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A follow up investigation of placental pathology, responsive parenting, and preschool children's executive
Sahar Borairi1, Begum Ozdemir2, Jennifer Jenkins1
1Department of Applied Psychology and Human Development, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
Insights
Placental pathology in children is linked to reduced cognitive flexibility. Maternal responsivity may offer some protection, but further research is needed to understand these complex neurodevelopmental outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Neuroscience
- Pediatric Pathology
Background:
- Placental diseases are linked to neurological impairments in children.
- Long-term neurocognitive effects of placental pathology are not well understood.
- Maternal responsivity may mitigate adverse effects of placental pathology.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the long-term neurocognitive outcomes in preschool-aged children with placental pathology.
- To examine the potential protective role of maternal responsivity.
Main Methods:
- Follow-up study of 118 medically healthy, term-born children aged 3-4 years.
- Comparison between children with and without placental pathology.
- Assessment of executive functions, including cognitive flexibility, inhibitory control, and receptive language.
Main Results:
- Placental pathology was associated with poorer cognitive flexibility.
- No significant differences were found in inhibitory control or receptive language.
- Maternal responsivity showed a marginal protective effect on cognitive flexibility.
Conclusions:
- Placental pathology impacts specific executive functions, particularly cognitive flexibility, in early childhood.
- Maternal responsivity may offer a degree of neuroprotection.
- Further investigation is needed to fully elucidate the interplay between placental health, maternal factors, and child neurodevelopment.
Abstract:
Despite documented effects linking underlying placental diseases and neurological impairments in children, little is known about the long-term effects of placental pathology on children's neurocognitive outcomes. In addition, maternal responsivity, known to positively influence early postnatal cognitive development, may act to protect children from putative adverse effects of placental pathology. The current study is a follow up of medically healthy, term born, preschool age children, born with placental pathology. A sample of 118 children (45 comparison children with normal placental findings, 73 born with placental pathology) were followed when children were 3-4 years old. In comparison to children born to mothers with normal placentas, placental pathology was associated with poorer performance in the executive function involving cognitive flexibility, but not inhibitory control or receptive language. Maternal responsivity was observed to be marginally protective on the impact of placental pathology risk on cognitive flexibility, but this was not seen for either inhibitory control or receptive language.
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