Parental sensitivity, family alliance and infants' vagal tone: Influences of early family interactions on physiological emotion regulation

In this study, we investigated the influence of parental sensitivity and family alliance on infants’ vagal tone, considered as a physiological indicator of emotion regulation. Studies on mother–infant interactions have shown that vagal tone can be influenced by the quality of the interaction, such as interacting with a sensitive mother. To date, no study has investigated the influence of paternal sensitivity or family alliance on infants’ vagal tone. We hypothesized that maternal sensitivity, paternal sensitivity, and family alliance would be associated with infants’ vagal tone during dyadic and triadic interactions. We also explored if family alliance would act as a moderator on the association between parental sensitivity and vagal tone and if the sensitivity of both parents would act as a moderator on the association between family alliance and vagal tone. This study took place in Switzerland and included 82 families with their 3–4-month-old infants. Results showed that maternal sensitivity and family alliance were associated with infants’ vagal tone, but paternal sensitivity was not. We found no significant moderation effect. However, result tendencies suggested that the contribution of paternal sensitivity to infants’ emotion regulation could be influenced by family alliance, whereas maternal sensitivity and family alliance have a unique contribution

Interactive synchrony and infants’ vagal tone as an index of emotion regulation: associations within each mother- and father-infant dyad and across dyads

IntroductionStudies have shown that infants’ emotion regulation capacities are closely linked to the quality of parent-infant interactions. However, these links have been mostly studied in mother-infant dyads and less is known about how the quality of father-infant interactions contributes to the development of emotion regulation during infancy. In this study, we aimed to investigate the links between interactive synchrony (i.e., an index of the quality of parent-infant coordination of interactive behaviors) and infants’ vagal tone (i.e., a physiological index of emotion regulation). To understand the respective contributions of both parents, as well as the interrelations between the functioning of both dyads within a family, we observed mothers and fathers from 84 families interacting with their infants.MethodsSynchrony was assessed by using the CARE-Index; infants’ vagal tone was derived from the analysis of infants’ electrocardiograms recorded during the interactions. Moreover, to take the play’s order into account, we counterbalanced the procedure, so that approximately half of the mothers played first. We specified a first structural equation modeling (SEM) model to investigate the associations between interactive synchrony and the infants’ root mean square of successive differences (RMSSD), an index of vagal regulation, in the two successive parts of the play. We conducted a multigroup analysis in a second SEM model to investigate the associations of the first SEM model in two groups based on the order of interaction.ResultsThe results of the SEM models showed that greater synchrony was related to greater infant RMSSD within mother-infant dyads and across one dyad to the other dyad in the full sample and in the group of fathers who interacted first with the infants. The associations between synchrony and infant vagal tone within father-infant dyads never appeared to be significant, nor did any associations within each dyad and across dyads when mothers interacted first.DiscussionThis study highlights that the links between interactions and infants’ vagal tone are sensitive to family members’ interdependencies and some conditions (the order of interaction)

The association of maternal exposure to domestic violence during childhood with prenatal attachment, maternal-fetal heart rate, and infant behavioral regulation

Human and animal models suggest that maternal hormonal and physiological adaptations during pregnancy shape maternal brain functioning and behavior crucial for offspring care and survival. Less sensitive maternal behavior, often associated with psychobiological dysregulation and the offspring’s behavioral and emotional disorders, has been observed in mothers who have experienced adverse childhood experiences. Strong evidence shows that children who are exposed to domestic violence (DV) are at risk of being abused or becoming abusive in adulthood. Yet little is known about the effect of childhood exposure to DV on the expecting mother, her subsequent caregiving behavior and related effects on her infant. Thus, the present study examined the association of maternal exposure to DV during childhood on prenatal maternal attachment, maternal heart rate reactivity to an infant-crying stimulus and post-natal infant emotional regulation. Thirty-three women with and without exposure to DV during childhood were recruited during the first trimester of pregnancy and followed until 6-month after birth. The Maternal Antenatal Attachment Scale (MAAS) was used to measure prenatal attachment of the mother to her fetus during the second trimester of pregnancy, maternal and fetal heart rate reactivity to an infant-crying stimulus was assessed at the third trimester of pregnancy, and the Infant Behavior Questionnaire-Revised (IBQ-R) was used to assess infant emotional regulation at 6-months. Results showed that pregnant women that were exposed to DV during childhood had a poorer quality of prenatal attachment of mother to fetus, regardless of whether they also experienced DV during adulthood. In addition, maternal exposure to DV during childhood was associated with increased maternal heart rate to infant-crying stimulus and worse infant emotional regulation. These findings highlight the importance of prenatal screening for maternal exposure to DV during childhood as a risk factor for disturbances in the development of maternal attachment, dysfunctional maternal behavior and infant emotion dysregulation

Infant exposure to Fluvoxamine through placenta and human milk: a case series - A contribution from the ConcePTION project [case report].

