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Background: Our study aims to understand whether depression, either in pregnancy or lifetime, affects cognitive biases (comprising the attentional focus and affective state) and mentalizing features (ability to understand children's internal mental states, thereby detecting and comprehending their behavior and intention), in maternal speech during mother‐infant interaction in the first postnatal year. Methods: We recruited 115 pregnant women (44 healthy, 46 with major depressive disorder [MDD] in pregnancy, and 25 with a history of MDD but healthy pregnancy) at 25 weeks' gestation. Three‐minute videos were recorded at 8 weeks and 12 months postnatally for each dyad. Maternal speech was transcribed verbatim and coded for cognitive biases and mentalizing comments using the Parental Cognitive Attributions and Mentalization Scale (PCAMs). Results: Women suffering from antenatal depression showed a decreased proportion of mentalizing comments compared with healthy women, at both 8 weeks (0.03 ± 0.01 vs. 0.07 ± 0.01, P = 0.002) and 12 months (0.02 ± 0.01 vs. 0.04 ± 0.01, P = 0.043). Moreover, compared with healthy women, both those with antenatal depression and those with a history of depression showed decreased positive affection in speech (0.13 ± 0.01 vs. 0.07 ± 0.01 and 0.08 ± 0.02, respectively P = 0.003 and P = 0.043), and made significantly fewer comments focused on their infants' experience at 8 weeks (0.67 ± 0.03 vs. 0.53 ± 0.04 and 0.49 ± 0.05, respectively P = 0.015 and P = 0.005). In linear regression models women's socioeconomic difficulties and anxiety in pregnancy contribute to these associations, while postnatal depression did not. Conclusions: Both antenatal depression and a lifetime history of depression are associated with a decreased quality of women's speech to their infants, as shown by less focus on their infant's experience, decreased positive affection, and less able to mentalize. Examining maternal speech to their infants in the early postnatal months may be particularly relevant to identify women who could benefit from strategies addressing these aspects of the interactive behavior and thus improve infant outcome in the context of depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maternal behaviors displayed in mother-infant interaction set the grounds for relationship formation in early childhood. Meanwhile, maternal postnatal depression represents an atypical context for infant development. The present review aims to systematically analyze previous research on specific maternal behaviors reflecting maternal depression in the first postnatal year, focusing on the definitions and findings regarding these behaviors. The review includes observational studies with mothers of infants up to 12 months. Results show variability in definitions, particularly for sensitivity and responsiveness, and mixed findings on the relationship between depression and maternal behaviors. Positive behaviors and negative behaviors were inconsistently associated with depression across studies, suggesting moderating factors such as maternal age, personality, socioeconomic status, and cultural context. We emphasize the need for standardized definitions and measures of maternal behaviors and call for further research into moderating variables. This review underscores the complexity of the relationship between maternal depression and maternal behaviors, advocating for more comprehensive and consistent future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Limited research exists on mother-infant interaction in women at-risk-of postpartum psychosis (PP). This study aimed to investigate potential predictors of mother-infant interaction quality in women at-risk-of-PP during the first postnatal year. Potential predictors investigated were: maternal ability to recognize emotions, childhood maltreatment, parenting stress, and infant social-interactive behaviour at birth. 98 women (and their offspring) were included, 40 at-risk-of-PP because of a diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder, Schizoaffective Disorder or previous PP, and 58 with no current/previous mental illness or family history of PP. Mother-infant interaction was assessed using the CARE-Index at 8 weeks and 12 months postpartum. Maternal ability to recognize emotions was assessed with the VERT-K, maternal experience of childhood maltreatment with the CECA-Q, maternal parenting stress with the PSI-SF and infant social-interactive behaviour with the NBAS. Women at-risk-of-PP were less able to recognize fear than healthy controls and this predicted the quality of the mother-infant interaction at 8 weeks' and 12 months' post partum, over and above the effect of maternal Group (respectively, β = 0.33, p =.015; β = 0.40, p =.006). Infant social-interactive behaviour at birth was a significant predictor for mother-infant interaction at 12 months (β = 0.32, p =.031), although this did not differ significantly between the groups. A relatively small sample size precluded a more in-depth investigation of indirect pathways and other potential predictors. These results are important as they suggest that preventive interventions targeting emotion recognition may be implemented in women at-risk-of-PP, with the aim of improving mother-infant interaction and potentially also the infant long-term development. • We investigated multiple potential predictors of mother-infant interaction quality. • We included women at-risk-of postpartum psychosis (PP) and healthy controls. • Women at-risk-of-PP had more difficulty recognizing emotions than healthy controls. • Maternal ability to recognize fear predicted mother-infant interaction quality. • Infant social-interactive behaviour also contributed to mother-infant interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aims to clarify the relation between maternal sensitivity and infant attachment security during the first two years of life. A systematic search has been carried out in six databases (Medline, PsycINFO, Web of Science, Science Direct, Scopus and Psychology and Behavioural) between January 2010 and February 2023. The terms used for the search were mother–infant interaction, infant attachment, and maternal sensitivity. In total, ten studies were selected in which mother–infant dyads from the general population participated. Eight studies showed favourable results to the positive relation between both constructs and two studies did not. The main findings from this review indicate a positive association between both concepts in most studies, independently of the assessment instrument used or the moment of evaluation. These results allow us to understand the importance of fostering sensitive behaviours in mothers to optimize child development and facilitate the formation of secure attachments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Clinical services require feasible assessments of parentinfant interaction in order to identify dyads requiring parenting intervention. We assessed the reliability and predictive validity of two observational tools and tested whether briefer forms could be identified which retain acceptable psychometric properties over short observation periods. Methods: A stratified high-risk community sample of 250 mother-infant dyads from The Wirral Child Health and Development Study completed 7-min playbased interaction at 6-8 months. Film-footage was independently coded by two trained raters using PIIOS and NICHD-SECCYD systems. Incremental predictive validity was assessed from 3, 5 and 7 min observation to attachment outcomes (Strange Situation; 14 months) and infant mental health (BITSEA; 14 and 30 months). Results: Excellent inter-rater reliability was evident at code and subscale level for each tool and observation period. Stability of within-rater agreement was optimal after 5 min observation. ROC analysis confirmed predictive (discriminant) validity (AUCs >0.70) to top decile age 2 mental health outcomes for PIIOS total score and a brief 3-item composite from NICHD-SECCYD (sensitivity, intrusiveness, positive regard; NICHD-3), but not to attachment outcomes. Logistic regression showed dyads rated at-risk for externalizing problems using NICHD-3 were also at significantly higher risk for insecurity at 14 months (OR = 2.7, p = 0.004). Conclusion: PIIOS total and NICHD-3 ratings from 5 min observation are both reliable and valid tools for use in clinical practice. Findings suggest NICHD-3 may have greater utility due to its comparative brevity to train and code, with suitability for use over a broader developmental time frame (3-24 months). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Online delivery of community music groups has become more widely accepted following the COVID-19 pandemic, and may reduce barriers to attendance for certain demographics, including mothers with caring responsibilities. However, different interaction patterns may affect group processes, altering a programme's underlying mechanisms of change when adapted for online delivery. This research compares in-person and videoconference delivery of the Lullaby Project, a therapeutic community music group for mothers with infants aged under 3. It explores engagement, participation and group processes, and elucidates the mechanisms of change for both modes of implementation. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine mothers and seven musicians who had experienced one of three delivery methods: (1) face-to-face; (2) face-to-face and online combination and (3) online. Interviews were analysed inductively using thematic analysis and eleven sub-themes were identified within three overarching themes: (1) engagement; (2) group processes and (3) change mechanisms. Mothers perceived benefits and formed meaningful relationships in-person and online, although the distinct group processes and change mechanisms suggest the delivery methods constitute distinct interventions. Specifically, relationships were formed on an individual level during in-person delivery, whereas group-based connections were more likely with online delivery. Further research is needed to explore a diversity of experiences, and to evaluate the efficacy of online delivery of community music groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mentalizing is, to a certain extent, considered context specific. However, research on the association between parents' abilities to reflect upon their infant's mental states outside social interaction (offline) versus during ongoing parent‐infant interaction (online) is currently limited. This study investigated the association between self‐reported offline and online mentalizing in a sample of primarily ethnically Danish mothers (N = 142), with symptoms of postpartum depression, and their 1–11‐month‐old infants. Offline mentalizing was assessed with the Parental Reflective Functioning Questionnaire—Infant Version (PRFQ‐I) and online mentalizing was assessed with interactional mind‐mindedness. Ordinal logistic regressions showed that a higher score on the PRFQ‐I prementalizing subscale was negatively related to number of overall mind‐related comments and appropriate mind‐related comments produced by mothers during interaction with their infant. Our results indicate partial overlaps between self‐reported parental reflective functioning and mind‐mindedness, that is, that particularly offline maladaptive mentalizing is associated with lower levels of mentalizing during interaction in mothers with symptoms of depression. Post‐hoc examination of the interaction effect of postpartum depression showed that this association was only evident in mothers with medium to high levels of depression. Findings and implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Moderate preterm infants, born between 320/7 and 336/7 weeks, represent a significant number of preterm-born infants; however, they remain a poorly studied group despite their vulnerability. The objective of this correlational study is to describe the impact of having a moderate preterm infant hospitalised in the NICU on the mothers' mental health and how this relates to the interaction between the dyad. Method: During the hospitalisation period, 85 moderate preterm mother-infant dyads participated in this study. The participants provided self-reports of depression, parental stress, and skin to skin and breastfeeding practices. Also, mother-infant interaction was assessed in the NICU with an observational scale. Results: Mothers evidenced high levels of stress and depressive symptoms during the hospitalization. The stress experienced by these women was significant, although weakly, associated with the interaction with their babies; and mothers of small for gestational age babies showed difficulties in this area. Conclusions: The results of this study could represent a contribution to a better understanding of the relation between the characteristics of moderate preterm babies, maternal emotional wellbeing, and the quality of mother-infant interactions in NICU settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study aimed to investigate mother–infant interaction and infant development in women at-risk of postpartum psychosis (PP), with and without a postpartum relapse. Methods: 103 women (and their offspring) were included, 43 at-risk-of-PP because of a diagnosis of bipolar disorder, schizoaffective disorder or previous PP, and 60 with no current/previous mental illness or family history of PP. Of the at-risk women, 18 developed a psychiatric relapse within 4 weeks after delivery (AR-unwell), while 25 remained symptom-free (AR-well). Mother–infant interaction was assessed using the CARE-Index at 8 weeks' and 12 months' postpartum and infant development using the Bayley-III at 12 months' postpartum. Results: Women at-risk-of-PP as a group, regardless of whether they developed a psychiatric relapse within 4 weeks after delivery, had less synchronous mother–infant interactions and had infants with less optimal cognitive, language, motor and socio-emotional development than healthy controls. In particular, boys of at-risk women had the lowest scores in cognitive, language and motor development and in mother–infant interaction, while girls of the at-risk women had the lowest scores in socio-emotional development. The synchrony in the dyad predicted infant cognitive and language development. There was no evidence for a difference in mother–infant interaction nor in infant development between the AR-unwell and AR-well groups. Conclusions: These results suggest that, while there is a lack of evidence that an early postpartum relapse in women at-risk-of-PP could represent a risk for the infant per se , maternal risk for PP may be associated with less optimal mother–infant interaction and infant development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

