Search

While extensive research has supported the developmental programming hypothesis regarding contributions of prenatal psychosocial or nutritional adversity to offspring stress physiology, fewer studies consider both exposures together with maternal stress physiology. This study examined newborn cortisol output during a stressor as a function of maternal pre-pregnancy health status and nutritional history (pre-pregnancy body mass index [PPBMI]), economic resources (household income), and maternal cortisol awakening response (mCAR) in late pregnancy. Participants were 102 mother-infant pairs from an economically and racial/ethnically diverse sample. Offspring salivary cortisol response to a neurobehavioral exam was assessed at 1 month. Income and maternal PPBMI were positively associated with mCAR in late pregnancy. mCAR was positively related to 1-month newborn cortisol response. The interaction of income and PPBMI was positively associated with newborn cortisol output during an exam at 1-month. Mothers with the highest PPBMI and lowest income had offspring with higher cortisol responses than offspring of mothers with higher income and lower PPBMI. There was no evidence of indirect mediation effects of predictors (PPBMI, income, and interaction) on infant cortisol via mCAR. The differential effects of the interaction of PPBMI and income suggest that these exposures influence infant cortisol output in the context of one another, independent of maternal pregnancy cortisol.

Although physical activity interventions are efficacious for decreasing depressive symptomatology severity, there are several barriers to accessing treatment, supporting the need for intervention delivery in more accessible and cost-effective modes. However, individuals may respond defensively to health messages if perceiving them as threatening, and thereby fail to change behaviors. Although online, health-based interventions are effective in leading to behavior change, limited research has been conducted to identify ways in which people respond differently to online health messages. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate how individuals differ in their acceptance and interpretation of online health-related messages as threatening, as well as their desire to improve health behaviors based on their current depressive and physical activity levels. A total of 197 participants (MAGE = 36.17 years, SDAGE = 12.52 years) drawn from Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) were asked to read a message regarding the importance of physical activity for health. Their defensiveness and behavior change intentionality were evaluated in relation to physical activity and depressive symptomatology. Individuals who engaged in less physical activity were more accepting of the health message, more likely to find the article threatening, agree that less exercise was related to negative health issues, and agree they should increase their physical activity. Individuals with higher self-ratings of depressive symptomatology were less accepting of the health message, found the article more threatening, and believed it to be less important to increase their physical activity levels. However, neither physical activity nor depression symptom severity were related to whether an individual would actually increase their physical activity. There was no statistically significant correlation between physical activity and depression. Explanations for these findings are provided.

Background: Occupational therapists focus on caregiver-infant reciprocity, which is influenced by a host of biopsychosocial factors and is predictive of developmental outcomes across domains. It is important for early intervention professions to understand how different forms of reciprocity may predict infant development in salient domains (i.e., language, mobility, and co-occupation). Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate associations among related measures of development in and across age, while also exploring how reciprocity influences the acquisition of developmental milestones. Method: We examined these important areas of development in relation to novel caregiver-infant co-occupational constructs in addition to well-established domains of reciprocity (i.e., language, touch, and emotional sensitivity). In a cohort of 16 caregiver-infant dyads, we investigated infant language, motor, and affective development at 8, 12, and 16 months of age in relation to caregiver-infant reciprocity in the same domains. Results: Findings identify relations among domains, as well as novel, bidirectional associations among these domains, and caregiver-infant reciprocity. In particular, infant utterances, standing, and positive affect were related to caregiver sensitivity and responsivity to infant affect, touch, and/or physicality. Conclusion: These findings suggest that aspects of caregiver-infant reciprocity may predict development in several important domains.

