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At least 1,081 records · Page 60Linked to original sources
PubMed1994

In utero caffeine exposure affects feeding pattern and variable ratio performance in infant monkeys.

Adult female monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) were exposed via their drinking water to 0.0, 0.15, or 0.35 mg/ml of caffeine prior to and throughout pregnancy. Caffeine exposure resulted in a dose-related increase in the number of infant deaths at parturition. Additional females were added to the control group and the original groups were rebred, which resulted in 16, 13, and 9 live infants in control, low-dose, and high-dose groups, respectively. During pregnancy the mean serum caffeine levels were 3.4 and 10.3 micrograms/ml and the mean serum theophylline levels were 6.6 and 12.9 micrograms/ml for the low-dose and high-dose groups, respectively. Infants were separated from their mothers at birth and reared in a primate nursery to facilitate evaluation of infant performance on a variety of behavioral tasks. Infant formula consumption was monitored by a computer-based system 19 hr per day until 30 days of age. At 30 days of age infants were trained to press a button for a formula reward, after which they performed on a variable ratio schedule for a 14-day period. Monitoring of feeding pattern revealed that the treated infants spent significantly more time feeding than controls. On the variable ratio schedule, the high-dose group had consistently longer pause times and longer interresponse times than the control group. The results from this study indicate that in utero exposure to caffeine and its metabolites results in altered behavioral patterns in infant monkeys.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

The role of frontal lobe functioning in the development of infant self-regulatory behavior.

In the last two decades, there has been tremendous growth in two fields of study related to human infant development: (1) the development of neural processes during the early postnatal years and (2) the development of self-regulatory behavior. In an attempt to stimulate research on the relation between early brain development and self-regulatory processes, several hypotheses pertaining to the role of frontal lobe functioning in the development of emotion regulation during infancy are proposed. The results of a study of the relation between frontal electroencephalographic (EEG) activity and emotional behavior of 21-month-old infants are reported. It was found that increases in frontal lobe activation were associated with increases in emotional arousal, while EEG activity recorded from the parietal region showed either a reciprocal pattern of activation or did not change as a function of level of emotional arousal. These results provide evidence for the specialized role of the frontal lobe in mediating emotional behavior during infancy.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1984

Effects of maternal visitation to preterm infants in the neonatal intensive care unit.

Mothers' visitation of their preterm infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) may have important consequences for the optimal development of the mother-infant relationship. This study investigates whether directing mothers to make weekly appointments to visit the NICU would generalize to increase the frequency of independent maternal visitation as well as affect maternal perceptions of the infant and the infant's length of hospitalization. Assessments of mothers' perceptions of their infants were made at the initiation of the intervention program, immediately following the first maternal visit to the NICU, at discharge, and at a 6-week postdischarge follow-up. Results showed that the intervention program significantly increased the frequency of independent maternal visitation, decreased the mother's positive perceptions of her infant's behavior, and increased the mother's positive perceptions of her infant's prognosis for the future. Infants in the intervention group were hospitalized a significantly shorter period of time than infants in the control group. It is suggested that the mother's greater contact and familiarity with her infant, as a result of increased visitation, resulted in more realistic observations of her preterm infant's behavior and may have facilitated the recovery of the infant.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

[Comparison of the behavior of full-term infant mothers and premature infant mothers during an interaction with their babies].

Studies on the first interactions have permitted the identification of both mother and the infant competences. But we have observed that in the case of a preterm birth, the infant's competences are in a large way transformed. In this situation, the mother has to adjust her own competences to the preterm infant's decreased response level. We studied 10 full term mother-infant and 10 preterm mother-infant dyads on videotapes and observed non-verbal and verbal behavioral differences between the two samples. We noted differing characteristics in postures, gaze, gesture, mimics, as well as in speech addressed to the infants. These observations have permitted a better comprehension of the way in which full term infant mothers interact with their babies, through anticipation on the corporal level as well as on the verbal level of the infant's activity. In contrast, the preterm infant mothers do not anticipate the infant's behavior, but rather stimulate him in a continuous way.

Child Behavior↗
PubMed1981

Observations on the behavioral state of newborn infants during the first hour of life. A comparison of infants delivered by the Leboyer and conventional methods.

Minute-by-minute observations are reported on the behavioral state during the first hour of life of 18 term infants delivered by the Leboyer (L) method and 18 by the conventional (C) method. The mothers were unmedicated and only two women in each group received epidural anesthetics. All deliveries were spontaneous and the infants were healthy. The behavioural states of both groups of infants were very similar, with the infants spending approximately 60% of the first hour in the quiet-alert state (median time: L = 41.5 C = 35.0 minutes) and only 10% of the time in the irritable-crying state. ALthough there were some individual differences, both groups of infants spent the second 30 minutes of the first hour predominantly in the quiet-alert state. The clinical relevance of these observations is that the first hour of life can be used to advantage in promoting parent-infant interaction.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The importance of shared environment in mother-infant attachment security: a behavioral genetic study.

