Developmental origins of infant stress reactivity profiles: A multi-system approach.
Dev Psychobiol. 2016 07; 58(5):578-99.DP

Abstract

BACKGROUND

This study tested the hypothesis that maternal physiological and psychological variables during pregnancy discriminate between theoretically informed infant stress reactivity profiles.

METHODS

The sample comprised 254 women and their infants. Maternal mood, salivary cortisol, respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), and salivary α-amylase (sAA) were assessed at 15 and 32 weeks gestational age. Infant salivary cortisol, RSA, and sAA reactivity were assessed in response to a structured laboratory frustration task at 6 months of age. Infant responses were used to classify them into stress reactivity profiles using three different classification schemes: hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA)-axis, autonomic, and multi-system. Discriminant function analyses evaluated the prenatal variables that best discriminated infant reactivity profiles within each classification scheme.

RESULTS

Maternal stress biomarkers, along with self-reported psychological distress during pregnancy, discriminated between infant stress reactivity profiles.

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggest that maternal psychological and physiological states during pregnancy have broad effects on the development of the infant stress response systems. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Dev Psychobiol 58: 578-599, 2016.

Links

Publisher Full Text
Aggregator Full Text

Authors+Show Affiliations

Rash JA
Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive N.W., Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada.
Thomas JC
Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive N.W., Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada.
Campbell TS
Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive N.W., Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada.
Letourneau N
Faculty of Nursing and Cumming School of Medicine (Pediatrics and Psychiatry), University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive N.W., Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada. Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive N.W., Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada.
Granger DA
Institute for Interdisciplinary Saliva Bioscience Research, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287. Bloomberg School of Public Health and School of Medicine, The John Hopkins University School of Nursing, Baltimore, MD, 21205.
Giesbrecht GF
Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive N.W., Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada. Department of Pediatrics, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive N.W., Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada.
APrON Study Team
No affiliation info available

MeSH

AdultAffectAutonomic Nervous SystemBiomarkersFemaleHumansHydrocortisoneHypothalamo-Hypophyseal SystemInfantInfant BehaviorLongitudinal StudiesPituitary-Adrenal SystemPregnancyPregnancy ComplicationsRespiratory Sinus ArrhythmiaStress, Psychologicalalpha-Amylases

Pub Type(s)

Journal Article
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Language

eng

PubMed ID

26956370