Background/aims From a dynamic systems perspective of infant development, several systems (eg sensorimotor, perceptual, and reasoning, among others, may self-organise and change behavioural responses over time following experience. These changes in infant behaviour are often measured through the achievement of age-adjusted developmental milestones. However, the majority of research guiding the understanding of typical infant developmental trajectories rarely depicts collaborations across more than one or two disciplines. The purpose of this case report was to describe an interprofessional research collaboration among researchers and clinicians in clinical and experimental psychology, occupational therapy, speech-language pathology, and physical therapy to establish methods and procedures that describe different developmental domains in infancy for a single participant. Methods One infant who was typically developing was video and audio recorded during 60 minutes of free play at ages 8, 12, and 16 months. Four research labs scored the middle 20 minutes of recorded time for infant and caregiver utterances, touch and motor behaviours, play participation and performance, co-occupation, and caregiver sensitivity to infant affect. The combined data from the four labs captured and revealed a rich description of the infant's development from 8 to 16 months of age. Results The data for this single infant indicated that important developmental changes occurred leading to greater independence in communication, mobility and co-occupation, while reducing some of the requirements for attention from the caregiver. Conclusions The procedures used within research labs by principal investigators from four disciplines to describe development in a single infant between 8 and 16 months of age yielded a rich example of development, consistent with published milestones. Future studies with larger sample sizes using the interdisciplinary research methods applied in this case study may improve the understanding of, influences on, and relationships between, infant developmental trajectories.

Co-occupation is the mutual engagement of two people in a shared occupation. Recent research has investigated co-occupational activities during sensitive periods to inform clinical practice. However, there remains a dearth of applied research to bridge gaps between research and practice within salient co-occupational relationships between caregivers and infants. The study applied co-occupational constructs of physicality, emotionality, and intentionality within caregiver–infant dyads across infancy. These constructs were examined in relation to caregiver–infant reciprocity in other domains (i.e., language, motor, and affective) to determine the overlapping features of reciprocal co-occupation with established aspects of reciprocity. Results suggest that as infants transitioned into toddlerhood and became more mobile and intentional in behavior, there were observable changes in caregiver–infant reciprocity. Caregiver utterances, affect, touch, and co-occupation were significantly related within and across time, highlighting the need for more studies to disentangle these relations in reference to infant development.

The International Olympic Committee has identified mental health as a priority that significantly affects the physical health and safety of collegiate athletes. Interventions that improve diet quality have been shown to improve mental health in several populations. However, studies are needed to examine this relationship in female collegiate athletes, who have elevated risk of experiencing anxiety and depression symptoms, as well as dietary insufficiencies. In a quantitative, cross-sectional study, female student athletes at a U.S. university completed three mental health questionnaires: Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21), Athlete Psychological Strain Questionnaire (APSQ), and COVID Stress Scales (CSS). Each female athlete also completed a validated, web-based Diet History Questionnaire (DHQ-III) resulting in a Healthy Eating Index (HEI). Seventy-seven participants completed all survey information. HEI scores were consistently higher for athletes with poorer mental health. HEI scores were significantly positively associated with stress (p = 0.015), performance concerns (p = 0.048), CSS components of danger (p = 0.007), contamination (p = 0.006), and traumatic stress (p = 0.003). Although findings support statistically significant associations among dietary quality and mental health indicators, including broad symptom severity or stressors specific to athletics or COVID-19, these associations were in the opposite direction hypothesized. Possible reasons for results and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Infants’ sensory processing may impact their development and daily functioning in multiple domains, as does the mental health of their mothers. Little research has been conducted exploring the novel construct of sensory processing in relation to maternal mental health and arguably one of the most important co-occupations during this sensitive time (i.e., breastfeeding), which may also be impacted by maternal mental health. Therefore, this study aims to explore associations between maternal mental health, the co-occupation of breastfeeding, and the sensory processing profiles of infants. Specifically, a sample of maternal-offspring dyads was examined from pre-gestation through the infant’s age of 18 months. Mothers completed well-validated and contemporary self-report questionnaires of mental health (i.e., depression and anxiety symptom severity) and sensory processing across time points. Findings yielded statistically significant relationships between maternal prenatal and postnatal anxiety and depression symptom severity and infants’ sensory processing profiles. Further connections were found between infants’ sensory processing profiles and both duration and frequency of breastfeeding. The study provides health care professionals with additional perspectives on how maternal mental health status and breastfeeding may be related to infants’ sensory processing profiles.

