Browsing by Author "Granger, Douglas, A."

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
  • Thumbnail Image
    ItemOpen Access
    Developmental origins of infant stress reactivity profiles: A multi-system approach
    (Wiley, 2016-03-08) Giesbrecht, Gerald; Rash, Joshua, A.; Thomas, Jenna, C.; Campbell, Tavis, S.; Letourneau, Nicole; Granger, Douglas, A.
    Background: This study tested the hypothesis that maternal physiological and psychological variables during pregnancy discriminate between theoretically informed infant stress reactivity profiles. Methods: The sample comprised 254 women and their infants. Maternal mood, salivary cortisol, respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), and salivary α-amylase (sAA) were assessed at 15 and 32 weeks gestational age. Infant salivary cortisol, RSA, and sAA reactivity were assessed in response to a structured laboratory frustration task at 6-months of age. Infant responses were used to classify them into stress reactivity profiles using three different classification schemes: HPA-axis, autonomic, and multi-system. Discriminant function analyses evaluated the prenatal variables that best discriminated infant reactivity profiles within each classification scheme. Results: Maternal stress biomarkers, along with self-reported psychological distress during pregnancy discriminated between infant stress reactivity profiles. Conclusions: These results suggest that maternal psychological and physiological states during pregnancy have broad effects on the development of the infant stress response systems.