IntroductionMother–infant attunement is fundamental to supporting infant socio-emotional development. Based on the assumption that we connect better with others if we are aware of and connected with our own experience, mindfulness could affect the maternal ability to attune to the infant. However, little is known about this topic in the first year of life. Study 1 aimed to investigate the role of maternal dispositional mindfulness and mindful parenting in mother–infant physiological and behavioral attunement at 3 months of age. Study 2 aimed to explore the effect of a mindfulness-based intervention not specific to parenting experience on mother–infant behavioral and physiological attunement and on maternal wellbeing at 9 months of age.MethodsIn Study 1, mother–infant (n = 67) behavioral and physiological attunement (i.e., co-regulation and RSA) were collected simultaneously each 20 s during face-to-face interaction. Mothers completed questionnaires about their dispositional mindfulness and mindful parenting. In Study 2, mother–infant dyads were randomly divided into a control (n = 20) and an intervention group (n = 29). The intervention group attended a 5-week mindfulness-based intervention. At T1 and T2, the same procedure described in Study 1 was applied and mothers reported about their wellbeing.ResultsResults showed that maternal mindfulness was associated with high physiological and behavioral attunement at 3 months and with more positive maternal behaviors and less stress at 9 months. Analysis evidenced a slight improvement in the intervention group in maternal dispositional mindfulness and a reduction in parenting stress at T2.DiscussionFindings from both studies suggested that maternal mindfulness could represent a protective factor that could support mothers in fostering better dyadic interactions with their infants. The implementation of mindfulness-based interventions for mothers could have preventive and clinical implications.