Hepatitis C (HCV) care cascades have been described in diverse clinical settings, patient populations and countries, highlighting the steps in HCV care where improvements can be made and resources allocated. However, more research is needed to examine barriers to HCV treatment in rural, underserved populations and in Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs). As part of a quality improvement (QI) project, this study aimed to describe and evaluate the HCV treatment cascade in an FQHC serving a large rural patient population in the Western United States. Standardized chart abstraction was utilized to aggregate data regarding patient demographics, the percentage of patients achieving each step in the treatment cascade, and relevant patient (i.e., viral load) and service variables (i.e., whether and when patients received treatment or medication). 389 patients were identified as having HCV and 86% were aware of their diagnosis. Fifty-five percent had their infection confirmed via viral load, 21% were staged for liver disease, 24% received a prescription for treatment, and 19% achieved cure. Compared to national data, the current regional sample had greater rates of diagnosis awareness and access to care, as well as sustained virologic response (SVR), but lower rates of viral load confirmation. Current findings suggest that rural patients living with HCV who receive care at FQHCs struggle to navigate the treatment cascade and achieve a cure, particularly with regard to infection confirmation, liver staging, and prescription. However, compared to national estimates, patients had greater rates of diagnosis awareness/treatment access and SVR.

This study investigated whether the amount of third trimester added sugar consumption interacted with pre-pregnancy BMI (PPBMI) to predict gestational weight gain (GWG) and postpartum mental health in Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) for primary care and mental health. Participants included pregnant women aged 18 to 36, with data collected in-person at 33-37 weeks gestation and 6 months postpartum using an anthropometric measurement, Dietary Screener Questionnaire (DSQ), Edinburg Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), Prenatal Anxiety Screening Scale (PASS), and the 14-item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). No moderated mediation models were statistically significant. Results indicated that greater PPBMI predicted decreased GWG and increased 6-month postpartum depression symptoms. There was a significant, positive correlation between prenatal added sugar intake and 6-month postpartum depression, anxiety, and perceived stress symptoms. Support for associations between increasing PPBMI and increasing depression symptoms at 6 months postpartum in this sample of women in an HPSA for primary care and mental health highlights the importance of starting preventative care for women prior to pregnancy. Correlations between greater added sugar intake in the third trimester and increased depression, anxiety, and perceived stress symptoms at 6 months postpartum supports the need for more research directly investigating those relationships, which could inform perinatal prevention/intervention research.

Fetal/infant growth affects adult obesity and morbidities/mortality and has been associated with prenatal exposure to cortisol. Bidirectional relations between maternal stress and breastfeeding suggest that they interact to influence offspring growth. No models have tested this hypothesis, particularly regarding longer-term offspring outcomes. We used a subset of the IDAHO Mom Study (n = 19&ndash, 95) to examine associations among maternal prenatal cortisol (cortisol awakening response (CAR) and area under the curve), and standardized weight-for-length (WLZ) and length-for-age (LAZ) z-scores from birth-18 months, and main and interactive effects of prenatal cortisol and breastfeeding on infant growth from birth-6 months. CAR was negatively associated with LAZ at birth (r = &minus, 0.247, p = 0.039) but positively associated at 13&ndash, 14 months (r = 0.378, p = 0.033), suggesting infant catch-up growth with lower birth weights, likely related to elevated cortisol exposure, continues beyond early infancy. A negative correlation between breastfeeding and 10-month WLZ (r = &minus, 0.344, p = 0.037) and LAZ (r = &minus, 0.468, p = 0.005) suggests that breastfeeding assists in managing infant growth. WLZ and LAZ increased from birth to 6 months (ps &lt, 0.01), though this was unrelated to interactions between prenatal cortisol and breastfeeding (i.e., no significant moderation), suggesting that other factors played a role, which should be further investigated. Findings add to our understanding of the predictors of infant growth.