INTRODUCTION Fluvoxamine is widely used to treat depression during pregnancy and lactation. However, limited data are available on its transfer to the fetus or in human milk. This case series provides additional information on the infant exposure to fluvoxamine during pregnancy and lactation. CASE PRESENTATION Two women, aged 38 and 34 years, diagnosed with depression were treated with 50 mg fluvoxamine during pregnancy and lactation. At delivery a paired maternal and cord blood sample was collected for each woman. The first mother exclusively breastfed her child for 4 months and gave one foremilk and one hindmilk sample at 2 days and 4 weeks post-partum, whereas the second mother did not breastfeed. RESULTS The cord to plasma concentration ratios were 0.62 and 0.48, respectively. At 2 weeks post-partum, relative infant doses (RID) were 0.47 and 0.57% based on fluvoxamine concentrations in foremilk and hindmilk, respectively. At 4 weeks post-partum, the RIDs were 0.35 and 0.90%, respectively. The child from the first mother was born healthy and showed a normal development at the 6th, 18th and 36th month follow-ups. One of the twins from the second woman was hospitalized for hypoglycemia that was attributed to gestational diabetes and low birth weight. The second one was born healthy. CONCLUSION These results suggest a minimal exposure to fluvoxamine during lactation which is in accordance with previously published data. Larger clinical and pharmacokinetic studies assessing the long-term safety of this drug during lactation and the variability of its exposure through breastmilk are warranted

Chlamydia trachomatis prevalence in undocumented migrants undergoing voluntary termination of pregnancy: a prospective cohort study

BACKGROUND: Chlamydia trachomatis infection (CTI) is the most frequent sexual transmitted disease (STI) in Switzerland but its prevalence in undocumented migrants is unknown. We aimed to compare CTI prevalence among undocumented migrants undergoing termination of pregnancy (ToP) to the prevalence among women with residency permit. METHODS: This prospective cohort study included all pregnant, undocumented women presenting from March 2005 to October 2006 to the University hospital for ToP. The control group consisted of a systematic sample of pregnant women with legal residency permit coming to the same hospital during the same time period for ToP. RESULTS: One hundred seventy five undocumented women and 208 women with residency permit (controls) were included in the study. Mean ages were 28.0 y (SD 5.5) and 28.2 y (SD 7.5), respectively (p = 0.77). Undocumented women came primarily from Latin-America (78%). Frequently, they lacked contraception (23%, controls 15%, OR 1.8, 95% CI 1.04;2.9). Thirteen percent of undocumented migrants were found to have CTI (compared to 4.4% of controls; OR 3.2, 95% CI 1.4;7.3). CONCLUSION: This population of undocumented, pregnant migrants consisted primarily of young, Latino-American women. Compared to control women, undocumented migrants showed higher prevalence rates of genital CTI, which indicates that health professionals should consider systematic screening for STI in this population. There is a need to design programs providing better access to treatment and education and to increase migrants' awareness of the importance of contraception and transmission of STI

Dépression périnatale chez les femmes migrantes: le rôle du statut légal sur les difficultés éprouvées

La maternité constitue une transition majeure dans la vie d’une femme. Lorsque cet événement se déroule dans un environnement sécurisant, la mère peut s’épanouir dans son nouveau rôle de mère. En revanche, lorsque la femme est confrontée à des difficultés sociales, économiques, familiales pendant la période périnatale, l’arrivée d’un enfant peut donner lieu à une détresse psychologique, voire à une dépression. La présente étude vise à: 1) comparer les taux de dépression pré-et postnatale entre des femmes migrantes, précaires et non précaires, et des femmes suisses ; 2) recueillir le vécu subjectif des femmes présentant des symptômes dépressifs périnataux ; 3) interroger les femmes migrantes sur la mise en place des pratiques de maternage tenant compte du double référentiel culturel. Les résultats montrent que les femmes migrantes précaires sur le plan juridique étaient plus à risque de dépression périnatale que les migrantes non précaires et les suissesses. Elles ont décrit leur maternité comme venant se greffer sur une situation instable générant des inquiétudes sur l’avenir. Les difficultés psychologiques éprouvées semblent davantage en lien avec un cumul de difficultés psychosociales préalables, qu’avec le désajustement culturel. Elles n’entravent pas les capacités de mise en place de pratiques de maternage métissées