IntroductionClinical services require feasible assessments of parent-infant interaction in order to identify dyads requiring parenting intervention. We assessed the reliability and predictive validity of two observational tools and tested whether briefer forms could be identified which retain acceptable psychometric properties over short observation periods.MethodsA stratified high-risk community sample of 250 mother-infant dyads from The Wirral Child Health and Development Study completed 7-min play-based interaction at 6–8 months. Film-footage was independently coded by two trained raters using PIIOS and NICHD-SECCYD systems. Incremental predictive validity was assessed from 3, 5 and 7 min observation to attachment outcomes (Strange Situation; 14 months) and infant mental health (BITSEA; 14 and 30 months).ResultsExcellent inter-rater reliability was evident at code and subscale level for each tool and observation period. Stability of within-rater agreement was optimal after 5 min observation. ROC analysis confirmed predictive (discriminant) validity (AUCs >0.70) to top decile age 2 mental health outcomes for PIIOS total score and a brief 3-item composite from NICHD-SECCYD (sensitivity, intrusiveness, positive regard; NICHD-3), but not to attachment outcomes. Logistic regression showed dyads rated at-risk for externalizing problems using NICHD-3 were also at significantly higher risk for insecurity at 14 months (OR = 2.7, p = 0.004).ConclusionPIIOS total and NICHD-3 ratings from 5 min observation are both reliable and valid tools for use in clinical practice. Findings suggest NICHD-3 may have greater utility due to its comparative brevity to train and code, with suitability for use over a broader developmental time frame (3–24 months).

During mother‐infant interaction, shared emotional experiences, defined as reciprocal and synchronous emotional sharing between mother and infant, are an indicator of early relational health. Yet, it is unclear how mothers' efforts to engage with their infants relate to dyadic‐level shared emotional experiences. Utilizing a sample of 80 randomly selected videos of the NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development, we examined how mothers' bids for interaction with their 6‐month‐old infants related to the duration of shared emotional experiences. An event sampling, sequential coding system was used to identify a maternal bid for interaction (i.e., with toy, without toy) and the subsequent presence or absence of a shared emotional experience, including duration of the shared emotional experience. Results indicated that shared emotional experiences were longer following mothers' efforts to engage their infants in play without toys. Findings suggest that methods matter; researchers and practitioners interested in studying and promoting shared emotional experiences between mothers and infants may wish to focus on dyadic interactions without toys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To verify whether the time spent in prone, supine, or seated positions differed between term and preterm infants; and to determine whether a single verbal guidance session for parents changed the time spent in different positions, and, consequently, the motor development scores, after one month in preterm infants. Methods: Sixty-one infants from a full-term and preterm group from Brazil were included. Motor development was assessed by the Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS) and the parents registered the time spent in each position on a 24-hour schedule. A month after verbal guidance, a second assessment was performed only on the preterm infants. Results: The positioning times awake determined for the fullterm and preterm parents were similar. Preterm infants spent more time in the prone sleeping position (2.1 vs. 0.8 h; p=0.037) than full-term infants. The AIMS percentile scores did not differ significantly between the groups. For preterm infants, the time spent in all positions did not change during the second assessment (n=18). Conclusions: The fact that some parents position their infants in the prone posture during sleeping periods reinforce the importance of parental education approaches for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) prevention during the first months of life. The verbal guidance provided to parents of preterm infants did not influence the AIMS percentile and time spent in various positions but increased preterm parents’ confidence in placing their infants in a prone position to play. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Breastfeeding has long been known to improve infants' health and mental development and to enhance the mother-infant bond, but much less research focused on the biological composition of breast milk and its associations with the infant's biomarkers and social development. In this exploratory study, we measured oxytocin (OT) and secretory immunoglobulin-A (s-IgA), the most abundant antibody in breast milk, and evaluated their associations with the same biomarkers in infant saliva and, consequently, with infant social engagement behavior. Fifty-five mother-infant dyads were home-visit and OT and s-IgA were assessed from breast milk and from infant saliva before and after a free-play interaction. Infant social behavior was coded offline using the Coding Interactive Behavior (CIB) and maternal anxiety self-reported. A path model revealed that mother's breast milk s-IgA impacted child social engagement via its links with child OT. In parallel, maternal breast milk OT was linked with infant social behavior through its association with the infant's immunity. This path was moderated by maternal anxiety; only in cases of high anxiety breast milk OT was positively connected to infant s-IgA. Our study, the first to measure OT and s-IgA in both breast milk and infant saliva in relation to observed social behavior, underscores the need for much further research on the dynamic interplay between breast milk composition, infant biomarkers, maternal mental health, and infant social outcomes. Results may suggest that biological systems in breast milk integrate to prepare infants to function in their social ecology through bio-behavioral feedback loops that signal the degree of stress in the environment.