This study examined a moderated mediation model of relations among maternal perinatal stress/anxiety, breastfeeding difficulties (mediator), misperceptions of infant crying (moderator), and maternal breastfeeding duration to understand risk factors for early breastfeeding termination. It was hypothesized that more breastfeeding difficulties would mediate the relation between greater prenatal stress/anxiety and shorter breastfeeding duration, and that perceptions of response to infant crying as spoiling would moderate the relation between more breastfeeding difficulties and reduced breastfeeding duration. Additionally, it was hypothesized that participants who breastfed through 6 months would demonstrate less postnatal stress/anxiety and there would be a positive relation between fewer breastfeeding difficulties and less postnatal stress/anxiety through 6 months. Participants included 94 expectant mothers at 33&ndash, 37 weeks gestation and 6 months (&plusmn, 2 weeks) postpartum. Greater prenatal anxiety was associated with shorter breastfeeding duration. Results presented are the first to document negative relations between prenatal (as opposed to postnatal) anxiety and breastfeeding duration (as opposed to frequency or other indicators) in a U.S. sample. Future studies should seek to replicate findings in a more diverse sample and compare findings from clinical and non-clinical samples. Studies may also wish to explore the effects of anxiety prevention/intervention on breastfeeding duration.

Date Presented 03/26/20 The influence of infant equipment (walkers, jumpers, exersaucers, high chairs, etc.) use on early motor development is unclear. The results of this study suggest that greater use of equipment during infancy is related to fewer motor behaviors that represent developmentally important milestones. OT is well positioned to provide caregivers and their infants with resources to help establish habits and routines that support motor development through occupational engagement. Primary Author and Speaker: Bryan Gee Contributing Authors: Hillary Swann, Nicki Aubuchon-Endsley, Michele Brumley

Date Presented 03/28/20 The findings from this cohort of infants and toddlers are similar to the scores of the foundational or national sample within the SP2 manual and may represent increased measurement reliability of typically developing infants and toddlers. Additionally, caregiver perceptions of their child’s sensory processing may be consistent across time as the infant or toddler develops. Primary Author and Speaker: Bryan Gee Additional Authors and Speakers: Tyler Holloway, Nicole Zovi-Kammerman Contributing Authors: Nicki Aubuchon-Endsley, Abby Prow

The interactions between attention and stimulus encoding in infancy were examined using heart rate (HR) and visual habituation measures. At 3, 6, and 9 months of age, infants (N = 119) were habituated to an adult face; longest look (LL) duration was measured as an indicator of encoding speed. Three groups were formed based on LL change from 3 to 9 months: Large Decrease, Small Decrease, and Increase. Using concurrent electrocardiograph recordings, attention was measured through the percentage of looking time in orienting, sustained attention, and attention termination. We partially replicated previous findings regarding developmental patterns of attention in these three groups, notably that these patterns were different for the Increase group. Looks away from the stimulus were also assessed in each attentional phase and, as predicted, HR acceleration phases showed less visual engagement than HR deceleration phases. We also found anomalous behavior for the LL Increase group. In general, this small but distinct group showed similarities at 3 months to the presumably more mature behavior of typical 9 month olds, but by 9 months, they behaved more like typical 3 month olds regarding some, but not all, cognitive measures. These results are discussed in the context of the development of endogenous attention.

This study is the first report examining the relationship between pretreatment expectancy and treatment outcome in Osage Native Americans receiving mental health services. Results reveal that in Na...

