The Role of Early Life Stress in Shaping Infant Fear Reactivity and Executive Functioning : Findings from the FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study

Early life stress (ELS) measured as the exposure to pre- and postnatal maternal self-reported stress and glucocorticoids reportedly predicts higher child negative emotional reactivity and problems in self-regulation and cognition, including executive functioning (EF). However, to date, there is little research available about the independent effects of maternal pre- and postnatal stress and milk cortisol on infant fear reactivity and EF and their moderation by infant sex. The aim of this study was to examine the independent effects of pre- and postnatal stress exposure on infant fear reactivity and EF. The study sample comprised 282 (Study I), 391 (Study II), 65 (Study III) and 214 (Study IV) mother-infant dyads from the FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study. The influence of maternal self-reported anxiety and depressive symptoms and the trajectory of symptoms and milk cortisol on infant fear reactivity at 6 and 8 months was examined in Studies I, II and III. The effect of maternal self-reported symptoms on infant EF at 8 months was investigated in Study IV. The association between maternal self-reported prenatal stress and higher mother-reported infant fear reactivity in both sexes approached significance. Both maternal prenatal stress and milk cortisol concentrations were associated with higher observed fear reactivity in girls. In turn, the trajectory of continuously increasing maternal stress was associated with lower observed fear reactivity in girls. Furthermore, maternal postnatal anxiety predicted poorer EF in girls, while prenatal anxiety predicted a performance difference between girls and boys. The findings of the present study suggest that different forms of ELS might affectt the aspects of infant reactivity and self-regulation, and that these effects are moderated by infant sex.Varhaisen stressialtistuksen yhteydet vauvan pelkoreagoivuuteen ja toiminnanohjauskykyyn – löydöksiä FinnBrain-syntymäkohorttitutkimuksesta Varhaisen stressialtistuksen mitattuna altistumisena äidin stressille ja glukokortikoideille on havaittu ennustavan lapsen voimakkaampaa tunnereagointia sekä heikompaa itsesäätelykykyä ja kognitiivista suoriutumista, mukaan lukien toiminnanohjaustaitoja. Kuitenkin raskaudenaikaiselle ja syntymän jälkeiselle stressille sekä rintamaidon kortisolille altistumisen itsenäisiä vaikutuksia vauvan pelkoreagoivuuteen ja toiminnanohjaukseen on tutkittu vain vähän. Lisäksi vain osassa tutkimuksia on otettu huomioon vauvan sukupuolen merkitys stressin ja itsesäätelyn yhteyden muovaajana. Tämän tutkimuksen tarkoituksena oli selvittää raskaudenaikaisen ja syntymän jälkeisen stressialtistuksen vaikutusta vauvan pelkoreagoivuuteen ja toiminnanohjauskykyyn. Tutkimusotokset sisälsivät 282 (I), 391 (II), 65 (III) ja 214 (IV) FinnBrain-syntymäkohorttitutkimukseen osallistuvaa äiti-lapsiparia. Äidin raportoimien masennus- ja ahdistusoireiden, oireiden kehityskulkujen ja rintamaidon kortisolipitoisuuden yhteyttä vauvan pelkoreagoivuuteen 6 ja 8 kuukauden iässä tutkittiin tutkimuksissa I-III. Äidin oireiden yhteyttä vauvan toiminnanohjauskykyyn 8 kuukauden iässä selvitettiin tutkimuksessa IV. Äidin raskaudenaikainen oireilu oli lähes merkitsevästi yhteydessä voimakkaampaan äidin arvioimaan vauvan pelkoreagoivuuteen molemmilla sukupuolilla. Äidin raskaudenaikainen oireilu ja rintamaidon kortisolipitoisuus ennustivat voimakkaampaa havainnoitua pelkoreagoivuutta tyttövauvoilla, kun taas seuranta-aikana voimistuva äidin oireilu ennusti tyttöjen keskivertoa vähäisempää pelkoreagoivuutta. Äidin ahdistuneisuus lapsen syntymän jälkeen ennusti tyttöjen heikompaa toiminnanohjauskykyä. Äidin raskaudenaikainen ahdistuneisuus oli lähes merkitsevästi yhteydessä tyttöjen ja poikien suoriutumisen eroon. Tutkimuksen tulokset tukevat käsitystä erityyppisten varhaisten stressialtistusten vaikutuksesta vauvan tunnereagoivuuteen ja itsesäätelykykyyn. Tulokset viittaavat siihen, että varhaisen stressin ohjelmoivaa vaikutusta ohjaa myös vauvan sukupuoli

Oxytocin receptor genotype moderates the association between maternal prenatal stress and infant early self-regulation