Introduction: Parents often use sensory stimulation during early‐life interactions with infants. These interactions, including gazing, rocking, or singing, scaffold child development. Previous studies have examined infant neural processing during highly controlled sensory stimulus presentation paradigms. Objective: In this study, we investigated infant behavioral and neural responsiveness during a mother–child social interaction during which the mother provided infant stimulation with a progressive increase in the number of sensory modalities. Methods: We prospectively collected and analyzed video‐coded behavioral interactions and electroencephalogram (EEG) frontal asymmetry (FAS) from infants (n = 60) at 2–4 months born at ≥ 34 weeks gestation. As the number of sensory modalities progressively increased during the interaction, infant behaviors of emotional connection in facial expressiveness, sensitivity to mother, and vocal communication increased significantly. Conversely, infant FAS for the entire cohort did not change significantly. However, when we accounted for infant irritability, both video‐coded behaviors and EEG FAS markers of infant responsiveness increased across the interaction in the non‐irritable infants. The non‐irritable infants (49%) demonstrated positive FAS, indicating readiness to engage with, rather than to withdraw from, multisensory but not unisensory interactions with their mothers. Results: These results suggest that multisensory input from mothers is associated with greater infant neural approach state and highlight the importance of infant behavioral state during neural measures of infant responsiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Breastfeeding has demonstrable positive effects on infant social and emotional development. This may be due to various behaviours occurring during breastfeeding such as maternal sensitivity and responsiveness to the infant's cues, mutual gaze, and mother-infant synchrony. However, these intricate behavioural patterns may be hindered by maternal use of media devices during breastfeeding. This paper reviews the recent evidence on maternal use of media devices during breastfeeding and its effects on mother-infant interaction, mother-to-infant bonding, and infant attachment. The evidence suggests that media device use during breastfeeding increases maternal distraction and lowers the maternal sensitivity and responsiveness towards an infant, behaviours that are foundational blocks of the infant's social and emotional development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human and nonhuman primate mother–infant dyads engage in face‐to‐face interactions critical for optimal infant development. In semi‐free‐ranging rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta), maternal primiparity and infant sex influence the expression of nonverbal face‐to‐face mother–infant interactions. However, whether similar patterns of variation exist in laboratory‐housed macaques or human mothers is not well understood. Comparing both species would yield information regarding the translational validity of macaques to humans in this important social/developmental domain. In this pilot study, we first compared semi‐free‐ranging (n = 39) and laboratory‐housed (n = 20) macaques, finding that laboratory‐housed dyads, first‐time mothers, and mothers of sons engaged in higher rates of face‐to‐face interactions regardless of housing. After translating the nonhuman primate coding scheme for use in a small but diverse group of human mother–infant dyads (N = 27; 44.4% African American, 18.5% American Indian, 7.4% Asian/Asian American, and 29.6% White), we found that, like macaques, human mothers of sons engaged in more face‐to‐face interactions; however, experienced (vs. first‐time) mothers engaged in more interactions. Macaques and humans also engaged in species–specific interactions with their infants. We conclude that components of caregiver–infant nonverbal face‐to‐face interactions are translatable across human and nonhuman primate species and represent an exciting avenue for future caregiving work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mind-mindedness (MM) refers to the parent's ability to treat the child as an individual with a mind of his or her own. Studies have found representational and interactional MM to predict child development, but more research is needed on the validity of representational MM in parents of infants. Therefore, we examine the reliability and validity of representational MM in 46 mothers of infants. Representational MM was measured at 4 and 11 months, and interactional MM at 11 months. The results supported the reliability of representational MM by showing a moderate rank-order stability over a 7-month-period, although the stability was due to associations between representational MM and maternal age. The results also supported the validity of representational MM by showing concurrent and longitudinal associations between representational and interactional MM. Finally, the results suggested that the capacity for appropriate mind-related comments is more stable than the tendency to use non-attuned mind-related comments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Growth retardation is a risk for premature infants. In addition to demographic and perinatal factors, preterm infants’ physical growth may be affected by neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) stress, maternal postpartum depression, and mother-infant interaction. This study aimed to investigate the trajectories of physical growth in 4 months corrected age among preterm infants discharged from the NICU and the impactors on these trajectories. Methods: A prospective study was conducted among 318 preterm infants from September 2019 to April 2021 in Shanghai, China. Latent growth modeling was applied to identify the weight, length, and head circumference growth trajectories in 4 months corrected age and explore the effects of demographic and medical characteristics, infant stress during NICU stay, maternal postpartum depression, and mother-infant interaction on each trajectory. Results: Unconditional latent growth models showed curve trajectories with increasingly slower growth in weight, length, and head circumference until 4 months of corrected age. Conditional latent growth models showed that a longer length of stay in the NICU and more skin punctures were negatively associated with weight at 40 weeks corrected gestational age (β = −0.43 and −0.19, respectively, P

Abstract The mother–infant relation is key to infant physical, cognitive and social development. Mutual regulation and cooperation are required to maintain the dyadic system, but the biological foundation of these responses remains to be clarified. In this study, we report the maternal calming responses to infant suckling during breastfeeding. Using behavioral measures and a Holter electrocardiogram as a readout of the maternal autonomic nervous system, the maternal activities during resting, sitting with her infant on her lap, and breastfeeding were assessed. We found that during breastfeeding, mothers talked less and maternal heart rate was lower than during sitting with the infant without breastfeeding. Congruently, maternal heart rate variability measurements indicated a higher parasympathetic activity during breastfeeding. Time-locked analyses suggested that this maternal calming response was initiated by the tactile stimulation at the breast by the infant face or mouth latch, which preceded the perceived milk ejection. These findings suggest that somatosensory stimuli of breastfeeding activate parasympathetic activity in mothers. Just as how the infant Transport Response facilitates the carrying of infants, the maternal calming responses during breastfeeding may promote efficient milk intake by inhibiting spontaneous maternal activities.

