Infant Behavior & Development最新文献

{"title":"Revisiting intrinsic sex differences in STEM aptitude: Insights from infant development research twenty years after Spelke (2005)","authors":"Jillian Lauer","doi":"10.1016/j.infbeh.2025.102064","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.infbeh.2025.102064","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The origins of gender inequalities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) remain debated. A key question is whether these inequalities arise from intrinsic sex differences in cognition and perception present in infancy, social and cultural influences experienced throughout development, or a combination of both. In a formative 2005 review, Spelke argued against intrinsic sex differences in STEM aptitude, citing myriad evidence of sex similarities in infant visual object preferences, numerical cognition, and spatial reasoning. This review reassesses Spelke’s claims in light of contemporary research on infant development within these domains. In contrast to Spelke’s arguments, the extant literature now suggests that sex differences in visual preferences and spatial processing emerge within the first year of life. However, there is insufficient evidence to conclude that such sex differences are intrinsic or contribute to later gender inequalities in STEM, aligning with Spelke’s broader conceptual thesis. The findings of this review underscore the need for integrative approaches to identifying the factors that give rise to early sex differences in object preferences and spatial processing, longitudinal research to assess the developmental stability of these sex differences, and diverse samples to inform developmental pathways that shape gender inequalities in STEM.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48222,"journal":{"name":"Infant Behavior & Development","volume":"79 ","pages":"Article 102064"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143869404","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Extended kangaroo mother care – Examining the utility of skin-to-skin contact over the first year of life","authors":"Rukshan Mehta","doi":"10.1016/j.infbeh.2025.102055","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.infbeh.2025.102055","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objectives</h3><div>Kangaroo mother care which involves skin-to-skin contact (SSC) between mothers and newborns with support for exclusive breastfeeding, is an important innovation if practiced beyond the first week of life up to 1-year of age. We posit that extended SSC can benefit postpartum metabolic health.</div></div><div><h3>Study design</h3><div>Using a narrative literature review, we examine the interaction between hormones oxytocin and cortisol, which are either released or antagonized by the neural actions of skin-to-skin contact.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Oxytocin is released during SSC, which promotes attachment, improves parent-infant interactions and lowers levels of cortisol. No studies to date have reported SSC use beyond the first 5 to 7 weeks postpartum. Although no differences have been observed in infant body weight, increased head circumference has been noted among pre-term and low birth weight infants. Improved breastfeeding outcomes have also been observed. Oxytocin release is protective against type-2 diabetes and obesity in postpartum women, given its effects on β-cell function, improved insulin response and reduction of plasma glucose levels. Oxytocin has anti-inflammatory, analgesic and thermoregulatory effects. Hypothetical benefits due to oxytocin-cortisol dynamics, can be assumed for maternal posttraumatic stress, postpartum depression and anxiety. Sleep patterns, duration of crying and length of sleep are dose-dependent in effect. Postnatal skin-brain connection and thermoregulation via epidermal keratinocytes may mediate the relationship between SSC and autism spectrum disorder.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>The extended use of SSC can lower dependence on pharmacotherapeutic options concerning postpartum mental health and galactagogue use while supporting maternal-infant psychosocial well-being and lowering stress via hormonal action and HPA-axis activation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48222,"journal":{"name":"Infant Behavior & Development","volume":"79 ","pages":"Article 102055"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143706404","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A reappraisal of attachment theory: The role of affective touch","authors":"Francis McGlone,&nbsp;Lela Rankin","doi":"10.1016/j.infbeh.2025.102053","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.infbeh.2025.102053","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":48222,"journal":{"name":"Infant Behavior & Development","volume":"79 ","pages":"Article 102053"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143672048","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Clarifying the developmental association between gesture and later vocabulary for autistic children","authors":"Dennis Wu ,&nbsp;Luke E. Moraglia ,&nbsp;Shruthi Ravi ,&nbsp;Jed T. Elison ,&nbsp;Jason