Dispatches from the interface of salivary bioscience and neonatal research.

The emergence of the interdisciplinary field of salivary bioscience has created opportunity for neonatal researchers to measure multiple components of biological systems non-invasively in oral fluids. The implications are profound and potentially high impact. From a single oral fluid specimen, information can be obtained about a vast array of biological systems (e.g., endocrine, immune, autonomic nervous system) and the genetic polymorphisms related to individual differences in their function. The purpose of this review is to describe the state of the art for investigators interested in integrating these unique measurement tools into the current and next generation of research on gonadal steroid exposure during the prenatal and neonatal developmental periods

Late-preterm birth, maternal symptomatology, and infant negativity

The present study examined infant negativity and maternal symptomatology by term status in a predominately low-income, rural sample of 132 infants (66 late-preterm) and their mothers. Late-preterm and term infants were group-matched by race, income, and maternal age. Maternal depression and anxiety symptoms were measured with the Brief Symptom Inventory 18 (BSI-18) when infants were 2 and 6 months of age. Also at 6 months, infant negativity was assessed by global observer ratings, maternal ratings, and microanalytic behavioral coding of fear and frustration. Results indicate that after controlling for infant age, late-preterm status predicted higher ratings of infant negativity by mothers, but not by global observers or microanalytic coding, despite a positive association in negativity across the three measures. Further, mothers of late-preterm infants reported more elevated and chronic co-morbid symptoms of depression and anxiety, which in turn, was related to concurrent maternal ratings of their infant’s negativity. Mothers response to late-preterm birth and partiality in the assessment of their infant’s temperament is discussed

Dispatches from the interface of salivary bioscience and neonatal research.

The emergence of the interdisciplinary field of salivary bioscience has created opportunity for neonatal researchers to measure multiple components of biological systems non-invasively in oral fluids. The implications are profound and potentially high impact. From a single oral fluid specimen, information can be obtained about a vast array of biological systems (e.g., endocrine, immune, autonomic nervous system) and the genetic polymorphisms related to individual differences in their function. The purpose of this review is to describe the state of the art for investigators interested in integrating these unique measurement tools into the current and next generation of research on gonadal steroid exposure during the prenatal and neonatal developmental periods

The bloom is (slightly) off the rose: the motherhood effect on psychological functioning in successive pregnancies

Objective: To examine the maternal psychological state during the course of two successive pregnancies. Methods: The sample consisted of 73 women drawn from a larger maternal–fetal cohort that participated during two pregnancies. Women completed self-report psychological questionnaires at 24, 30, and 36 weeks gestation to index maternal depressive symptoms, trait anxiety, and pregnancy hassles and uplifts. Analyses examined stability of maternal symptoms across successive pregnancies in the same women. Results: Antenatal symptoms of depression and anxiety exhibited strong intra-individual stability between successive pregnancies. Mean differences in maternal symptoms were not detected for either at 24, 30, or 36 weeks gestation, excepting elevated anxiety symptoms at the mid-point due to greater fluctuation in maternal anxiety during the prior pregnancy. Subsequent pregnancies were associated with less intense uplifting feelings about the pregnancy on each measurement occasion. Conclusions: Findings suggest marked consistency in maternal psychological orientation across subsequent pregnancies, though parity also plays a role in the maternal experience

Supplementary_table – Supplemental material for An Association Between Maternal Intimate Partner Physical Violence and a Loaded Firearm in the Home

<p>Supplemental material, Supplementary_table for An Association Between Maternal Intimate Partner Physical Violence and a Loaded Firearm in the Home by Tierra D. Burrell, Kristin M. Voegtline and Kamila B. Mistry in Journal of Interpersonal Violence</p