In a sample of 157 monozygotic and dizygotic twins, genetic and environmental influences on infant attachment and temperament were quantified. Only unique environmental or error components could explain the variance in disorganized versus organized attachment as assessed in the Ainsworth Strange Situation Procedure. For secure versus nonsecure attachment, 52% of the variance in attachment security was explained by shared environment, and 48% of the variance was explained by unique environmental factors and measurement error. The role of genetic factors in attachment disorganization and attachment security was negligible. Genetic factors explained 77% of the variance in temperamental reactivity, and unique environmental factors and measurement error explained 23%. Differences in temperamental reactivity were not associated with attachment concordance.

Female↗
PubMed1994

The relationship between auditory brainstem response latencies and behavioral thresholds in normal hearing infants and adults.

The relationship between behavioral thresholds and auditory brainstem response (ABR) latencies for 4 and 8 kHz tone pips were examined in normal-hearing 3-month-olds, 6-month-olds and adults. The latencies of waves I and V and the I-V interval of the ABR were analyzed. A linear latency-intensity function was also fit to each subject's latencies for each wave at several levels. The y-intercept of the latency-intensity function was used as a summary measure of latency to examine behavior-ABR correlations. The pattern of age-related change in behavioral threshold was not closely matched by age-related latency reduction for Wave I, Wave V or the I-V interval. However, 3-month-olds with higher behavioral thresholds had longer Wave V latencies and longer I-V intervals than 3-month-olds with lower behavioral thresholds. There was no significant difference in latency between 6-month-olds or adults with higher thresholds and 6-month-olds or adults with lower thresholds. There was also a significant correlation between the Wave V-Wave I latency-intensity intercept difference and behavioral threshold at both 4 and 8 kHz among 3-month-olds. The correlation was not significant among 6-month-olds or adults. These findings suggest that one of the factors responsible for immature behavioral thresholds at 3 months is related to transmission through the auditory brainstem. Because variability in hearing threshold among normal-hearing adults is low, it is not surprising that behavioral threshold is unrelated to ABR latency in this group. However, the lack of such a relationship among 6-month-olds implies that structures central to the auditory brainstem, either sensory or nonsensory, or both, must be responsible for immature behavioral thresholds after 6 months of age.

Acoustic Stimulation↗
PubMed1990

Mothers' and nurses' perceptions of infant care skills.

New mothers' confidence in their infant care skills are important concerns for maternity nurses. In this study, correlates of mothers' self-efficacy ratings on 52 infant care behaviors included in the Infant Care Scale were identified. Data on demographic variables and nurses' ratings of mothers' skill on five selected tasks were collected from 200 mothers and their nurses. Results from bivariate and multivariate analyses pointed to predictors of maternal feelings of efficacy and to discrepancies between mothers' and nurses' ratings. Maternal age, number of children, and nurses' ratings of mothers' skills were the strongest predictors of self-efficacy for infant care. Mothers of male infants showed slightly lower efficacy perceptions than did mothers of females. Implications for assessing mothers' educational needs before discharge and focusing teaching efforts are discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

Dopamine D4 receptor and serotonin transporter promoter in the determination of neonatal temperament.

Genetic effects on behavior were evaluated at a time in early development when we hypothesized that environmental influences are minimal and least likely to confound associations between temperament and genes. The behavioral effects of two common polymorphisms linked respectively in some, but not all, studies to novelty seeking (dopamine D4 receptor-D4DR) and neuroticism and harm avoidance (serotonin transporter promoter region-STPR) were examined in a group of 81 two-week-old neonates. Neonate temperament was evaluated using the Brazelton neonatal assessment scale (NBAS). Multivariate tests of significance showed a significant association of D4DR across four behavioral clusters pertinent to temperament including orientation, motor organization, range of state and regulation of state. A significant multivariate interaction was also observed between D4DR and STPR. The effect of the homozygous short STPR genotype (s/s) was to lower the orientation score for the group of neonates lacking the long form (L) of D4DR. When adult subjects were grouped by the STPR polymorphism there is no significant effect of L-D4DR in those subjects homozygous for the STPR short form (s/s) whereas in the group without the homozygous genotype the effect of L-D4DR is significant and accounts for 13% of the variance in novelty seeking scores between groups.

Anxiety↗
PubMed1986

Ventilatory responses to carbon dioxide in infants at risk for sudden infant death syndrome.

