An intervention that increases parental sensitivity in families referred to Child Protective Services also changes toddlers’ parasympathetic regulation

Abstract

Experiencing maltreatment in early childhood predicts poor parasympathetic regulation, characterized by low baseline parasympathetic activity and strong withdrawal of parasympathetic influence in response to tasks. The Promoting First Relationships (PFR) program improves parental sensitivity toward young children in families identified as maltreating. Using a subsample from a randomized control trial, we examined whether parental participation in PFR had lasting effects on toddlers' parasympathetic regulation, as measured by respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), relative to a resource and referral control condition. In addition, we examined whether parental sensitive and responsive behavior mediated or moderated associations between parent treatment group and children's RSA. More than 6 months after completing treatment, 29 families in the PFR condition and 30 families in the control condition were visited at home, and toddlers' RSA was assessed at baseline and during five moderately challenging tasks. Groups did not differ in baseline RSA, but differed in RSA reactivity to the tasks. Across tasks, toddlers of parents in the control condition manifested significantly larger RSA decreases than toddlers of parents in the PFR condition. Parental behavior showed divergent associations with RSA change for toddlers of parents in the PFR versus control condition, with PFR treatment predicting RSA change ranging from small decreases to increases in toddlers of parents who showed the most sensitive, responsive behavior in the 6 months following treatment. This preliminary study showed that the same intervention that improved parenting also improved toddlers' parasympathetic regulation in response to everyday activities, warranting further experimental investigation.

Considering context in the developmental psychobiology of self‐regulation

“…The modality of delivery also matters. Emotion inductions that use film clips often result in increases in RSA (Alkon et al, ; Davis et al, ; Hastings, Klimes‐Dougan, Kendziora, Brand, & Zahn‐Waxler, ; Quigley & Stifter, ), which contrasts with patterns observed during naturalistic inductions (like an impossible or frustrating task), which often elicit physiological arousal (Borelli, Burkhart, Rasmussen, Smiley, & Hellemann, ; Hastings et al, ; Perry, Calkins, Nelson, Leerkes, & Marcovitch, ). Using measures of RSA across four emotion contexts, Gaztke‐Kopp and Ram () showed that emotion context‐level physiological change explained a small but unique proportion of the variance in children's RSA scores.…”

Traumatic stress and the autonomic brain‐gut connection in development: Polyvagal Theory as an integrative framework for psychosocial and gastrointestinal pathology

“…The Family Nurture Intervention, a psychosocial intervention based on Calming Cycle Theory that promotes mother‐infant emotional connection through direct interpersonal communication of affect (Welch, ) has also shown promise in preterm infants, with benefits for VVC regulation, socioemotional function, and neurodevelopmental outcomes (Porges et al, in press; Welch et al, ). Interventions focused on parent–child interactions may also improve autonomic function in older children (e.g., Hastings et al, ). In sum, these interventions support social autonomic state regulation as a treatment target.…”

Adversity History Predicts Self-Reported Autonomic Reactivity and Mental Health in US Residents During the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…In one study, children living in Romanian orphanages with access to physical needs but lacking in emotional caregiver connection exhibited low parasympathetic activity and less flexibility in response to challenges, but those who were randomized into foster care that provided greater emotional interpersonal connection developed autonomic activity much like their peers who had never been institutionalized (34). In a recent study of children referred to Child Protective Services for maltreatment, children developed better parasympathetic flexibility in response to challenges when their caregivers were randomized into a parenting sensitivity intervention compared to peers in a control condition (35).…”