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Influence of early regulatory problems in infants on their development at 12 months: a longitudinal study in a
Anna Sidor1, Cristina Fischer, Andreas Eickhorst
1University Clinic Heidelberg, Institute for Psychosomatic Cooperation Research and Family Therapy, Bergheimerstr, 54, 69115 Heidelberg, Germany. anna.sidor@med.uni-heidelberg.de.
Insights
Infant regulatory problems like crying and sleep issues at 4-6 months are linked to slightly lower social development at 12 months. Maternal distress did not predict child development, but girls showed advanced social and motor skills.
Area of Science:
- Child development research
- Infant psychology
- Maternal mental health
Background:
- Investigated regulatory problems in infants (4 and 6 months) and their impact on childhood development (12 months).
- Examined maternal distress influence on infant development and gender differences in regulatory issues and development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the predictive relationship between early infant regulatory problems and later childhood development.
- To assess the impact of maternal distress on infant development.
- To explore gender differences in infant regulatory problems and developmental outcomes.
Main Methods:
- 153 mother-child dyads from a family support project were studied.
- Psychosocial risks and maternal stress were measured using the Heidelberger Belastungsskala (HBS) and Parental Stress Index (PSI-SF).
- Infant development and regulatory problems (excessive crying, sleep/feeding difficulties) were assessed using Ages and Stages Questionnaires (ASQ) and a German SFS questionnaire.
Main Results:
- A low inverse association was found between crying/sleep problems at 4-6 months and social development at 12 months (5-8% variance).
- Feeding problems did not significantly affect development.
- Maternal stress was associated with infant regulatory problems but did not predict child development.
- Girls demonstrated higher social and fine motor development; no gender differences in regulatory problems or their impact on development were observed.
Conclusions:
- Reinforces the transactional link between infant regulatory issues, maternal distress, and mother-child interaction.
- Suggests a slight negative influence of crying and sleep problems on children's social development.
- Recommends accessible support services for at-risk families to prevent escalation of regulatory problems.
Background:
This study examined the extent to which regulatory problems in infants at 4 and 6 months influence childhood development at 12 months. The second aim of the study was to examine the influence maternal distress has on 4-month-old children's subsequent development as well as gender differences with regard to regulatory problems and development.
Methods:
153 mother-child dyads enrolled in the family support research project "Nobody slips through the net" constituted the comparison group. These families faced psychosocial risks (e.g. poverty, excessive demands on the mother, and mental health disorders of the mother, measured with the risk screening instrument Heidelberger Belastungsskala - HBS) and maternal stress, determined with the Parental Stress Index (PSI-SF). The children's developmental levels and possible early regulatory problems were evaluated by means of the Ages and Stages Questionnaires (ASQ) and a German questionnaire assessing problems of excessive crying along with sleeping and feeding difficulties (SFS).
Results:
A statistically significant but only low, inverse association between excessive crying, whining and sleep problems at 4 and 6 months and the social development of one-year-olds (accounting for 5% and 8% of the variance respectively) was found. Feeding problems had no effect on development. Although regulatory problems in infants were accompanied by increased maternal stress level, these did not serve as a predictor of the child's social development at 12 months. One-year-old girls reached a higher level of development in social and fine motor skills. No gender differences were found with regard to regulatory problems, nor any moderating effect of gender on the relation between regulatory problems and level of development.
Conclusions:
Our results reinforce existing knowledge pertaining to the transactional association between regulatory problems in infants, maternal distress and dysfunctionality of mother-child interactions. They also provide evidence of a slight but distinct negative influence of crying and sleeping problems on children's subsequent social development. Easily accessible support services provided by family health visitors (particularly to the so-called "at-risk families") are strongly recommended to help prevent the broadening of children's early regulatory problems into other areas of behavior.
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