In the first year of life, the ability to engage in sustained synchronous interactions develops as infants learn to match social partner behaviors and sequentially regulate their behaviors in response to others. Difficulties developing competence in these early social building blocks can impact later language skills, joint attention, and emotion regulation. For children at elevated risk for autism spectrum disorder (ASD), early dyadic synchrony and responsiveness difficulties may be indicative of emerging ASD and/or developmental concerns. As part of a prospective developmental monitoring study, infant siblings of children with ASD (high-risk group n = 104) or typical development (low-risk group n = 71), and their mothers completed a standardized play task when infants were 6, 9, and/or 12 months of age. These interactions were coded for the frequency and duration of infant and mother gaze, positive affect, and vocalizations, respectively. Using these codes, theory-driven composites were created to index dyadic synchrony and infant/maternal responsiveness. Multilevel models revealed significant risk group differences in dyadic synchrony and infant responsiveness by 12 months of age. In addition, high-risk infants with higher dyadic synchrony and infant responsiveness at 12 months received significantly higher receptive and expressive language scores at 36 months. The findings of the present study highlight that promoting dyadic synchrony and responsiveness may aid in advancing optimal development in children at elevated risk for autism. LAY SUMMARY: In families raising children with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), younger siblings are at elevated risks for social communication difficulties. The present study explored whether social-communication differences were evident during a parent-child play task at 6, 9, and 12 months of age. For infant siblings of children with ASD, social differences during play were observed by 12 months of age and may inform ongoing monitoring and intervention efforts.

Abstract Introduction Parents often use sensory stimulation during early‐life interactions with infants. These interactions, including gazing, rocking, or singing, scaffold child development. Previous studies have examined infant neural processing during highly controlled sensory stimulus presentation paradigms. Objective In this study, we investigated infant behavioral and neural responsiveness during a mother–child social interaction during which the mother provided infant stimulation with a progressive increase in the number of sensory modalities. Methods We prospectively collected and analyzed video‐coded behavioral interactions and electroencephalogram (EEG) frontal asymmetry (FAS) from infants (n = 60) at 2–4 months born at ≥ 34 weeks gestation. As the number of sensory modalities progressively increased during the interaction, infant behaviors of emotional connection in facial expressiveness, sensitivity to mother, and vocal communication increased significantly. Conversely, infant FAS for the entire cohort did not change significantly. However, when we accounted for infant irritability, both video‐coded behaviors and EEG FAS markers of infant responsiveness increased across the interaction in the non‐irritable infants. The non‐irritable infants (49%) demonstrated positive FAS, indicating readiness to engage with, rather than to withdraw from, multisensory but not unisensory interactions with their mothers. Results These results suggest that multisensory input from mothers is associated with greater infant neural approach state and highlight the importance of infant behavioral state during neural measures of infant responsiveness.

Background: The status of care in the preconception and pregnancy periods in women who use substances can have an impact on maternal and neonatal health. This study aimed to assess the provision of preconception care, prenatal care, and postnatal mother-to-child bonding among pregnant women who use substances. Methods: An ambidirectional cohort study was conducted, involving 69 pregnant women who reported substance use and had it confirmed using a ten-parameter panel kit (M10T) manufactured by Hannan Teb Pars Company. These women were selected from a referral maternity hospital between January and December 2020, using a convenience sampling method. Sociodemographic information, obstetric and medical history, and information about preconception and prenatal care were collected. All maternal and neonatal outcomes were recorded from the time of admission to the time of discharge for both the mothers and their neonates. Neonatal abstinence syndrome and mother-to-child bonding were assessed using modified Finnegan's neonatal abstinence tool and a postpartum bonding questionnaire, respectively. The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential tests using SPSS software version 22. Result: The mean age of the women was 32.8 ± 5.7 years. The mean duration of substance use was 5.1 ± 3.5 years. 48% of the pregnancies were reported as unwanted. A total of 94.2% and 50.7% of pregnant women did not receive preconception care and prenatal care, respectively. There was no association between pregnancy wantedness and receiving preconception care (P = 0.287), but a significant association was observed for prenatal care (P

For all mammalian females, becoming a mother brings significant changes to their life. A dependent infant increases foraging demands during lactation and requires direct investment in maternal care. These new requirements might trigger changes in female behavior, such as reduced allocation of time to resting or social activities. We investigated how the maternal status affects time budgets in female Barbary macaques (Macaca sylvanus) (N = 17) in a free-ranging provisioned group in Gibraltar. We collected behavioral data (490 h) after infants were born during two periods. We found that females with dependent offspring had spent a reduced proportion of time resting, vigilant, and self-grooming compared with females without dependent offspring. Females with dependent offspring also groomed other females less often and spent 50% more time in proximity to other group members, particularly males, than females without dependent infants. Females with dependent offspring received 28% more grooming than other females received. This difference was due to interactions with males, which might be connected to the specific role of Barbary macaque males as primary infant caretakers. There was no change in feeding time of mothers compared with other females. We conclude that changes in the time budget of mothers in the provisioned population were related to the need to attend their infants, rather than increased foraging demands. Barbary macaque social organization and behavioral strategies give rise to complex effects of infant care on maternal social interactions and time budget. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Few studies have examined how mothering is organized in the first months of infancy, especially regarding risk‐related interactions. Person‐centred approaches, including latent profile analysis (LPA), add valuable insights about early parenting by identifying distinct profiles of interaction. First, this study aimed to identify profiles of disrupted maternal interaction during the Still‐Face Paradigm among 181 mothers and their 3‐ to 8‐month‐old infants. Second, the study assessed how each maternal profile was related to infant affect and interactive behaviour. The LPA identified four profiles of maternal interaction: optimal, negative/intrusive, withdrawing and pervasively disrupted. The pervasively disrupted profile, in particular, has not been identified in past research. Each profile was associated with specific aspects of infant affect and behaviour. Recognition of disrupted behavioural profiles among at‐risk mothers and infants in the early months could facilitate more precise tailoring of early interventions to the needs of mothers and infants with differing profiles of interactive risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is a joint work of two labs that offers a perspective ondevelopment and learning, which complements theconference’s focus on “changes in representation andprocessing abilities in development”. Strong background inecological psychology allowed us to recognize the richnessand multilayered structuring of infants’ environment, whichactively engages them and to which infants tune their action-perception. We conceptualize this environment as reliable“social physics”, constituted of predictable, enacted socialevents, in which infants learn to participate. Using bothtraditional (qualitative and quantitative) and dynamicalsystems methods, we show the structuring of such events onmultiple timescales and levels and how participating in themsculpts the child’s agency in the social world. We show howthis background allows a fresh look on language acquisitionand how it informs computational modelling of languageemergence and models of human-robot interaction.