J. Wolff ,&nbsp;Annette Estes ,&nbsp;Tanya St. John ,&nbsp;Lonnie Zwaigenbaum ,&nbsp;Natasha Marrus ,&nbsp;Heather Hazlett ,&nbsp;Robert Schultz ,&nbsp;Kelly Botteron ,&nbsp;Stephen R. Dager ,&nbsp;Hervé Abdi ,&nbsp;Joseph Piven ,&nbsp;Meghan R. Swanson ,&nbsp;for the IBIS Network","doi":"10.1016/j.infbeh.2025.102058","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.infbeh.2025.102058","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Gestures serve as both a communication and a word-learning tool, with typically developing children consistently showing that early gestures are positively associated with later vocabulary skills. However, many autistic children experience delays and challenges in both gesture and vocabulary skills, and studies also show mixed gesture-vocabulary associations; thus, it is unclear whether gestures in autistic children support emerging vocabulary skills. To address previous conflicting findings, the current conceptual replication study uses linear models with a large sample (<em>N</em> = 451<em>)</em> of 12- to 24-month-old English-raised infants to investigate whether gestures are associated with expressive and receptive vocabulary. Using the infant-sibling design, gesture-vocabulary associations and group moderation were investigated in three groups: infant-siblings of autistic children who later meet the criteria for autism themselves (HL-ASD, <em>n</em> = 73), infant-siblings who did not meet criteria for autism (HL-Neg, <em>n</em> = 238), and a control group without a family history of autism (LL-Neg, <em>n</em> = 140). Both LL-Neg and HL-ASD groups showed positive associations between 12-month gestures and 18-month receptive vocabulary; however, only the LL-Neg group showed a positive association between 12-month gestures and 18-month expressive vocabulary. For 12-month gestures and 24-month receptive and expressive vocabulary, the LL-Neg and HL-Neg groups showed positive association, whereas the HL-ASD group did not. Similarly, the LL-Neg and HL-Neg groups showed positive associations between 18-month gestures and 24-month vocabulary, but the HL-ASD did not. Overall, the LL-Neg group showed significant gesture-vocabulary associations across all tested models, while the HL-ASD only showed one significant positive association.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48222,"journal":{"name":"Infant Behavior & Development","volume":"79 ","pages":"Article 102058"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143814927","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Measurement of the quality of mother-infant feeding interactions across the first year: Reliability and stability of the parent-child early relational assessment","authors":"Roseanne Clark ,&nbsp;Roger L. Brown ,&nbsp;Karen F. Pridham","doi":"10.1016/j.infbeh.2025.102038","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.infbeh.2025.102038","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study examines the psychometric properties of the Parent-Child Early Relational Assessment (PCERA) in the context of mother-infant feeding interaction. Utilizing a longitudinal design, data were collected from 114 mother-infant dyads, including healthy full-term infants and those born prematurely with diagnosed respiratory disease, one group with chronic respiratory disease (Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia) and the second group with acute respiratory disease (Respiratory Distress Syndrome). Observational data were collected at 1, 4, 8, and 12 months post-term age, focusing on parental behavior, infant variables, and dyadic interactions during feeding. Confirmatory factor analysis was employed to assess the congeneric structure of the PCERA across three domains: parental, infant, and dyadic. Results indicated support for the congeneric model in all domains, demonstrating that each factor measured a single common latent variable despite variations in item loadings and error terms. Reliability analysis using Cronbach alpha and McDonald’s omega coefficients revealed high internal consistency for all eight PCERA factors, indicative of robust measurement properties (Table 3). Further examination of factorial invariance across four time periods (1, 4, 8, and 12 months) demonstrated consistent measurement properties of the PCERA factors throughout the infant's first year of life. This finding suggests stability and reliability in measuring the underlying constructs of mother-infant feeding interaction over time. The study underscores the utility of the PCERA as an observational tool for assessing various dimensions of parent-child interaction during feeding. Findings support its application in diverse settings, including the study of infants with complex medical conditions, such as prematurity and respiratory disease. Additionally, the study highlights the importance of examining parent and infant characteristics as predictors of feeding interaction quality, aiming to identify dyads at risk of poorer interaction outcomes and inform clinical interventions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48222,"journal":{"name":"Infant Behavior & Development","volume":"79 ","pages":"Article 