quality of mother–infant interactions. The second study was based on a two-week trial with a mixed-method design including quantitative and qualitative approaches. It examined how mothers’ self-selected uses of music (maternal singing and listening to music) might influence parental stress, maternal attachment, and the quality of mother–infant interactions over the two-week period. The general findings suggested that mothers’ self-selected uses of music during daily mother–infant interactions can enhance face-to-face interactions. Furthermore, it served as an effective tool for promoting mothers’ sense of well-being. Finally, a cycle of three elements was observed: mothers’ musical responses influenced the infants’ musical responses by the synchrony of behavioral parameters between mother and infant.

The Music of Matrescence: The Missing Link in our understanding of Mother-Infant Bonding through Interactive Music. A Commentary on Vazquez-Diaz de Leon (2024)

Vazquez-Diaz de Leon’s (2024) study explores mothers’ uses of music in everyday life, illuminating the potential of this reciprocal process in supporting the quality of mother–infant interactions and maternal bonding, while also supporting maternal identity, regulation and coping during motherhood. This commentary calls for further matricentric focused research that acknowledges the social and cultural context of ‘matrescence’ as a significant and transformation shift into motherhood that is largely underrepresented and warrants further exploration and discourse into how this period may intersect with mothers’ musical engagement in everyday life.

Maternal sensitivity as a predictor of change in respiratory sinus arrhythmia activity from infancy to toddlerhood

AbstractThis study examined whether parental sensitivity during distressing and non‐distressing mother–infant interactions predicts changes in young children's respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) activity. Baseline RSA levels were collected from 83 children (49% female, 51% male) when children were 7 and 18 months old. Children's RSA reactivity and RSA recovery during the still‐face paradigm were collected when children were 7 months and during the strange situation procedure at 18 months. Controlling for stability of RSA activity over time, maternal sensitivity during distressing interactions at 7 months predicted changes in children's baseline RSA levels (β = −0.30) and children's RSA recovery (β = 0.25). Young children who experienced higher levels of sensitivity at 7 months had lower resting RSA levels and exhibited greater RSA recovery at 18 months. These results suggest that changes in young children's RSA activity are meaningfully related to their early caregiving experiences.Highlights We examined whether maternal sensitivity during infancy predicts changes in children's RSA activity from infancy to toddlerhood. Children who experienced higher levels of maternal sensitivity during infancy showed greater RSA recovery from a stressor during toddlerhood. Children who experienced higher levels of maternal sensitivity during infancy had lower resting RSA levels during toddlerhood.

Anxiety, Depression, and Quality of Life in the Postnatal Period: A Cross-sectional Analysis in a Tertiary Care Setting in Khammam, Telangana, South India

Abstract Introduction: The postpartum period is a crucial phase marked by significant physical and emotional changes for women. Mental health issues, especially anxiety and depression, can profoundly affect maternal well-being and maternal–infant interactions. Despite growing recognition, comprehensive research on perinatal mental health in India is lacking. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study surveyed 236 postnatal women in a tertiary care center in Khammam, Telangana. Participants completed standardized questionnaires for depression (Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale), anxiety (Perinatal Anxiety Screening Scale), and quality of life (QOL, World Health Organization QOL-BREF). Data analysis utilized descriptive statistics and inferential tests to examine associations between variables. Results: The study revealed a significant prevalence of depression (25.42%) and anxiety (24.57%) among postnatal women, with 11% experiencing both. Demographic analysis highlighted age, residency, and education as significant factors associated with mental health outcomes. Participants without depression or anxiety generally reported a higher QOL across various domains compared to those with mental health disorders. Significant differences were observed in physical, psychological, and social relationship domains between participants with and without depression and anxiety. Conclusion: This study provides valuable insights into anxiety and depression prevalence among postnatal women and their impact on QOL. Addressing postnatal mental health is crucial for fostering positive maternal–infant relationships. Future interventions should prioritize comprehensive, culturally sensitive approaches to mental health care for postnatal women in India.

Psychopathology in Infants, Toddlers, and Preschool Children with Nonsyndromic Clefts of the Lip and/or Palate: A Case-Control Study.

The aim of this study is to assess psychopathology and maternal interactions in infants, toddlers, and preschool children with nonsyndromic clefts of the lip and/or palate (NSCLP) and association of psychopathology with cleft-related factors and maternal interactions. Twenty-six children from 4 to 72 months of age with NSCLP, who were attending the Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery Department were included as the case group. Fifty-two healthy children who were matched on age and sex with the case group were taken as controls. Children were assessed in aspects of psychiatric diagnosis, articulation, and development. Speech and language disorders (SLD) (P<0.001), disorders of affect (DA) (P=0.005), feeding behavior disorder (P=0.002), sleep-behavior disorder (SBD) (P=0.038), and disordered mother-child relationship (P<0.001) were more prevalent in children with NSCLP. Dental alignment (P=0.024), number of operations (P=0.006), and type of operations (P=0.012) were associated with DA. The children in the case group, who had disordered relationship with their mothers had significantly more SLD (P=0.036) and SBD (P=0.039). Children with NSCLP are at risk of developing psychopathology, especially SLD and DA. Maternal interactions and the above cleft-related factors and may be the target of interventions to prevent and treat psychiatric disorders in these children.