Abstract Background Mother’s childbirth-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms have a negative impact on mother and infant’s behaviors during dyadic interactions which may increase mother–infant neurophysiological and behavioral co-regulation difficulties, leading to dysregulated mother–infant interactions. This study was specifically designed to analyze: (1) the sociodemographic and obstetric factors associated with mother’s childbirth-related PTSD symptoms; (2) mother–infant neurophysiological functioning and behavioral co-regulation during dyadic interaction; (3) the impact of mother’s childbirth-related PTSD symptoms on neurophysiological and behavioral mother–infant co-regulation during dyadic interaction; (4) the moderator role of previous trauma on the impact of mother’s childbirth-related PTSD symptoms on neurophysiological and behavioral mother–infant co-regulation during dyadic interaction; and (5) the moderator role of comorbid symptoms of anxiety and depression on the impact of mother’s childbirth-related PTSD symptoms on neurophysiological and behavioral mother–infant co-regulation during dyadic interaction. Methods At least 250 mothers will be contacted in order to account for refusals and dropouts and guarantee at least 100 participating mother–infant dyads with all the assessment waves completed. The study has a longitudinal design with three assessment waves: (1) 1–3 days postpartum, (2) 8 weeks postpartum, and (3) 22 weeks postpartum. Between 1 and 3 days postpartum, mothers will report on-site on their sociodemographic and obstetric characteristics. At 8 weeks postpartum, mothers will complete online self-reported measures of birth trauma, previous trauma, childbirth-related PTSD, anxiety, and depressive symptoms. At 22 weeks postpartum, mothers will complete online self-reported measures of childbirth-related PTSD, anxiety, and depressive symptoms. Mothers and infants will then be home-visited to observe and record their neurophysiological, neuroimaging and behavioral data during dyadic interactions using the Still-face Paradigm. Activation patterns in the prefrontal cortices of mother and infant will be recorded simultaneously using hyperscanning acquisition devices. Unadjusted and adjusted multilevel linear regression models will be performed to analyze objectives 1 to 3. Moderation models will be performed to analyze objectives 4 and 5. Discussion Data from this study will inform psychological interventions targeting mother–infant interaction, co-regulation, and infant development. Moreover, these results can contribute to designing effective screenings to identify mothers at risk of perinatal mental health problems and those who may need specialized perinatal mental health care.

The present study examined the role of interpersonal synchrony between mothers and their 4‐month‐old infants (N = 40) in infant responses to a modified interaction where mothers continually looked and verbalised towards but did not engage with their children. During a natural interaction we observed behavioural synchrony and for a subsample of infants (n = 20) measured change in their salivary oxytocin from before to after the natural interaction. During the modified interaction we observed infant gaze, positive, and negative affect. We found that higher interpersonal synchrony was related to longer infants' social gaze and shorter displays of negative affect during the modified interaction. Increase in infant oxytocin was also associated with longer gaze, but also longer negative and shorter positive affect during the modified interaction. Our results show that interpersonal synchrony allows infants to notice changes in interactions with others, but also helps them to regulate their emotions during such modified exchanges. These findings thus indicate the importance of synchrony experiences with caregivers for the development of early regulatory capacities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While mother–infant affect synchrony has been proposed to facilitate the early development of social understanding, most investigations into affect synchrony have concentrated more on negative than positive affect. We analysed affect sharing during parent–infant object play, comparing positive and negative affect, to examine how it is modulated by shared playful activity. Mother–infant dyads (N = 20, average infant age 10.7 months) played together (social) or separately (solo) using an object. Both participants increased positive affect during social play as compared with solo play. Positive affect synchrony also increased during social play compared with solo play, whereas negative affect synchrony did not differ. Closer examination of the temporal dynamics of affect changes showed that infants' shifts to positive affect tended to occur contingently in response to their mothers', whereas mothers' shifts to negative affect followed their infants'. Further, during social play, positive affect displays were more long-lived while negative more short-lived. While our sample was small and from a homogeneous population (e.g. white, highly educated parents), limiting the implications of the findings, these results demonstrate that maternal active engagement in playful interaction with her infant affords, increases, and extends infant positive affect and parent–infant positive affect synchrony, providing insights into how the social context modulates infants' affective experiences. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'Face2face: advancing the science of social interaction'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mother–infant relation is key to infant physical, cognitive and social development. Mutual regulation and cooperation are required to maintain the dyadic system, but the biological foundation of these responses remains to be clarified. In this study, we report the maternal calming responses to infant suckling during breastfeeding. Using behavioral measures and a Holter electrocardiogram as a readout of the maternal autonomic nervous system, the maternal activities during resting, sitting with her infant on her lap, and breastfeeding were assessed. We found that during breastfeeding, mothers talked less and maternal heart rate was lower than during sitting with the infant without breastfeeding. Congruently, maternal heart rate variability measurements indicated a higher parasympathetic activity during breastfeeding. Time-locked analyses suggested that this maternal calming response was initiated by the tactile stimulation at the breast by the infant face or mouth latch, which preceded the perceived milk ejection. These findings suggest that somatosensory stimuli of breastfeeding activate parasympathetic activity in mothers. Just as how the infant Transport Response facilitates the carrying of infants, the maternal calming responses during breastfeeding may promote efficient milk intake by inhibiting spontaneous maternal activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Objective: To verify whether the time spent in prone, supine, or seated positions differed between term and preterm infants; and to determine whether a single verbal guidance session for parents changed the time spent in different positions, and, consequently, the motor development scores, after one month in preterm infants. Methods: Sixty-one infants from a full-term and preterm group from Brazil were included. Motor development was assessed by the Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS) and the parents registered the time spent in each position on a 24-hour schedule. A month after verbal guidance, a second assessment was performed only on the preterm infants. Results: The positioning times awake determined for the full-term and preterm parents were similar. Preterm infants spent more time in the prone sleeping position (2.1 vs. 0.8 h; p=0.037) than full-term infants. The AIMS percentile scores did not differ significantly between the groups. For preterm infants, the time spent in all positions did not change during the second assessment (n=18). Conclusions: The fact that some parents position their infants in the prone posture during sleeping periods reinforce the importance of parental education approaches for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) prevention during the first months of life. The verbal guidance provided to parents of preterm infants did not influence the AIMS percentile and time spent in various positions but increased preterm parents’ confidence in placing their infants in a prone position to play.