Introduction: Maternal prenatal stress may have long-term adverse consequences for child development. Accumulating evidence shows that the oxytocin-receptor genotype may play a role in differential susceptibility to early-life adversity, but no studies have examined whether this moderation extends to the prenatal stress exposures. Methods: In the FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, a sample of 1173 mother-child dyads were examined. We studied the possible moderating effect of the cumulative effect of infant oxytocin-receptor risk genotypes (rs53576GG and rs2254298A) in the association between maternal prenatal stress, and infant negative reactivity and emerging self-regulation at 6 months of age. Results: The number of OTr risk genotypes moderated the association between maternal prenatal anxiety and infant self-regulation, implying a cumulative effect of genotype, although effects sizes were small. In infants with two risk genotypes, a negative association between prenatal anxiety and self-regulation was observed, whereas in infants with one or no risk genotypes, the association between maternal prenatal anxiety and temperament was non-significant. Conclusion: Oxytocin-receptor genotype may moderate the association of maternal stress during pregnancy and child social-emotional development. Possible mechanisms for this moderation effect are discussed. Further studies with a more comprehensive polygenic approach are needed to confirm these results.Peer reviewe

Vanhempien masennus- ja ahdistusoireet lisääntyivät COVID-19-pandemian alkuvaiheessa - FinnBrain-syntymäkohorttitutkimus

JOHDANTO : Aikuisten psyykkisen oireilun on havaittu lisääntyneen COVID-19-pandemian aikana. Harvassa tutkimuksessa on selvitetty pienten ja kouluikäisten lasten vanhempien oireiden muutosta toistomittausasetelmassa.MENETELMÄT : FinnBrain-syntymäkohorttiin osallistuvien 5-8-vuotiaiden lasten 651 vanhemman pandemiakeväänä (toukokuu 2020) raportoimia masennus- ja ahdistusoireita verrattiin pandemiaa edeltäneeseen aikaan (kun lapsi oli kahden tai neljän vuoden ikäinen vuosina 2014-2019). TULOKSET : Vastaajien masennus- ja ahdistusoireet lisääntyivät pandemiaa edeltäneeseen aikaan verrattuna. Masennuksen seulonta-arvon (EPDS ≥ 10) ylittävien vastaajien määrä jopa kaksinkertaistui (15 % vs 28 %, p ​​​​​​​PÄÄTELMÄT : Koska vanhempien psyykkinen hyvinvointi on ratkaisevaa lasten hyvinvoinnin kannalta, on tärkeää tunnistaa pandemiaan liittyvä pienten ja kouluikäisten lasten vanhempien kuormittuneisuus. Elinpiirin kaventumisesta kärsiville ja jo oireileville vanhemmille tulisi tarjota riittävää tukea.</p

Fearing the Disease or the Vaccine:The Case of COVID-19

As studies indicate that people perceive COVID-19 as a threatening disease, the demand for a vaccine against the disease could be expected to be high. Vaccine safety concerns might nevertheless outweigh the perceived disease risks when an individual decides whether or not to accept the vaccine. We investigated the role of perceived risk of COVID-19 (i.e., perceived likelihood of infection, perceived disease severity, and disease-related worry) and perceived safety of a prospective vaccine against COVID-19 in predicting intentions to accept a COVID-19 vaccine. Three Finnish samples were surveyed: 825 parents of small children, 205 individuals living in an area with suboptimal vaccination coverage, and 1325 Facebook users nationwide. As points of reference, we compared the perceptions of COVID-19 to those of influenza and measles. COVID-19 was perceived as a threatening disease—more so than influenza and measles. The strongest predictor of COVID-19 vaccination intentions was trusting the safety of the potential vaccine. Those perceiving COVID-19 as a severe disease were also slightly more intent on taking a COVID-19 vaccine. Informing the public about the safety of a forthcoming COVID-19 vaccine should be the focus for health authorities aiming to achieve a high vaccine uptake

Associations between temperament dimensions and dental anxiety in parents of the FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study