Treatment expectancies and outcome have been robustly associated, although these constructs are understudied within college mental health populations. This is partially because of the lack of psychometrically sound expectancy measures for campus clinics. This study examined the validity, reliability, and clinical utility of a novel expectancy measure developed for use in campus clinics. The measure was found to have sound psychometric properties and may prospectively identify pretreatment expectancies that adversely affect treatment outcomes.

Background Most research on women veterans' mental health has focused on postraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or reactions to military sexual trauma. Although depression is also a frequent diagnosis among women veterans, little is known about its characteristics, including comorbid conditions and patterns of disorder onset. We investigated lifetime diagnoses of major depressive disorder (MDD) and comorbid conditions in a primarily treatment-seeking research sample of male and female veterans to determine frequency of lifetime MDD, comorbid disorders and their temporal onset. Method The 1700 veterans (346 women; 1354 men) completed diagnostic interviews as participants in a research registry. Rates of and gender differences in lifetime MDD and comorbid conditions (PTSD, other anxiety disorders, substance use and eating disorders) were calculated. We assessed the percentage of cases in which MDD preceded the comorbid condition (primary onset MDD). Results Lifetime MDD was frequent in this sample, and significantly more common in women (46.5%) than in men (36.3%). Gender differences in comorbidity were found for anxiety and eating disorders (more common in women); and for alcohol and nicotine use disorders (more common in men). However, primary onset MDD was no more common among women than among men, and was in neither case the predominant pattern of comorbid lifetime disorder onset. Limitations The sample is not representative of all veterans, and lifetime diagnoses were based on retrospective recall. Conclusions MDD usually follows the onset of other comorbid disorders among women veterans, indicating the need to assess for earlier lifetime disorders in veterans with MDD.

The purpose of this article is to articulate and provide detail about an interprofessional research collaboration at a public university in a rural area of western United States. This interprofessional research collaboration was organized to explore infant and maternal reciprocity. As a part of the organization and process portion of the collaborative effort, the authors identify the unique attributes of their collaboration. Additionally, barriers to collaborative research are presented, with opportunities and recommendations made to support existing and future interprofessional collaborative efforts for basic science scholars, clinicians, and educators in health-related professions.

Several recent studies have supported relations between infant behaviour (alertness and responsiveness) and nutrition in addition to investigating infant behaviour within the context of changes in iron status over time. Existing research is typically limited to the investigation of the effects of a single vitamin or mineral, and no studies have been found that examined the influence that early alertness and responsiveness have on growth in early infancy, despite the fact that relations between behaviour and nutritional status may be bidirectional. The current study used a sample of Ethiopian infants and investigated anthropometrics, haemoglobin, the frequency of alertness and the frequency of responsiveness at 6 and 9 months of age. Six-month weight-for-age predicted 9-month frequency of alertness, while 6-month haemoglobin predicted 9-month frequency of responsiveness. Compared with responsive infants, non-responsive infants at 6 months remained more non-responsive at 9 months, although weight-for-age for both groups converged at 9 months. Results support relations between nutrition and behaviour (alertness and responsiveness) and provide evidence of a potentially useful tool (the Laboratory Temperament Assessment Battery) that was adapted to evaluate these relations in Ethiopia.

Male and female infants from rural Ethiopia were tested to investigate relations among hemoglobin (Hb), anthropometry, and attention. A longitudinal design was used to examine differences in attention performance from 6 (M = 24.9 weeks, n = 89) to 9 months of age (M = 40.6 weeks, n = 85), differences hypothesized to be related to changes in iron status and growth delays. Stunting (length-for-age z scores

