Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 15, 2026

Using a Murine Model of Psychosocial Stress in Pregnancy as a Translationally Relevant Paradigm for Psychiatric Disorders in Mothers and Infants
Published on: June 13, 2021
Attachment disorganization moderates the effect of maternal postnatal depressive symptoms on infant autonomic
Anne Tharner1, Bram Dierckx, Maartje P C M Luijk
1Generation R Study Group, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Abstract:
We examined associations of disorganized attachment and maternal depressive symptoms with infant autonomic functioning in 450 infant-mother dyads enrolled in the Generation R study. Maternal depressive symptoms were measured 2 months postpartum with the Brief Symptom Inventory. At 14 months, we assessed infant attachment with a slightly shortened Strange Situation and measured infant resting heart rate. Respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) was calculated using spectral analysis. Higher levels of maternal postnatal depressive symptoms predicted lower resting RSA in disorganized infants (B = -0.31, SE = 0.15, p = .04, R(2) = .05) but not in nondisorganized infants (B = 0.05, SE = 0.06, p = .36). This effect was buffered in disorganized infants with a secondary secure attachment classification. Disorganized infants were more vulnerable to the effect of maternal postnatal depressive symptoms on the physiological stress systems.
Related Concept Videos
Socioemotional Development during Infancy
Primary Temperament Types
Stella Chess...
Attachment
Theory of Romantic Attachment in Adulthood
Self-Discrepancy and Its Effects
Relationship with Parents: Attachment
Depressive Disorders: Etiology
Biological Factors in Depression
Biological predispositions significantly influence the risk of developing depressive disorders. Genetic studies highlight the role of variations in the serotonin transporter...

