Affectionate Touch in the Context of Breastfeeding and Maternal Depression Influences Infant Neurodevelopmental and Temperamental Substrates

Abstract

<b><i>Background:</i></b> While numerous studies have demonstrated maternal depression’s influence on infant brain development, few studies have examined the changes that occur as a consequence of co-occurring experiential factors that affect quality of mother and infant affectionate touch as well as infant temperament and neurophysiological systems. The aim of the study was to examine the interactive effects of maternal depression and breastfeeding on mother and infant affectionate touch and infant temperament and cortical maturation patterns across early development. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> 113 mothers and their infants participated when infants were 1 and 3 months of age. Questionnaires to assess maternal depressive symptoms, feeding, and temperament were completed. Tonic EEG patterns (asymmetry and left and right activity) were collected and the dyads were video-recorded during feeding to assess mother and infant affectionate touch patterns. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Data analysis showed that EEG activity and mother-infant affectionate touch differed as a function of mood and feeding method. Notably, only infants of depressed mothers that bottle-fed showed right frontal EEG asymmetry and attenuated change in the left frontal region across 3 months. Breastfeeding positively impacted affectionate touch behaviors and was associated with increased left and decreased right frontal EEG activation even for depressed groups. Furthermore, a model incorporating physiology, maternal depression, touch, temperament, and feeding indicated significant prediction for infant affectionate touch (with breastfeeding and affectively positive temperament demonstrating the strongest prediction). <b><i>Con­clusion:</i></b> The findings suggest that breastfeeding and the infant’s positive temperament influence mother-infant affectionate touch patterns and result in neuroprotective outcomes for infants, even those exposed to maternal depression within early development.

Infant social interactions and brain development: A systematic review

“…linked to ↑connectivity between R aHPC functional connectivity and bilateral calcarine, R lingual and L cuneus cortex. Broomell et al (2019) 401 Maternal intrusiveness & neural power on executive function 5, 10 mths Mother: intrusiveness 5 mths EEG Association between infant frontal EEG alpha power & 4-year executive functions was significant only for infants who had mothers low in intrusiveness during free play and not significant for those who had mothers high in intrusiveness during free play Hardin et al (2021) 91, 76 Effect of maternal depression & breastfeeding on touch patterns & cortical maturation 1, 3 mths Infant & mother: different types of touch 1, 3 mths EEG Frontal EEG asymmetry, breastfeeding & positive affect in infants predicted infant affectionate touch patterns during interaction. Task-evoked functional activation studies Gunnar and Nelson (1994) 23 familiar/novel faces & infant emotions 12 myths Separation – infant: affect, comforting, sleep/ withdrawal 12 mths EEG Infants with ↑ late positive waveforms to the infrequent familiar face were ↑distressed during separation Diego et al (2002) Study 2 18,19 Maternal behaviours & infant processing of facial expressions.…”

“…In a further n = 19 studies, brain or behavioural data was collected once during a follow-up - months, years or decades later. Thirteen studies followed the longitudinal design and repeated the same measures of either brain ( Lee et al, 2019 ; Wang et al, 2019 ; Swingler et al, 2017 ; Bernier et al, 2016 ) or behaviour ( Broomell et al, 2019 ; Diaz et al, 2019 ; Pratt et al, 2019 ; Licata et al, 2015 ; Beckwith and Parmelee, 1986 ) or both ( Hardin et al, 2021 ; Eggebrecht et al, 2017 ; Jones et al, 1997 , 2004 ). Seven of these studies included a time point during which brain and behaviour data were available concurrently ( Hardin et al, 2021 ; Broomell et al, 2019 ; Diaz et al, 2019 ; Eggebrecht et al, 2017 ; Swingler et al, 2017 ; Bernier et al, 2016 ; Jones et al, 1997 , 2004 ).…”

“… Global Rating Scale (GRS; Murray et al, 1996 ); Sethna et al, 2017 Extent to which the caregiver expressed positive emotions during the task through her tone of voice and facial expressions. Calkins et al, 2004 Bernier et al, 2016 Kraybill and Bell, 2013 Adapted version of Gartstein et al, 2008 , 2018 Gartstein et al, 2020 Perone and Gartstein, 2019 Positive and negative affect of the caregiver Feldman et al, 2011 St. John et al, 2017 Affectionate touch Combination of deep affectionate touch (firm patting, stroking, massaging with the whole hand) and light affectionate touch (affectionate kissing, caressing, or stroking, grazing, hugging) Adapted version of Touch Scoring Instrument ( Polan and Ward, 1994 ) Hardin et al, 2021 Communication Mind-Mindedness – comments about infant internal states or intentionality Meins et al, 2001 Dégeilh et al, 2018 Custom Hanford et al, 2018 Infant-directed speech Feldman et al, 2011 St. John et al, 2017 ...…”

“…Studies within this sub-theme covered such research topics as frontal EEG asymmetry ( Hardin et al, 2021 ; Diaz et al, 2019 ; Wen et al, 2017 ; Licata et al, 2015 ; Swingler et al, 2014 ; Mize and Jones, 2012 ; Hane et al, 2010 ; Jones et al, 2009 ; Diego et al, 2006 ; Hane and Fox, 2006 ; Jones et al, 2004 ; Field et al, 2003 ; Jones et al, 1997 ), frontal EEG power ( Broomell et al, 2019 ; Swingler et al, 2017 ; Bernier et al, 2016 ; Kraybill and Bell, 2013 ; Dawson et al, 1999 ;), functional network connectivity ( Perone and Gartstein, 2019 ; Wang et al, 2019 ; Catalina Camacho et al, 2019 ; Hanford et al, 2018 ; Dégeilh et al, 2018 ; Eggebrecht et al, 2017 ; Rifkin-Graboi et al, 2015 ), and functional network connectivity measured during social interaction ( St. John et al, 2017 ) and sleep ( Beckwith and Parmelee, 1986 ).…”

“…Breastfeeding – as a special interaction between infants and mothers – was also linked to frontal EEG asymmetry. Namely, breastfeeding was associated with decreased right frontal EEG asymmetry in infants of depressed mothers ( Jones et al, 2004 ), and together with infants’ use of positive affect in interaction predicted the use of more affectionate touching during play ( Hardin et al, 2021 ).…”