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Infant and toddler crying, sleeping and feeding problems and trajectories of dysregulated behavior across childhood

Catherine Winsper1, Dieter Wolke

  • 1Department of Psychology and Division of Mental Health and Wellbeing (Warwick Medical School), University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK, catherine.winsper@warwick.ac.uk.

Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology
|October 15, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Infant and toddler regulatory problems (RPs) like crying, sleeping, and feeding difficulties predict stable, trait-like dysregulated behavior throughout childhood. Early interventions for these RPs may prevent chronic behavioral issues.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Psychology
  • Child Psychiatry
  • Behavioral Science

Background:

  • Infant and toddler regulatory problems (RPs) encompassing crying, sleeping, and feeding issues are common parental concerns.
  • These early RPs have been linked to adverse behavioral outcomes in later childhood.
  • It remains uncertain whether infant and toddler RPs predict persistent, trait-like dysregulated behavior across childhood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate if infant and toddler regulatory problems predict stable, trait-like dysregulated behavior trajectories throughout childhood.
  • To address a gap in the literature concerning the long-term predictive power of early regulatory issues.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC).
  • Assessed RPs at 6, 15-18, and 24-30 months of age via maternal report.
  • Evaluated childhood dysregulated behavior at ages 4, 7, 8, and 9.5 years using maternal reports.
  • Employed Latent Class Growth Analysis (LCGA) to model developmental trajectories.

Main Results:

  • Latent Class Growth Analysis revealed stable trajectories of dysregulated behavior in childhood.
  • All individual RPs (crying, sleeping, feeding problems) were significantly associated with childhood dysregulated behavior.
  • Multiple RPs demonstrated a particularly strong association with dysregulated behavior, with the presence of three RPs at 15-18 months showing a substantial increase in odds for very high dysregulated behavior (OR=12.57).

Conclusions:

  • Infant and toddler regulatory problems are significant predictors of stable dysregulated behavior trajectories across childhood.
  • Early identification and intervention for RPs in infants and toddlers may be crucial for preventing the development of chronic, severe behavioral dysregulation.
  • Findings underscore the importance of addressing early regulatory difficulties to promote long-term behavioral health.

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