Related Experiment Video

Updated: Sep 8, 2026

Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale
19:15

Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale

Published on: August 25, 2014

Linking prenatal and perinatal adversities with child development

I St James-Roberts

    Child: Care, Health and Development
    |May 1, 1987
    PubMed

    Insights

    Prenatal and perinatal adversities impact child development. This study proposes a new framework viewing these adversities as disruptions to infant regulatory systems, emphasizing caregiver interactions for adaptive development.

    Area of Science:

    • Developmental Psychology
    • Pediatrics
    • Neuroscience

    Background:

    • Prenatal and perinatal adversities significantly influence child development.
    • Existing research often examines isolated variables at single time points, limiting comprehensive understanding.
    • Multidisciplinary approaches are crucial for studying these complex effects.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To introduce a conceptual and methodological framework for multidisciplinary research on early life adversities.
    • To reframe the understanding of reproductive adversities beyond fixed child characteristics.
    • To highlight the role of regulatory systems and caregiver interactions in child development.

    Main Methods:

    • Review of current evidence on early life adversities and developmental processes.
    • Critique of methodologies focusing on discrete variables and single time points.
    • Proposal of a regulatory systems framework, emphasizing child-caregiver interactions.

    Main Results:

    • Reproductive adversities are best understood as perturbations in infants' endogenous and social regulatory systems.
    • Adaptive developmental processes arise from these perturbations.
    • Maladaptations stem from regulatory processes, particularly the child-caregiver exchange, not solely from inherent child traits.

    Conclusions:

    • A regulatory systems framework offers a more effective approach to studying early life adversities.
    • Understanding the dynamic interplay between infants and caregivers is key to identifying origins of maladaptation.
    • This model can guide future research designs in developmental science.

    More Related Videos

    Using a Murine Model of Psychosocial Stress in Pregnancy as a Translationally Relevant Paradigm for Psychiatric Disorders in Mothers and Infants06:39

    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

    Limited Bedding and Nesting as a Model for Early-Life Adversity in Mice04:20

    Limited Bedding and Nesting as a Model for Early-Life Adversity in Mice

    Published on: July 12, 2024

    Related Concept Videos

    Nature and Nurture01:10

    Nature and Nurture

    Many human characteristics, like height, are shaped by both nature—in other words, by our genes—and by nurture, or our environment. For example, chronic stress during childhood inhibits the production of growth hormones and consequently reduces bone growth and height. Scientists estimate that 70-90% of variation in height is due to genetic differences among individuals, and 10-30% of variation in height is due to differences in the environments that individuals experience, such as differences...
    Teratogenicity01:07

    Teratogenicity

    The ability of a drug to produce structural deformations and functional abnormalities in the developing embryo or the fetus is called teratogenicity, and the drug producing this effect is known as a teratogen. Teratogenic effects include stillbirth, miscarriage, intrauterine growth restriction, and neurocognitive delay. A teratogen may affect the embryo at different stages of development, which is important in determining the type and extent of the damage. During blastocyst formation, the early...
    Socioemotional Development during Infancy01:30

    Socioemotional Development during Infancy

    Socio-emotional development in infancy is primarily shaped by early emotional responses and social connections, with temperament playing a central role. Temperament refers to the consistent patterns in an individual's emotional and behavioral responses, observable even in infancy. By examining temperament, researchers can better understand an infant's unique ways of interacting with the world, influencing subsequent personality and socio-emotional growth.
    Primary Temperament Types
    Stella Chess...
    Relationship with Parents: Attachment01:28

    Relationship with Parents: Attachment

    Parent-child interactions lay the foundation for how we understand relationships throughout life. These interactions are not uniform across families; instead, they are shaped by a range of environmental, emotional, and behavioral factors unique to each caregiver-child dynamic. Social psychologists study these early relationships to understand how patterns formed in infancy influence social functioning and interpersonal behavior in adulthood.Attachment Theory and Early Relational ModelsJohn...
    Relationship with Other Adult Family Members and Siblings01:29

    Relationship with Other Adult Family Members and Siblings

    Other adult family members and siblings play a crucial role in shaping children’s social and emotional development. While parents or primary caregivers are often the central figures in early attachment and socialization, other adults in a child’s life, such as grandparents, aunts, and uncles, can significantly influence developmental outcomes. These influences depend on each adult’s personality and may help compensate when a primary caregiver is emotionally distant or inconsistent. For...
    Development of the Oral Microbiota01:28

    Development of the Oral Microbiota

    The establishment of the oral microbiome begins before birth, challenging the long-held belief that the fetal oral cavity is sterile. The presence of oral microbes such as Streptococcus and Fusobacterium in amniotic fluid suggests that microbial exposure may occur in utero, potentially through translocation from the maternal oral or gastrointestinal tract. This early colonization primes the neonatal immune system and sets the stage for subsequent microbial succession. Maternal health,...