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Can Mothers Predict Childhood Behavioural Inhibition in Early Infancy?

Melanie Marysko1, Patricia Finke1, Angelika Wiebel1

  • 1Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Heidelberg, Blumenstrasse 8, 69115 Heidelberg, Germany.

Child and Adolescent Mental Health
|August 28, 2020
PubMed

Insights

Maternal reports of infant distress to novelty at 4 months predict behavioral inhibition at 14 months. This finding suggests the Infant Behaviour Questionnaire can identify infants at risk for anxiety disorders.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Psychology
  • Child Psychiatry
  • Behavioral Science

Background:

  • Early identification of developmental risk factors is crucial.
  • This study investigates the link between maternal reports of infant behavior and later behavioral inhibition.
  • Behavioral inhibition is a potential precursor to childhood shyness and anxiety.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine if maternal reports of infant behavior in early infancy correlate with laboratory measures of behavioral inhibition at 14 months.
  • To explore the predictive value of maternal judgment of infant temperament for later behavioral outcomes.

Main Methods:

  • Recruited 101 mother-infant pairs.
  • Administered the Infant Behaviour Questionnaire (IBQ) at 4 months postnatal age.
  • Assessed child behavioral inhibition via a laboratory procedure at 14 months.

Main Results:

  • Infant distress to novelty, measured by the IBQ at 4 months, significantly correlated with behavioral inhibition (fear score) at 14 months (p=.003).
  • Specific IBQ subscores (distress-to-limitations, smile/laughter, activity, soothability) did not correlate with behavioral inhibition.
  • Maternal judgment of infant distress to novelty shows predictive validity for behavioral inhibition.

Conclusions:

  • Maternal reports of infant distress to novelty at 4 months can predict behavioral inhibition at 14 months.
  • The Infant Behaviour Questionnaire may serve as a tool for identifying infants at risk for developing anxiety disorders.
  • Early identification of behavioral inhibition through maternal reporting can inform early intervention strategies.
Abstract

Keywords:
Distress to noveltybehavioural inhibitionchild temperament

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