Mother-infant interactions are a proximal process in early development and may be especially salient for children who are at risk for social difficulties (i.e. infant siblings of children with autism spectrum disorder). To inform how indices of maternal behaviors may improve parent-mediated interventions designed to mitigate autism spectrum disorder risk, the present study explored maternal social responsiveness ratings and social behaviors during dyadic play interactions. Dyads were recruited from families with at least one older child with autism spectrum disorder (high-risk group, n = 90) or families with no history of autism spectrum disorder (low-risk group, n = 62). As part of a prospective study, interactions were coded when infant siblings were 6, 9, and 12 months of age, for gaze, affect, vocalizations, and multimodal bids or responses (i.e. social smiles). Maternal social responsiveness was indexed via the Social Responsiveness Scale. Mothers in both risk groups had comparable Social Responsiveness Scale scores and social behaviors during play. Two maternal behaviors emerged as positive correlates of infant social behaviors and are thus of high relevance to parent-mediated interventions. Specifically, more maternal positive affect and the use of multimodal bids or responses were associated with more infant positive affect, vocalizations, gaze to face, and multimodal bids or responses.

Background: Mother's childbirth-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms have a negative impact on mother and infant's behaviors during dyadic interactions which may increase mother–infant neurophysiological and behavioral co-regulation difficulties, leading to dysregulated mother–infant interactions. This study was specifically designed to analyze: (1) the sociodemographic and obstetric factors associated with mother's childbirth-related PTSD symptoms; (2) mother–infant neurophysiological functioning and behavioral co-regulation during dyadic interaction; (3) the impact of mother's childbirth-related PTSD symptoms on neurophysiological and behavioral mother–infant co-regulation during dyadic interaction; (4) the moderator role of previous trauma on the impact of mother's childbirth-related PTSD symptoms on neurophysiological and behavioral mother–infant co-regulation during dyadic interaction; and (5) the moderator role of comorbid symptoms of anxiety and depression on the impact of mother's childbirth-related PTSD symptoms on neurophysiological and behavioral mother–infant co-regulation during dyadic interaction. Methods: At least 250 mothers will be contacted in order to account for refusals and dropouts and guarantee at least 100 participating mother–infant dyads with all the assessment waves completed. The study has a longitudinal design with three assessment waves: (1) 1–3 days postpartum, (2) 8 weeks postpartum, and (3) 22 weeks postpartum. Between 1 and 3 days postpartum, mothers will report on-site on their sociodemographic and obstetric characteristics. At 8 weeks postpartum, mothers will complete online self-reported measures of birth trauma, previous trauma, childbirth-related PTSD, anxiety, and depressive symptoms. At 22 weeks postpartum, mothers will complete online self-reported measures of childbirth-related PTSD, anxiety, and depressive symptoms. Mothers and infants will then be home-visited to observe and record their neurophysiological, neuroimaging and behavioral data during dyadic interactions using the Still-face Paradigm. Activation patterns in the prefrontal cortices of mother and infant will be recorded simultaneously using hyperscanning acquisition devices. Unadjusted and adjusted multilevel linear regression models will be performed to analyze objectives 1 to 3. Moderation models will be performed to analyze objectives 4 and 5. Discussion: Data from this study will inform psychological interventions targeting mother–infant interaction, co-regulation, and infant development. Moreover, these results can contribute to designing effective screenings to identify mothers at risk of perinatal mental health problems and those who may need specialized perinatal mental health care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maternal sensitivity and disrupted communication are usually considered independently as antecedents of attachment security and attachment disorganization, respectively. This study examined whether considering them jointly allows specific predictions of attachment classifications. The sample (N = 159) was selected from a previous study conducted in Israel between 1991–1993, and over-represented disorganized and ambivalent attachment. Attachment was assessed at 12 months in the Strange Situation Procedure (SSP), sensitivity was assessed from free-play observations at 6 and 12 months, and disrupted communication was coded from the SSP. As hypothesized, high sensitivity and low disruption predicted secure attachment; low sensitivity and high disruption predicted disorganized-insecure attachment or ambivalent attachment; and high sensitivity and high disruption predicted disorganized-secure attachment. Low sensitivity and low disrupted communication did not predict avoidant attachment. The results show that combining maternal sensitivity and disrupted communication improves the precision in identifying maternal antecedents of attachment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Responsive feeding-initiating feeding in response to early hunger cues-supports the physiology of lactation and the development of infant feeding abilities, yet there is a dearth of research examining what predicts responsive feeding. In non-Western proximal care cultures, there is an association between responsive feeding and mother⁻infant physical contact, but this has not been investigated within Western populations. In two studies, we tested whether mother⁻infant physical contact predicted feeding in response to early hunger cues versus feeding on a schedule or after signs of distress among U.S. breastfeeding mothers. With an online questionnaire in Study 1 (n = 626), physical contact with infants (via co-sleeping and babywearing) predicted increased likelihood of self-reported responsive feeding. Mothers who reported responsive feeding were more likely to exclusively breastfeed for the first six months, breastfeed more frequently throughout the day, and had a longer planned breastfeeding duration than mothers who reported feeding on a schedule or after signs of infant distress. In Study 2 (n = 96), a three-day feeding log showed that mother⁻infant physical contact predicted feeding in response to early hunger cues but mother⁻infant proximity (without physical contact) did not. In sum, our results demonstrate that physical contact with infants may shape breastfeeding behavior among U.S. mothers, highlighting a connection between social interaction and infant nutrition that warrants further investigation.

