Neonatal brain volume as a marker of differential susceptibility to parenting quality and its association with neurodevelopment across early childhood

Abstract

Highlights Brain volumes at birth interacted with maternal sensitivity to predict child cognitive performance. Larger total brain volume was associated with greater child susceptibility to maternal sensitivity. Larger hippocampus and anterior cingulate gyrus contributed to greater child susceptibility. Neonatal neurophenotypes may underlie susceptibility to parenting.

Infant social interactions and brain development: A systematic review

“…Moran et al (2009a , 2009b) , Tarabulsy et al (2009) . Bernier et al, 2019 Composed of: (i) sensitivity to non-distress, (ii) positive regard and (iii) intrusiveness (reversed) NICHD Early Child Care Research Network, 1999 Nolvi et al, 2020 Composed of: (i) sensitivity; (ii) structuring (iii) non-intrusiveness, (iv) nonhostility. Adapted version of Emotional Availability Scales (EA; Biringen, 2008 ) Taylor-Colls and Pasco Fearon, 2015 Stimulation Extent to which the caregiver directly stimulated infant’s body for the purpose of heightening the infant’s level of arousal Adapted version of Jörg et al, 1994 Holz et al, 2018 Attempts to attract the infant’s attention or to establish contact with him/her.…”

“…boys not girls, associated with amygdala & hippocampal microstructure at 4.5 & 6 y.o, no links with hippocampal volume. Nolvi et al (2020) 53, 36 Neonatal brain volume, caregiving quality & executive skills 6 mths Mother: sensitivity (non-distress, positive regard & intrusiveness) ∼1 mth MRI Positive relationship between maternal sensitivity & child cognition observed only in neonates with large or average (not small) total brain volume. Same pattern observed for hippocampal & ACC volumes.…”

“…Instead, the measures of amygdala and hippocampal microstructure at 4.5 and 6 years of age, rather than the overall volume, were linked to the measures of maternal sensitivity collected in infancy ( Lee et al, 2019 ). Alternatively, these inconsistencies might be driven by the pre-existing individual differences in the volume of limbic system structures present at birth ( Nolvi et al, 2020 ; Tharner et al, 2011 ; Rifkin-Graboi et al, 2019 ). Specifically, high thalamus and basal ganglia volumes measured at birth were linked to reduced risk of insecure attachment 14 months later ( Tharner et al, 2011 ).…”

“…Specifically, high thalamus and basal ganglia volumes measured at birth were linked to reduced risk of insecure attachment 14 months later ( Tharner et al, 2011 ). Moreover, maternal sensitivity coded when infants were 6 months old predicted executive functions in children 2 and 5 years of age but only in infants who had large/average hippocampal volume at birth ( Nolvi et al, 2020 ). Finally, in neonates who have large left hippocampus, low maternal sensitivity was linked to attachment disorganisation at 18 months ( Rifkin-Graboi et al, 2019 ).…”

Prediction Along a Developmental Perspective in Psychiatry: How Far Might We Go?

“…Moreover, environmental factors can also function as predictors. It also becomes clear that we would benefit from studies on brain phenotypes characterized at or shortly after birth, and thus have been only minimally influenced by environmental experiences ( Nolvi et al, 2020 ). Connectivity between the amygdala, insula, and ventral medial PFC (vmPFC), which have been implicated in individual differences in the processing of fear and in the risk to the development of mental disorders, has also been identified as predictor of higher fear and sadness already in the newborn from 6 to 24 months of age.…”