Cardiorespiratory interactions during the transitional period in extremely preterm infants: a narrative review.

We aimed to review the physiology and evidence behind cardiorespiratory interactions during the transitional circulation of extremely preterm infants with fragile physiology and to propose a framework for future research. Cord clamping strategies have a great impact on initial haemodynamic changes, and appropriate transition can be facilitated by establishing spontaneous ventilation before cord clamping. Mechanical ventilation modifies preterm transitional haemodynamics, with positive pressure ventilation affecting the right and left heart loading conditions. Pulmonary vascular resistances can be minimized by ventilating with optimal lung volumes at functional residual capacity, and other pulmonary vasodilator treatments such as inhaled nitric oxide can be used to improve ventilation/perfusion mismatch. Different cardiovascular drugs can be used to provide support during transition in this population, and it is important to understand both their cardiovascular and respiratory effects, in order to provide adequate support to vulnerable preterm infants and improve outcomes. Current available non-invasive bedside tools, such as near-infrared spectroscopy, targeted neonatal echocardiography, or lung ultrasound offer the opportunity to precisely monitor cardiorespiratory interactions in preterm infants. More research is needed in this field using precision medicine to strengthen the benefits and avoid the harms associated to early neonatal interventions. IMPACT: In extremely preterm infants, haemodynamic and respiratory transitions are deeply interconnected, and their changes have a key impact in the establishment of lung aireation and postnatal circulation. We describe how mechanical ventilation modifies heart loading conditions and pulmonary vascular resistances in preterm patients, and how hemodynamic interventions such as cord clamping strategies or cardiovascular drugs affect the infant respiratory status. Current available non-invasive bedside tools can help monitor cardiorespiratory interactions in preterm infants. We highlight the areas of research in which precision medicine can help strengthen the benefits and avoid the harms associated to early neonatal interventions.

Estimation of human body 3D pose for parent-infant interaction settings using azure Kinect and OpenPose

Automatic pose estimation has become a valuable tool for the study of human behavior, including dyadic interactions. It allows researchers to analyze the nuanced dynamics of interactions more effectively, and facilitates the integration of behavioral data with other modalities (EEG, etc.). However, many technical difficulties remain. Particularly, for parent-infant interactions, automatic pose estimation for infants is unpredictable; the immature proportions and smaller bodies of children may cause misdetections. OpenPose is one tool that has shown high performance in pose tracking from video, even in infants. However, OpenPose is limited to 2D (i.e., coordinates relative to the image space). This may be undesirable in a multitude of paradigms (e.g., naturalistic settings). We developed a method for expanding the functionality of OpenPose to 3D, tailored to parent-infant interaction paradigms. This method merges the estimations from OpenPose with the depth information from a depth camera to obtain a 3D pose that works even for young infants.•Video recordings of interactions of parents and infants are taken using a dual color-depth camera.•2D-positions of parents and their infants are estimated from the color video.•Using the depth camera, we transform the 2D estimations into real-world 3D positions, allowing movement analysis in full-3D space.

어머니와 유아의 상호작용과 학습준비도의 관계에서 언어·문해 능력과 수리적 사고의 매개효과

Objectives This study aims to find alternatives that can increase children's learning readiness by confirming the mediating effects of language, literacy skills, and mathematical thinking in the relationship between mother and infant interaction and learning readiness. Methods The subjects of this study includes 796 boys and 754 girls(a total of 1,550 children) from the 7th data of the Korean Children's Panel before the age of 5-year-olds. Research tools that this study has used are belows; Fisrt, the parent-child interaction scale based on ‘Early Childhood Longitude Study Kindergarten Cohort’ (ECLS-K, 2013), Second, language, literacy ability and mathematical thinking are used as learning ability scales, Third, learning readiness measures developed by Murphy and Burns (2002), all of which were modified and supplemented by Korean Children's Panel researchers. Reliability analysis, frequency analysis, descriptive statistics analysis, and correlation analysis of the scale were performed using SPSS 25ver and PROCESS Macro for SPSS programs to verify the research model, and mediating were analyzed to verify the research model. Results As a result of the research model analysis, it was confirmed that the level of interaction between mothers and children had a positive significant effect on learning readiness, and the mediating effects of language, literacy, and mathematical thinking were also statistically significant in the relationship. Conclusions Based on the findings, this study emphasized the interaction between mothers and children in order to increase children's learning readiness, and suggested the importance of a play-child-centered curriculum that can increase academic ability such as language, literacy, and mathematical thinking. This study is significant in that it provided basic data for improving learning readiness by verifying the effect of mother-child interaction as a way to increase children's learning readiness and the mediating effect of language, literacy, and mathematical thinking on learning ability.

