Julia Martini1, Johanna Petzoldt2, Susanne Knappe3, Susan Garthus-Niegel4, Eva Asselmann5, Hans-Ulrich Wittchen6. 1. Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Chemnitzer Str. 46, 01187 Dresden, Germany; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine of the Technische Universität Dresden, Schubertstr. 42, 01307 Dresden, Germany. Electronic address: julia.martini@tu-dresden.de. 2. Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Chemnitzer Str. 46, 01187 Dresden, Germany. Electronic address: johanna.petzoldt@tu-dresden.de. 3. Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Chemnitzer Str. 46, 01187 Dresden, Germany. Electronic address: susanne.knappe@tu-dresden.de. 4. Department of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine of the Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstr. 74, 01307 Dresden, Germany; Department of Child Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, PO Box 4404 Nydalen, 0403 Oslo, Norway. Electronic address: Susan.Garthus-Niegel@uniklinikum-dresden.de. 5. Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Chemnitzer Str. 46, 01187 Dresden, Germany; Behavioral Epidemiology, Technische Universität Dresden, Chemnitzer Str. 46, 01187 Dresden, Germany. Electronic address: eva.asselmann@tu-dresden.de. 6. Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Chemnitzer Str. 46, 01187 Dresden, Germany; Department of Psychiatry & Psychotherapy, Ludwig Maximilans Universitaet Munich, Germany. Electronic address: hans-ulrich.wittchen@tu-dresden.de.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Excessive infant crying, feeding and sleeping problems are likely to emerge from the complex interplay of various factors. AIMS: To investigate the role of infant (e.g., temperament), maternal (e.g., anxiety and depressive disorders), and familial (e.g., social support) factors as potential precursors of infant regulatory problems. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective-longitudinal study. SUBJECTS: 286 mother-infant dyads were investigated from early pregnancy until 16 months postpartum via questionnaires and interviews. OUTCOME MEASURES: Regulatory problems at 2, 4 and 16 months postpartum assessed by standardized diagnostic interviews. RESULTS: Fussy infant temperament and maternal anxiety disorders were associated with excessive infant crying (OR=1.16, 95%CI:1.05-1.29, OR=3.28, 95%CI:1.16-9.26) and feeding problems (OR=1.05, 95%CI:1.01-1.11, OR=2.27, 95%CI:1.36-3.80) whereas maternal depressive disorders were associated with infant sleeping problems (OR=2.55, 95%CI:1.06-6.11). Moreover, high maternal age (OR=0.86, 95%CI:0.75-0.98) was associated with a lower risk for excessive crying and being a single mother (OR=0.16, 95%CI:0.03-0.73) and cognitive reappraisal to regulate emotions (OR: 0.59, 95%CI:0.36-0.96) was associated with a lower risk for sleeping problems. CONCLUSION: Excessive infant crying and feeding problems may be related to interactional deficits of anxious mothers who perceive their infants as "difficult" during soothing or feeding situations. Sleeping problems may be transmitted already during pregnancy by an altered sleep-wake-rhythm of mothers with a history of depression or by a genetic predisposition. Therapeutic interventions should focus on maternal anxiety and depression, behavior management techniques to cope with difficult situations with "fussy" infants and potential protective factors (e.g. favorable maternal emotion regulation) to address crying, feeding and sleeping problems.
BACKGROUND: Excessive infant crying, feeding and sleeping problems are likely to emerge from the complex interplay of various factors. AIMS: To investigate the role of infant (e.g., temperament), maternal (e.g., anxiety and depressive disorders), and familial (e.g., social support) factors as potential precursors of infant regulatory problems. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective-longitudinal study. SUBJECTS: 286 mother-infant dyads were investigated from early pregnancy until 16 months postpartum via questionnaires and interviews. OUTCOME MEASURES: Regulatory problems at 2, 4 and 16 months postpartum assessed by standardized diagnostic interviews. RESULTS: Fussy infant temperament and maternal anxiety disorders were associated with excessive infant crying (OR=1.16, 95%CI:1.05-1.29, OR=3.28, 95%CI:1.16-9.26) and feeding problems (OR=1.05, 95%CI:1.01-1.11, OR=2.27, 95%CI:1.36-3.80) whereas maternal depressive disorders were associated with infant sleeping problems (OR=2.55, 95%CI:1.06-6.11). Moreover, high maternal age (OR=0.86, 95%CI:0.75-0.98) was associated with a lower risk for excessive crying and being a single mother (OR=0.16, 95%CI:0.03-0.73) and cognitive reappraisal to regulate emotions (OR: 0.59, 95%CI:0.36-0.96) was associated with a lower risk for sleeping problems. CONCLUSION: Excessive infant crying and feeding problems may be related to interactional deficits of anxious mothers who perceive their infants as "difficult" during soothing or feeding situations. Sleeping problems may be transmitted already during pregnancy by an altered sleep-wake-rhythm of mothers with a history of depression or by a genetic predisposition. Therapeutic interventions should focus on maternal anxiety and depression, behavior management techniques to cope with difficult situations with "fussy" infants and potential protective factors (e.g. favorable maternal emotion regulation) to address crying, feeding and sleeping problems.
Authors: Arielle H Sheftall; Emory E Bergdoll; Monaé James; Connor Bauer; Elisabeth Spector; Fatima Vakil; Emily Armstrong; Jakob Allen; Jeffrey A Bridge Journal: Child Psychiatry Hum Dev Date: 2020-10
Authors: J Fricke; M Bolster; C Ludwig-Körner; L Kuchinke; F Schlensog-Schuster; P Vienhues; T Reinhold; A Berghöfer; S Roll; T Keil Journal: Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol Date: 2020-12-18 Impact factor: 4.328
Authors: Leah A Grande; Aviva K Olsavsky; Andrew Erhart; Alexander J Dufford; Rebekah Tribble; K Luan Phan; Pilyoung Kim Journal: Cogn Affect Behav Neurosci Date: 2021-06-14 Impact factor: 3.526