102038"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143644351","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Infant muscle activity is modified by inclined environments during different styles of rolling","authors":"Danielle N. Siegel ,&nbsp;Safeer F. Siddicky ,&nbsp;Wyatt D. Davis ,&nbsp;Erin M. Mannen","doi":"10.1016/j.infbeh.2025.102049","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.infbeh.2025.102049","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Rolling is an important part of infant motor development and is largely affected by experiences and surroundings. The purpose of this study was to determine how inclined mechanical environments affect infant muscle activation during previously defined coordinated rolling movements. The results demonstrate that infant muscle utilization (age: 6.5 ± 0.7 months; 23 M/15 F) differs while achieving the same rolling movements on a flat surface compared to four inclined environments representing a range of inclines to which infants are commonly exposed. Thus, rolling milestone achievement on a firm flat surface is not indictive of the same ability to roll in inclined seated environments.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48222,"journal":{"name":"Infant Behavior & Development","volume":"79 ","pages":"Article 102049"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143579829","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Associations between maternal adverse childhood experiences and mind-mindedness: An analysis of mother-infant interaction","authors":"Ana Paula Constantino Fernandes ,&nbsp;Celia Maria de Araujo ,&nbsp;Anoek Marjelle Oerlemans ,&nbsp;Marcos Roberto Fanton ,&nbsp;Cintia Sanches ,&nbsp;Ivaldo da Silva ,&nbsp;Ana Carolina Coelho Milani ,&nbsp;Jonathan Posner ,&nbsp;Andrea Parolin Jackowski ,&nbsp;Claudia Berlim de Mello","doi":"10.1016/j.infbeh.2025.102048","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.infbeh.2025.102048","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) can influence parenting behaviours and have lasting effects on child development. This study investigated how maternal ACEs affect mind-mindedness during interactions between 69 Brazilian mothers and their six-month-old infants, and the role of stress in this relationship. Maternal vocalisations were coded for appropriate and non-attuned mind-related comments according to the Mind-Mindedness Coding Manual. The number of maternal ACEs was assessed using the CDC-Kaiser ACE Study Questionnaire. Current stress, postnatal depression, depression, anxiety, adverse life events, and resilience were assessed using the Perceived Stress Scale, Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, Depression Scale Patient Health Questionnaire, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, the Inventory of Major Life Events, and the Resilience Scale, respectively. General Linear Models analysed associations between variables. The results showed no direct link between ACEs and mind-mindedness. However, stress moderated the relationship between maternal ACEs and appropriate mind-related comments. These findings suggest that maternal exposure to ACEs affects how mothers interpret their infants' mental states, particularly under stress. Understanding these relationships can guide interventions to support maternal mental health and foster positive parent-infant interactions, potentially preventing the intergenerational transmission of trauma.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48222,"journal":{"name":"Infant Behavior & Development","volume":"79 ","pages":"Article 102048"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143580168","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Caregiver-infant interactions in infants at elevated familial likelihood for autism in India","authors":"Malavi Srikar ,&nbsp;Shoba S. Meera ,&nbsp;Reny Raju ,&nbsp;Divya Swaminathan ,&nbsp;Jonathan Green ,&nbsp;Ming Wai Wan","doi":"10.1016/j.infbeh.2025.102060","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.infbeh.2025.102060","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Prospective studies of infants at elevated likelihood for autism (EL-A) have identified differences in caregiver–infant interactions (CII) when compared to infants at typical likelihood (TL). These differences begin to emerge prior to the infant’s first birthday and may impact social opportunities essential for facilitating social-communicative development. To our knowledge, all studies to date have focused on Western samples (Australian, European, and US). However, parenting science has long recognised cultural variability in CII. This study investigated whether global features of CII differed between EL-A and TL infants in India. Caregiver-infant free-play videos involving 33 EL-A and 15 TL infants aged 9–15 months were rated using the Manchester Assessment of Caregiver-Child Interaction–Infant (MACI). EL-A infants received lower sensitive responsiveness and psychological stimulation compared to TL infants in age-controlled analyses. No significant group differences were found in caregiver directiveness or in infant or dyadic MACI scales. Furthermore, caregiver sensitive responsiveness and psychological stimulation (incorporating social and cognitive stimulation) were positively associated with concurrent parent-reported infant play and leisure, lending support for ecological validity. This first study in a South Asian context demonstrates a partial replication of previous CII studies. Early pre-emptive interventions targeting caregiver-infant interaction are recommended for Indian families to enhance infant exposure to responsive and stimulating social interactions. The strength of findings is understood in the context of utilising caregiver self-recorded CII, the sample size and broad age range.