The effect of the separation of mother-preterm newborn infants hospitalized during the COVID-19 pandemic on maternal depression and stress levels, infant development, and bonding quality on Chilean dyads.

Early infant development is a maturation process critically depends on the infant's interaction with primary caregivers. Hence, neonatal units prioritize their proximity. In COVID-19, parental visitation hours were limited, reducing caregivers time with their infants. This follow-up study analyzes and compares levels of maternal depression and stress, infant development, and bonding quality in preterm mother-infant dyads hospitalized, before and during the pandemic. Out of 66 dyads participated, 36 were admitted before COVID-19, and 30 during COVID-19. The assessed was two video-call sessions in which mothers completed selected questionnaires. No significant differences between mothers' levels of depression and stress. However, low birth weight was associated with greater difficulties in children's communication and interpersonal relationships. Furthermore, infants hospitalized in COVID-19 had a higher risk of experiencing delayed communication. No significant differences were observed in bonding quality. Lower infant gestational age and longer breastfeeding time were associated with better bonding quality in both groups. Psychosocial intervention is considered a valuable tool, capable of preventing maternal mental health difficulties and protecting bonding in premature infants and in highly complex healthcare settings. Nevertheless, it is essential to more actively address the socio-affective needs of newborns during their hospital stay to promote adequate development.

Construct validity of the Coding Interactive Behaviour instrument for fathers of infants

ABSTRACT Observational instruments are proposed as the best method to assess the quality of parent–child interaction. However, the psychometric properties and theoretical foundations of these observational tools have been questioned. Further, very few studies have focussed on the construct validity of these instruments for father–child interaction quality. In this study, we examined the construct validity of the Coding Interactive Behavior (CIB) measure in a sample of 320 father-infant dyads. A four-factor model, previously found to fit mother–infant interactions, failed to demonstrate an acceptable model fit for our father-infant sample. Instead, a data-driven three-factor model was indicated to be a better fit. This model consists of the composites, ‘Paternal Sensitivity’, ‘Paternal Positive Affect’, and ‘Child Engagement’. Interestingly, while these factors bear similarities to those found in maternal interactions, they manifest distinct characteristics for fathers. Our results emphasize the necessity of refining and validating observational tools specifically for diverse parent–child contexts.

한국 영유아를 위한 일과기반 발달검사 MEISR 타당화

Objective: The Measure of Engagement, Independence, and Social Relationships (MEISR) is a tool designed to assess the engagement, independence, and social interactions of infants and toddlers during daily activities. This study aimed to develop Korean version of MEISR (K-MEISR) and evaluate its reliability and validity. Methods: Korean version of MEISR was developed through the translation and modification of items of the MEISR following a pilot study (N = 44). Two studies were conducted with parents of infants and toddlers up to 36 months old using online (N = 124) and offline (N = 134) versions. Data were analyzed using SPSS 27.0 and AMOS 25.0. Item difficulty and discrimination, as well as passing rates were calculated; and internal consistency, correlations among the routine and total scales, factor analyses, and correlations with K-DST ratings were analyzed to determine the reliability and validity of K-MEISR. Results: Analyses of item difficulty and passing rates identified characteristics of items for determining the item order for K-MEISR. High correlations between the total of each routine and the total of all items were found in both the online (r = .896~.992) and the offline (r = .874~.988) versions. Reliabilities of all total scale items were high for both the online (r = .998) and the offline (r = .997) versions. Reliabilities of routine items were also high, ranging from .913 to .985 for the online and .914 to .985 for the offline version. Correlations between K-DST and K-MEISR were high for both the online (r = .981) and offline (r = .959), showing high concurrent validity. Conclusions: The items of the total scale, and routines and functional domains showed high internal consistency and high correlations with K-DST, revealing the concurrent validity of K-MEISR. Recommendations for further research and clinical use of the assessment tool are discussed.

Characterising the motion and cardiorespiratory interaction of preterm infants can improve the classification of their sleep state.

