Infants' Biological Sensitivity to the Effects of Maternal Social Support: Evidence Among Mexican American Families

Overview

Journal Infancy

Specialties Gynecology & Obstetrics
Pediatrics

Date 2020 Jul 18

PMID 32677201

Citations 7

Authors

Jennifer A Somers

Shannon L Jewell

Mariam Hanna Ibrahim

Linda J Luecken

Affiliations

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Abstract

The identification of infants who are most susceptible to both negative and positive social environments is critical for understanding early behavioral development. This study longitudinally assessed the interactive effects of infant vagal tone (respiratory sinus arrhythmia; RSA) and maternal social support on behavioral problems and competence among 322 low-income Mexican American mother-infant dyads (infants: 54.1% female) and explored sex differences. Infant RSA was calculated from resting HR data at 6 weeks of age. Mothers reported on general social support, partner support, and family support at 6 months, and infant behavioral problems and competence at 1 year. Two-way interactions (RSA × support source) were evaluated to predict behavioral problems and competence, adjusting for covariates. Results indicated higher competence among infants with lower RSA whose mothers reported higher general support or higher partner support. Interactive effects on behavior problems of RSA with maternal partner or family support were only found for female infants: Girls with higher RSA showed more behavior problems when mothers reported low support, but fewer problem levels in the context of high support. Our results suggest that infant RSA is an important moderator of the effects of the early social environment on early development.

Citing Articles

Vagal Flexibility Moderates the Links between Observed Sensitive Caregiving in Infancy and Externalizing Behavior Problems in Middle Childhood.

Shakiba N, Lynch S, Propper C, Mills-Koonce W, Wagner N Res Child Adolesc Psychopathol. 2023; 51(10):1453-1464.

PMID: 37300786 PMC: 11257083. DOI: 10.1007/s10802-023-01088-3.

Socioemotional Mechanisms of Children's Differential Response to the Effects of Maternal Sensitivity on Child Adjustment.

Somers J, Luecken L Parent Sci Pract. 2021; 21(3):241-275.

PMID: 34483750 PMC: 8411900. DOI: 10.1080/15295192.2020.1809955.

A prenatal programming perspective on the intergenerational transmission of maternal adverse childhood experiences to offspring health problems.

Roubinov D, Luecken L, Curci S, Somers J, Winstone L Am Psychol. 2021; 76(2):337-349.

PMID: 33734799 PMC: 7995605. DOI: 10.1037/amp0000762.

Infant biological sensitivity to father engagement in low-income Mexican American families.

Luecken L, Somers J, Roubinov D Dev Psychobiol. 2020; 63(5):1428-1435.

PMID: 33368253 PMC: 8225717. DOI: 10.1002/dev.22075.

Quantifying the dynamic nature of vagal responsivity in infancy: Methodological innovations and theoretical implications.

Somers J, Curci S, Luecken L Dev Psychobiol. 2020; 63(3):582-588.

PMID: 32662127 PMC: 7928168. DOI: 10.1002/dev.22018.

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