In addition to having potentially deleterious effects on clients in distress, client attrition also thwarts efforts by trainee clinicians to develop psychotherapy competencies that are uniquely associated with providing middleor late-stage treatment. Within the established literature, one well-replicated correlate of attrition is client expectations. Thus, the following study investigated whether client attrition within a training clinic could be prospectively predicted from pretreatment expectancies. To that end, all adult clients presenting for an intake at a training clinic completed the Psychotherapy Expectancy Inventory—Revised (PEI–R). First, normative reference ranges for the PEI–R total and factor scores were developed. Next, analyses revealed that these reference ranges had good specificity in prospectively identifying clients that subsequently prematurely terminated treatment. Moreover, the computed positive likelihood ratios revealed that an individual who obtains a total score outside of the reference range is 7 times more likely to prematurely terminate therapy in comparison with individuals obtaining scores within the normative reference range. Training clinics are therefore encouraged to routinely administer the PEI–R as a means of identifying individuals at risk for attrition and defining which role expectations may need to be modified.

In this article we present a review of the current literature relating iron and iron deficiency to psychological and neurobiological outcomes in both humans and experimental animals. In particular, we focus on the role of iron during gestation and infancy and the possible impact on neurobehavioral development in the short and long term. In the context of reviewing this literature, the following questions are addressed: (1) What are the neural mechanisms that are directly influenced by iron and iron deficiency? (2) Does iron play a true causal role in determining these outcomes? (3) Is there a sensitive period during which iron deficiency is most harmful?

Date Presented 3/30/2017 Infant–maternal reciprocity may be captured and represented through play. Play construction, purpose, object choice, and type were observed and coded using a retrospective analysis, demonstrating an increase in frequency and duration in most categories. Primary Author and Speaker: Bryan Gee Additional Authors and Speakers: Susan Kunkel Contributing Authors: Hillary Swann, Nancy Devine, Nicholas Burgett, Nicki Aubuchon-Endsley, Michele R. Brumley, Heather Ramsdell-Hudock

Background As breastfeeding duration increases, it is important to understand diets of breastfeeding women and other factors salient to maternal/offspring health, including stress. It is important to further consider sociodemographic factors, given their associations with nutritional deficiencies and perceived stress. Objective We cross-sectionally compared breastfeeding women's dietary intakes from a food frequency questionnaire (assessing from pregnancy through 3 months postpartum) with Estimated Average Requirements (EARs). We hypothesized that dietary intake was related to sociodemographic variables and parenting stress. Design We examined a cohort of predominately breastfeeding women. Food frequency questionnaire results were compared with EARs, the Parenting Stress Index: Short Form, and a demographic questionnaire. Participants/setting Participants included 101 women (of 289 recruited) who breastfed singleton, full-term infants for the first 3 months while using Statistical analyses Mean and standard deviation or frequencies were reported. One-sample t tests compared EARs with mean dietary intakes over the past 12 months. Pearson correlations and one-way analyses of variance explored relationships among dietary, sociodemographic, and stress variables. Results Twenty-two percent of women did not meet EAR minimum energy recommendations and >40% did not meet protein recommendations. Despite widespread supplement use, some consumed less than the EAR for vitamin E (35%), calcium (22%), and vitamin C (19%). Carbohydrate consumption was positively related to the difficult child scale ( r =0.19; P =0.05). Dietary riboflavin ( r =–0.19; P =0.05) and vitamin D intake ( r =–0.19; P =0.05) were negatively related to the parent–child dysfunction scale. Conclusions Despite efforts to enhance education and counseling regarding adequate perinatal nutrition-related practices, even well-educated women may not meet EARs. This poor dietary intake may be associated with parenting stress and have potential long-term implications for child health.

We investigated main and interactive effects of maternal pre-pregnancy obesity and gestational weight gain on circadian cortisol from the second to third trimester. A diverse sample of 215 pregnant women was enrolled. Maternal height and most recent pre-pregnancy weight were collected at study initiation (22% obese). Weight and circadian salivary cortisol samples were measured during second (24 ± 4) and third (35 ± 1 weeks) trimesters. During the third trimester, women who were obese prior to conception showed elevated evening cortisol versus normal weight women. This pattern was moderated by weight gain in excess of Institute of Medicine guidelines, such that women who were obese prior to conception and gained greater than 7.94 kg by the 35 ± 1 week visit displayed greatest elevations in evening cortisol. Given links between excessive prenatal glucocorticoid exposure and both poor maternal and offspring health outcomes, elevated maternal cortisol may be one mechanism underlying links between maternal obesity and adverse perinatal outcomes.