We evaluated associations between dental anxiety and four temperament dimensions: effortful control, extraversion/surgency, negative affect and orienting sensitivity among 2558 parents in the FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study. Dental anxiety was measured with the Modified Dental Anxiety Scale, and temperament with the Adult Temperament Questionnaire. Associations between dental anxiety and temperament dimensions were modelled using linear and logistic (cut-off >= 19 for high dental anxiety) regression analyses adjusting for general anxiety and depressive symptoms, age and education. In women and men, dental anxiety was positively associated with negative affect (women beta = 1.10; 95%CI 1.06-1.15; men beta = 1.11; 95%CI 1.05-1.18) and negatively associated with effortful control (women beta = 0.95; 95% CI0.92-0.99, men beta = 0.90; 95% CI 0.85-0.95). In women, extraversion/surgency was also positively associated with dental anxiety (beta = 1.04; 95%CI 1.00-1.08). For high dental anxiety, negative affect in women (OR = 2.00; 95%CI 1.31-3.06) and men (OR = 5.21; 95%CI 1.72-15.83) and for extraversion/surgency in women (OR = 1.50; 95%CI 1.01-1.47) associated positively with dental anxiety, but for effortful control, the association was not statistically significant. Dentists should understand that temperament dimensions affect the risk for dental anxiety more strongly than general anxiety or depressive symptoms. Dimensions negative affect and extraversion/surgency may increase and effortful control decrease the risk

Oxytocin receptor genotype moderates the association between maternal prenatal stress and infant early self-regulation

IntroductionMaternal prenatal stress may have long-term adverse consequences for child development. Accumulating evidence shows that the oxytocin-receptor genotype may play a role in differential susceptibility to early-life adversity, but no studies have examined whether this moderation extends to the prenatal stress exposures.MethodsIn the FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, a sample of 1173 mother-child dyads were examined. We studied the possible moderating effect of the cumulative effect of infant oxytocin-receptor risk genotypes (rs53576GG and rs2254298A) in the association between maternal prenatal stress, and infant negative reactivity and emerging self-regulation at 6 months of age.ResultsThe number of OTr risk genotypes moderated the association between maternal prenatal anxiety and infant self-regulation, implying a cumulative effect of genotype, although effects sizes were small. In infants with two risk genotypes, a negative association between prenatal anxiety and self-regulation was observed, whereas in infants with one or no risk genotypes, the association between maternal prenatal anxiety and temperament was non-significant.ConclusionOxytocin-receptor genotype may moderate the association of maternal stress during pregnancy and child social-emotional development. Possible mechanisms for this moderation effect are discussed. Further studies with a more comprehensive polygenic approach are needed to confirm these results.</p

The Behavioral Immune System and Vaccination Intentions During the Coronavirus Pandemic

The behavioral immune system is considered to be a psychological adaptation that decreases the risk of infection. Research suggests that, in the current environment, this system can produce attitudes with negative health consequences, such as increased vaccine hesitancy. In three studies, we investigated whether two facets of the behavioral immune system—germ aversion (i.e., aversion to potential pathogen transmission) and perceived infectability (i.e., perceived susceptibility to disease)—predicted intentions to accept COVID-19 and influenza vaccination during the pandemic. The behavioral immune system mechanisms were measured before the COVID-19 pandemic in one study, and during the pandemic in two. In contrast to previous research, those with higher germ aversion during the pandemic perceived vaccines to be safer and had higher intentions to accept vaccination. Germ aversion before the pandemic was not associated with vaccination intentions. Individuals who perceived themselves as more susceptible to disease were slightly more willing to accept vaccination. We conjecture that high disease threat reverses the relationship between the behavioral immune system response and vaccination. As the associations were weak, individual differences in germ aversion and perceived infectability are of little practical relevance for vaccine uptake

Children's diurnal cortisol output and temperament in two different childcare settings at 2 and 3.5 years of age

Prior research suggests that child temperament may play an important role in early childhood stress regulation. We compared children's diurnal cortisol and the association between cortisol and temperament in two different childcare settings. Cortisol was measured from saliva samples over 2 days in children (N = 84) attending out-of-home childcare and in children (N = 27), who were cared for at home at the age of 3.5 years. There was no difference between the childcare groups in total diurnal cortisol. However, of the individual measurements, afternoon cortisol levels were higher in the out-of-home childcare group during their childcare day when compared with their home day. Child temperament was not associated with total diurnal cortisol. Comparison with our prior measurements showed that the association between temperamental surgency/extroversion and total diurnal cortisol diminished along with the child age from 2 to 3.5 years in both childcare settings. This may indicate that more extroverted children are physiologically more reactive to environmental stimuli when they are younger, but this association does not appear as the children develop. Our results further suggest that the afternoon hours in the out-of-home childcare may be demanding and accelerate the hypothalamus–pituitary–adrenal axis activation in young children independent of their age.</p

Sleep during infancy, inhibitory control and working memory in toddlers: findings from the FinnBrain cohort study

Sleep difficulties are associated with impaired executive functions (EFs) in school-aged children. However, much less is known about how sleep during infancy relates to EF in infants and toddlers. The aim of this study was to investigate whether parent-reported sleep patterns at 6 and 12 months were associated with their inhibitory control (IC) and working memory (WM) performances at 30 months.Peer reviewe