We examined the ventilatory response to inhaled CO2 in 77 infants at postconceptional ages ranging from 31 to 50 wk, 43 of whom were also evaluated with a 12-h pneumocardiogram (PCG). Infants were tested after sedation with chloral hydrate, and monitored with ECG and transcutaneous oxygen and CO2 monitors. Sleep state was evaluated by visual inspection of the infant's behavior. Among the 43 infants examined with the PCG, 22 had abnormal PCGs. Of these, 27% had significantly (p less than .05) abnormal CO2 response slopes, compared to 9% of those with normal PCGs. Breathing frequency did not change after CO2 inhalation in 82% of the abnormal PCG and in 33% of the normal PCG groups.

Apnea↗
PubMed1997

Conceptualizing genetic influences on early behavioral development.

The overarching goal of human behavioral genetics is to understand genetic influences on behavior while also considering the complementary influence of the environment. This paper highlights the explicit goals of behavioral genetics, including some that are particularly relevant to the study of human development, and some common misunderstandings concerning the field. Examples are given to illustrate specifically the degree of genetic influence in behaviors representing physical, cognitive and emotional development during infancy using the methodology of twin, adoption and parent-offspring designs. The effect sizes in the prediction of complex behaviors are typically modest, and thus there is ample room for multiple predictors from different domains. Moreover, there is a fundamental recognition that distal and proximal causes can be different in kind, and that factors that play a role in the origins of behavioral dispositions are different from those that elicit or maintain actual behavior.

Child Development↗
PubMed1998

Clinical importance of pain and stress in preterm neonates.

Clinical and laboratory investigations of neonatal pain suggest that preterm neonates have an increased sensitivity to pain and that acute painful stimuli lead to the development of prolonged periods of hyperalgesia. Non-noxious stimuli during these periods of hyperalgesia may expose preterm neonates to established or chronic pain. Acute physiologic changes caused by painful or stressful stimuli can be implicated as important factors in the causation or subsequent extension of early intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) or the ischemic changes leading to periventricular leukomalacia (PVL). Therapeutic interventions that provide comfort/analgesia in preterm neonates were correlated with a decreased incidence of severe IVH. Long-term follow-up studies of preterm neonates may substantiate the preliminary data associating repetitive painful experiences with some of the neurobehavioral and developmental sequelae resulting from neonatal intensive care.

Analgesics, Opioid↗
PubMed2006

Barriers to compliance with infant-feeding recommendations among low-income women.

Focus groups were used to examine relationships among maternal beliefs, feeding intentions, and infant-feeding behaviors among 65 Women, Infants and Children-eligible (28 English-speaking and 37 Spanish-speaking) mothers. Participants shared common beliefs that breast-feeding was beneficial; nevertheless, many believed that early introduction of formula and solid foods was unavoidable in certain situations. Medical providers and Women, Infants and Children staff were sources of infant-feeding information, and the Spanish-speaking mothers attempted to adhere to the guidance. However, the English-speaking mothers often ignored this advice if it was not perceived as working for the family's circumstances. Mothers, believing that providers would not understand that they were compelled to reject infant-feeding recommendations, would not ask for assistance when facing difficulties. Instead, mothers relied on relatives and others for infant-feeding guidance. Educational efforts should acknowledge mothers' true circumstances, target support to each situation, and emphasize the health value of complementary foods rather than their association with infant motor development.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Young children's occupations: explicating the dynamics of developmental processes.

Describing development as sequential sensorimotor, cognitive, and psychosocial milestones does not explain how children learn to do or improve their occupations. In response to changes within occupational therapy and challenges in early intervention, this article focuses on development of occupation and proposes a dynamic system perspective. Contemporary research suggests that processes are in place to ensure that children develop as occupational beings. Social participation and caregiving routines guide the child toward becoming occupational by introducing intentional acts and by endowing experiences with meaning. A self-organizing process enables children to integrate their immature capacities and engage in occupations. Simultaneously, caregiving shapes these emerging behaviors, ensuring that performance is culturally compatible. Finally, using self-organization to maintain occupational engagement enables the child to accommodate to maturing abilities and environmental challenges. This reorganized pattern in turn is the basis for developmental changes, new behaviors, and refinement of current abilities. Application of concepts is made to acquisition of skills for eating a meal.

Child Development↗
PubMed2000

The development of normal feeding and swallowing: Showa University study of the feeding function.

Since the 1980s the Department of Hygiene and Oral Health at the Showa University School of Dentistry has focused its research efforts on the development of feeding function and disorders. In addition, we have treated dysphagic children and dysphagic elderly using our feeding training program approach. The developmental course of the feeding function includes the following steps: 1) Suckle feeding and prefeeding period; 2) Acquiring the ability to swallow with lips closed; 3) Acquiring the ability to take food with lips closed; 4) Acquiring the ability to push mashed food with the tongue and anterior hard palate; 5) Acquiring the ability to perform mastication; 6) Beginning self-feeding; 7) Beginning finger feeding; 8) Beginning using table ware.

Child Development↗