Evidence-based practice (EBP) includes utilization of empirically supported treatments, application of clinical expertise, and consideration of client characteristics. The following brief report aims to elucidate barriers in the study and dissemination of research regarding these client characteristics.Authors examined empirical papers cited on psychologicaltreatments.org (N = 338) and categorized each according to efficacy evidence available pertaining to gender, race/ethnicity, and socioeconomic status (SES).Gender was most commonly considered (7% of studies), with less than 2% of studies analyzing efficacy in relation to race/ethnicity or SES.Available findings are summarized according to disorder. Researchers are encouraged to attend to client variables in efficacy studies and suggestions are offered for training students to include client variables in EBP.

Date Presented 4/8/2016 A retrospective study exploring the bidirectionality of reciprocity in infants and mothers revealed changes occurring over 6 mo in several domains. The retrospective analysis creates a novel process of assessing development through the lens of reciprocity. Primary Author and Speaker: Bryan Gee Additional Authors and Speakers: Susan Kunkle, Lauren Troy Contributing Authors: Hillary Swann, Nancy Devine, Nicholas Burgett, Nicki Aubuchon-Endsley, Michele R. Brumley, Heather Ramsdell-Hudock

Maternal weight before and during pregnancy is associated with offspring neurobehaviour in childhood. We investigated maternal weight prior to and during pregnancy in relation to neonatal neurobehaviour. We hypothesized that maternal obesity and excessive gestational weight gain would be associated with poor neonatal attention and affective functioning. Participants (n = 261) were recruited, weighed and interviewed during their third trimester of pregnancy. Pre-pregnancy weight was self-reported and validated for 210 participants, with robust agreement with medical chart review (r = 0.99). Neurobehaviour was measured with the NICU Network Neurobehavioural Scale (NNNS) administered on Days 2 and 32 postpartum. Maternal exclusion criteria included severe or persistent physical or mental health conditions (e.g. chronic disease or diagnoses of Bipolar Disorder or Psychotic Spectrum Disorders), excessive substance use, and social service/foster care involvement or difficulty understanding English. Infants were from singleton, full-term (37-42 weeks gestation) births with no major medical concerns. Outcome variables were summary scores on the NNNS (n = 75-86). For women obese prior to pregnancy, those gaining in excess of Institute of Medicine guidelines had infants with poorer regulation, lower arousal and higher lethargy. There were no main effects of maternal pre-pregnancy body mass index on neurobehaviour. Women gaining above Institute of Medicine recommendations had neonates with better quality of movement. Additional studies to replicate and extend results past the neonatal period are needed. Results could support underlying mechanisms explaining associations between maternal perinatal weight and offspring outcomes. These mechanisms may inform future prevention/intervention strategies. © 2016 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Purpose was to identify correlates of amount of formula fed to 9 mo infants who had been predominantly breastfed at 3 mo. Participants were 117 mothers and infants (68 female, 49 male) weighed and ...

Researchers tested male and female infants from rural Ethiopia to investigate relations among hemoglobin, anthropometry, and attention. They utilized a longitudinal design to examine differences in attention performance from 6 (M = 24.9 weeks, n = 89) to 9 months of age (M = 40.6 weeks, n = 85), differences hypothesized to be related to changes in iron status and growth delays. Stunting (length-for-age z-scores < −2.0) and attention performance [t(30) = −2.42, p = .022] worsened over time. Growth and hemoglobin predicted attention at 9 months [R2 = .15, p < .05], but not at 6. The use of the attention task at 9 months was supported. The study contributes to the knowledge base of hemoglobin, growth, and attention.