This study aimed to classify quiet sleep, active sleep and wake states in preterm infants by analysing cardiorespiratory signals obtained from routine patient monitors. We studied eight preterm infants, with an average postmenstrual age of 32.3 ± 2.4 weeks, in a neonatal intensive care unit in the Netherlands. Electrocardiography and chest impedance respiratory signals were recorded. After filtering and R-peak detection, cardiorespiratory features and motion and cardiorespiratory interaction features were extracted, based on previous research. An extremely randomised trees algorithm was used for classification and performance was evaluated using leave-one-patient-out cross-validation and Cohen's kappa coefficient. A sleep expert annotated 4731 30-second epochs (39.4 h) and active sleep, quiet sleep and wake accounted for 73.3%, 12.6% and 14.1% respectively. Using all features, and the extremely randomised trees algorithm, the binary discrimination between active and quiet sleep was better than between other states. Incorporating motion and cardiorespiratory interaction features improved the classification of all sleep states (kappa 0.38 ± 0.09) than analyses without these features (kappa 0.31 ± 0.11). Cardiorespiratory interactions contributed to detecting quiet sleep and motion features contributed to detecting wake states. This combination improved the automated classifications of sleep states.

Mother- child interaction and contextual factors related to COVID-19 pandemic in at-risk infants: cross-sectional study

ABSTRACT This study compared mother, infant, and dyad interactions between infants with and without biological risk, considering contextual factors related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Forty-two infants with biological risk and 33 without risk (average age 5.6 months) were evaluated via remote video assessments. Results showed that infants without biological risk exhibited greater motherchild interaction during the pandemic. Among infants with biological risk, receiving therapeutic guidance and spending less time in social distancing were linked to higher-quality maternal interaction. Reduced social distancing duration was associated with better interaction between the infant and mother dyad. In infants without risk, more people interacting with the infant resulted in higherquality dyadic interaction. These findings underscore the importance of considering biopsychosocial elements, especially in vulnerable populations, for optimal child development amidst pandemic challenges.

Comparative analysis of mother–infant interactions between free-ranging and captive rhesus macaques in Kathmandu, Nepal

Rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) are gregarious, social primates whose infants depend on maternal support for survival. This study aimed to compare mother–infant interactions between free-ranging rhesus macaques (Swayambhunath Temple) and those in a captive setting (Central Zoo, Lalitpur) in Kathmandu, Nepal. Interactions such as duration of proximity and duration of contact between the dyads and symmetry, duration of out-of-proximity, duration of carrying or leaving by the mother while moving, and duration of nipple contact were compared. Five-minute focal animal sampling of maternal macaques was used to record the duration of mother–infant interactions. The behavioral state of the mother was also recorded via instantaneous scan sampling at one-minute intervals during focal samples. Our results revealed that the durations of proximity and contact were greater in the free-ranging macaques than in the zoo macaques. Similarly, the duration of carrying or leaving by the mother while moving was also greater in the free-ranging condition. The free-ranging mother–infant dyads spent significantly more time in nipple contact than did those in the captive setting. The infants were found to be primarily responsible for initiating both contact and proximity in the captivity. The symmetry for contact was balanced in free-ranging macaques; however, the infants were more responsible than the mothers for proximity behavior.

Detection and quantitative analysis of patient-ventilator interactions in ventilated infants by deep learning networks.

The study of patient-ventilator interactions (PVI) in mechanically ventilated neonates is limited by the lack of unified PVI definitions and tools to perform large scale analyses. An observational study was conducted in 23 babies randomly selected from 170 neonates who were ventilated with SIPPV-VG, SIMV-VG or PSV-VG mode for at least 12 h. 500 breaths were randomly selected and manually annotated from each recording to train convolutional neural network (CNN) models for PVI classification. The average asynchrony index (AI) over all recordings was 52.5%. The most frequently occurring PVIs included expiratory work (median: 28.4%, interquartile range: 23.2-40.2%), late cycling (7.6%, 2.8-10.2%), failed triggering (4.6%, 1.2-6.2%) and late triggering (4.4%, 2.8-7.4%). Approximately 25% of breaths with a PVI had two or more PVIs occurring simultaneously. Binary CNN classifiers were developed for PVIs affecting ≥1% of all breaths (n = 7) and they achieved F1 scores of >0.9 on the test set except for early triggering where it was 0.809. PVIs occur frequently in neonates undergoing conventional mechanical ventilation with a significant proportion of breaths containing multiple PVIs. We have developed computational models for seven different PVIs to facilitate automated detection and further evaluation of their clinical significance in neonates. The study of patient-ventilator interactions (PVI) in mechanically ventilated neonates is limited by the lack of unified PVI definitions and tools to perform large scale analyses. By adapting a recent taxonomy of PVI definitions in adults, we have manually annotated neonatal ventilator waveforms to determine prevalence and co-occurrence of neonatal PVIs. We have also developed binary deep learning classifiers for common PVIs to facilitate their automatic detection and quantification.