This paper provides a theoretical exploration of how comparative research on the expression of emotions has traditionally focused on the visual mode and argues that, given the neurophysiological, developmental, and behavioral evidence that links touch with social interactions, focusing on touch can become an ideal mode to understand the communication of emotions in human and non-human primates. This evidence shows that touch is intrinsically linked with social cognition because it motivates human and non-human animals, from birth, to form social bonds. It will be shown that touch is one of the modes of interaction used by the mother-infant or caregiver-infant dyad that facilitates the expression of emotions by the infant (and later the expression of emotions by the adult that the infant has become) in ways that are understood by other members of the group.

Responsive feeding-initiating feeding in response to early hunger cues-supports the physiology of lactation and the development of infant feeding abilities, yet there is a dearth of research examining what predicts responsive feeding. In non-Western proximal care cultures, there is an association between responsive feeding and mother⁻infant physical contact, but this has not been investigated within Western populations. In two studies, we tested whether mother⁻infant physical contact predicted feeding in response to early hunger cues versus feeding on a schedule or after signs of distress among U.S. breastfeeding mothers. With an online questionnaire in Study 1 (n = 626), physical contact with infants (via co-sleeping and babywearing) predicted increased likelihood of self-reported responsive feeding. Mothers who reported responsive feeding were more likely to exclusively breastfeed for the first six months, breastfeed more frequently throughout the day, and had a longer planned breastfeeding duration than mothers who reported feeding on a schedule or after signs of infant distress. In Study 2 (n = 96), a three-day feeding log showed that mother⁻infant physical contact predicted feeding in response to early hunger cues but mother⁻infant proximity (without physical contact) did not. In sum, our results demonstrate that physical contact with infants may shape breastfeeding behavior among U.S. mothers, highlighting a connection between social interaction and infant nutrition that warrants further investigation.

Eighty-one adolescent and young mother–infant dyads have been divided into two groups with/without traumatic experiences in maternal history to examine the effect of maternal traumatic experiences on the quality of mother–infant relationship. At infant 3 months, mother–infant interaction was video-recorded. Results showed that adolescent and young mothers with traumatic experiences (vs. adolescent and young mothers without traumatic experiences) had less sensitive and more violent and intrusive behaviours. Infants with mothers with traumatic experiences (vs. infants with mothers without traumatic experiences) had more aggressive and reactive behaviours. Furthermore, maternal cumulative traumatic experiences predicted more negative behaviours. Findings indicated that maternal childhood traumatic experiences increased an adolescent mother's risk for maternal–child interaction problems, worsened the high-risk condition inherent in motherhood in adolescence. Understanding the effect of adolescent mother's traumatic experiences has important implications for promoting early intervention in the treatment of trauma and supporting the mother–child relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Skin‐to‐skin contact (SSC) between mothers and their infants has beneficial effects in both preterm and full‐term infants. Underlying mechanisms are largely unknown. This randomized controlled trial assessed whether daily SSC in full‐term mother–infant dyads: (1) decreases infants' cortisol and behavioral reactivity to a mild naturalistic stressor, and (2) facilitates interaction quality between infants and mothers (i.e., improved maternal caregiving behavior and mother–infant adrenocortical synchrony). Pregnant Dutch women (N = 116) were recruited and randomly allocated to an SSC or care‐as‐usual condition. The SSC condition performed 1 h of SSC daily, from birth until postnatal week 5. In week 5, mothers bathed the infant (known mild stressor). Infant and maternal cortisol was sampled at baseline, 25 and 40 min after bathing, and infant and maternal behavior was rated. Results did not indicate effects of SSC on infant behavioral and cortisol reactivity to the bathing session. Similarly, no effect of SSC was found on maternal caregiving behavior and mother–infant adrenocortical synchrony. In conclusion, the findings provide no evidence that daily mother–infant SSC is associated with full‐term infants' behavioral and adrenocortical stress reactivity or mother–infant interaction quality. Future studies should replicate these findings and unveil other potential mechanisms underlying beneficial effects of SSC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This single-blind parallel design randomized controlled trial evaluated the feasibility and effectiveness of a modified version of the Mother-Infant Transaction Program (MITP) in enhancing Chinese mothers' sensitivity towards their premature infants' physiological and social cues.Methods: Sixty mothers of hospitalized premature infants (mean gestational age = 32.1 weeks; SD = 2.8) were randomly assigned to either the MITP group or the treatment-as-usual control group. The intervention group (n = 30) received four sessions of parental sensitivity training adapted from the MITP, delivered by clinical psychologists before the infants were discharged. The control group (n = 30) received standard care provided by the hospitals. Each dyad was assessed at baseline (Time 1), immediately after intervention (Time 2), and when the infants were at the gestation-corrected ages of 3, 6, 9, and 12 months (Times 3-6). Maternal sensitivity, mother-infant interaction quality, parenting stress, postpartum depression, and mother's perception of infant's temperament were measured at Times 1-4, whereas infants' weight gain and developmental performance were assessed at Times 3-6.Results: The MITP group showed significantly higher maternal sensitivity and better mother-infant interaction quality after completing the training. They also reported less parenting stress and postnatal depression than the control group at Time 2 and subsequent follow-ups. The intervention significantly predicted better weight gain and developmental outcomes in infants across Times 3-6, mediated by maternal wellbeing and interaction quality.Conclusion:  Our results demonstrated the feasibility and effectiveness of this adapted sensitivity training among Chinese mothers with premature infants. [ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04383340]. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]