Parental sensitivity, family alliance and infants’ vagal tone ::influences of early family interactions on physiological emotion regulation

In this study, we investigated the influence of parental sensitivity and family alliance on infants’ vagal tone, considered as a physiological indicator of emotion regulation. Studies on mother–infant interactions have shown that vagal tone can be influenced by the quality of the interaction, such as interacting with a sensitive mother. To date, no study has investigated the influence of paternal sensitivity or family alliance on infants’ vagal tone. We hypothesized that maternal sensitivity, paternal sensitivity, and family alliance would be associated with infants’ vagal tone during dyadic and triadic interactions. We also explored if family alliance would act as a moderator on the association between parental sensitivity and vagal tone and if the sensitivity of both parents would act as a moderator on the association between family alliance and vagal tone. This study took place in Switzerland and included 82 families with their 3–4-month-old infants. Results showed that maternal sensitivity and family alliance were associated with infants’ vagal tone, but paternal sensitivity was not. We found no significant moderation effect. However, result tendencies suggested that the contribution of paternal sensitivity to infants’ emotion regulation could be influenced by family alliance, whereas maternal sensitivity and family alliance have a unique contribution

Interactive synchrony and infants’ vagal tone as an index of emotion regulation ::associations within each mother-and father-infant dyad and across dyads

Introduction: Studies have shown that infants’ emotion regulation capacities are closely linked to the quality of parent-infant interactions. However, these links have been mostly studied in mother-infant dyads and less is known about how the quality of father-infant interactions contributes to the development of emotion regulation during infancy. In this study, we aimed to investigate the links between interactive synchrony (i.e., an index of the quality of parent-infant coordination of interactive behaviors) and infants’ vagal tone (i.e., a physiological index of emotion regulation). To understand the respective contributions of both parents, as well as the interrelations between the functioning of both dyads within a family, we observed mothers and fathers from 84 families interacting with their infants. Methods: Synchrony was assessed by using the CARE-Index; infants’ vagal tone was derived from the analysis of infants’ electrocardiograms recorded during the interactions. Moreover, to take the play’s order into account, we counterbalanced the procedure, so that approximately half of the mothers played first. We specified a first structural equation modeling (SEM) model to investigate the associations between interactive synchrony and the infants’ root mean square of successive differences (RMSSD), an index of vagal regulation, in the two successive parts of the play. We conducted a multigroup analysis in a second SEM model to investigate the associations of the first SEM model in two groups based on the order of interaction. Results: The results of the SEM models showed that greater synchrony was related to greater infant RMSSD within mother-infant dyads and across one dyad to the other dyad in the full sample and in the group of fathers who interacted first with the infants. The associations between synchrony and infant vagal tone within father-infant dyads never appeared to be significant, nor did any associations within each dyad and across dyads when mothers interacted first. Discussion: This study highlights that the links between interactions and infants’ vagal tone are sensitive to family members’ interdependencies and some conditions (the order of interaction)

The interplay between maternal and paternal senses of efficacy moderates the link between perinatal parental stress and family alliance at 3 months

Objective: Both parents may report high levels of stress during the perinatal period with possible negative consequences for parental well-being and child development. Parental sense of efficacy moderates the effect of stress. To date, no studies have assessed links between parental stress and mother-father-infant interactions in terms of family alliance and the extent to which each parent’s sense of efficacy moderates these links. Design: In this study, 65 dual-parent families answered a questionnaire about parental stress between 36 and 38 weeks of pregnancy and at 3 months after birth. Families were also observed while playing with their 3-month-old infant in the Lausanne Trilogue Play, and they completed a questionnaire about parental efficacy. Results: Structural equation modeling analyses showed that higher maternal or paternal postnatal stress has a direct link with higher family alliance and the links between stress and family alliance are moderated by complex interaction effects between maternal and paternal senses of efficacy. Conclusions: This study shows the necessity of considering the interaction between the senses of self-efficacy of both parents as moderators of parenting stress