Maternal care in infancy and the course of limbic development. (December 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Lee, Annie; Poh, Joann S.; Wen, Daniel J.; Tan, Hui Min; Chong, Yap-Seng; Tan, Kok Hian; Gluckman, Peter D.; Fortier, Marielle V.; Rifkin-Graboi, Anne; Qiu, Anqi
• Is Part Of: Developmental cognitive neuroscience. Volume 40(2019)
• Publication Date: 2019-12
• Subjects: Maternal sensitivity -- Infancy -- Hippocampus -- Amygdala -- MRI -- DTI -- Accelerated development; Cognitive neuroscience -- Periodicals; Developmental neurobiology -- Periodicals; Neuropsychology -- Periodicals; Neuropsychiatry -- Periodicals; 612.8233
• DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2019.100714
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1878-9293

Abstract

Abstract: Maternal care may predict limbic development, though relations may vary by age and type of assessment. Here, we examined maternal behavior during early infancy (i.e., six months postpartum) in relation to offspring hippocampal and amygdala volume and microstructure development between 4.5 (n = 99) and 6 (n = 111) years. In interaction with offspring sex, maternal sensitivity predicted left amygdala volume at 6.0 years (β=-0.214, p = 0.032, df = 89) and independently predicted predominately left lateralized aspects of amygdala and hippocampal microstructure at both time points (hippocampus: left FA at 4.5 years [β=-0.241, p = 0.043, df = 68], and, in interaction with sex, left [(β = 0.349, p = 0.022, df = 86) and right FA at 6 years (β = 0.357, p = 0.016, df = 86] and left MD growth [β = -0.517, p = 0.021, df = 37]; amygdala: left MD at 4.5 years [β = -0.319, p = 0.007, df = 69] and, in interaction with offspring sex, left MD growth [β = -0.546, p = 0.019, df = 37]). Results suggest exposure to non-extreme, early insensitive care impacts neuroanatomy important to learning and stress regulation, perhaps by accelerating development. This underscores the need to promote sensitive caregiving during early infancy within community samples.