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48222,"journal":{"name":"Infant Behavior & Development","volume":"79 ","pages":"Article 102060"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143833807","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Social communication skills profile in infants with sex chromosome trisomy at 12 months of age","authors":"Rebecca Wilson ,&nbsp;Samantha Bothwell ,&nbsp;Stephanie K. Takamatsu ,&nbsp;Talia Thompson ,&nbsp;Karli Swenson ,&nbsp;Emily Werner ,&nbsp;Nicole Tartaglia","doi":"10.1016/j.infbeh.2025.102061","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.infbeh.2025.102061","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Sex Chromosome Trisomy (SCT) conditions are genetic disorders that affect approximately 1:500 children. Although there is considerable variability in phenotype, individuals with SCT have an elevated likelihood, compared to the general population, of developing social deficits and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Studies report that 10–35 % of individuals with SCT meet criteria for ASD, depending on differences in ascertainment methods and diagnostic criteria. More specifically, ASD prevalence has been estimated at approximately 18 % (range 10–27 %) for XXY, 15 % (10.8–20 %) for XXX, and 30 % (19–43 %) for XYY.^<em>.</em> Understanding social development in young children with SCT is important for identifying potential early predictors of later ASD diagnoses and informing early intervention efforts and specific targets for intervention. We describe the social communication profiles of 69 participants with a prenatal diagnosis of SCT (XXY/Klinefelter syndrome=45, XYY=12, and XXX=12) participating in a prospective natural history study at 12 months of age. All participants completed the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule- 2nd edition (ADOS-2) Toddler Module (TM) and the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development- 3rd edition (Bayley-III) associated with their 12-month visit. Supplementary analyses of the impact of wearing masks during COVID19 are included. Participants showed elevated scores on ADOS-2 TM language/ social communication and reciprocal social interaction items including use of gestures, directed babbling/vocalizations towards others and in skills related to initiating social interactions and directing facial expressions toward others. Participants showed few difficulties on items that measured restricted and repetitive behaviors (RRBs). There were no significant differences between SCT subtypes. Lower receptive and expressive language scores on the Bayley-III correlated with more challenges (higher scores) as measured by ADOS-2 TM clinical severity scores. Results show that children with SCT conditions as young as 12 months of age are at increased likelihood for social communication deficits. They also show few RRBs, differentiating them from young children diagnosed with idiopathic ASD. While 45 % had scores in the mild concern range or above, no participants received a clinical diagnosis of ASD. Prospective follow-up of this cohort will detail the developmental profile of social communication skills beyond 12 months of age and identify the proportion and early predictors of those who emerge to meet criteria for a clinical diagnosis of ASD. Results support close monitoring of early social development and provide specific early social development skills to target in future early intervention trials in infants with SCT.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48222,"journal":{"name":"Infant Behavior & Development","volume":"79 ","pages":"Article 102061"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143869406","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The impact of remembered emotion socialization on maternal sensitivity to distress via beliefs about crying","authors":"Agona Lutolli,&nbsp;Esther M. Leerkes","doi":"10.1016/j.infbeh.2025.102056","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.infbeh.2025.102056","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The manner in which adults were parented in their own childhood is a known predictor of the manner in which they parent their own children. One potential mechanism explaining this intergenerational transmission of behavior is parental beliefs. This longitudinal study examined the association between mothers’ remembered emotion socialization, specifically their perceptions of how their own mothers responded to their childhood distress, and their sensitivity to their own infants’ distress at both 6 and 14 months and possible indirect effects via mothers’ beliefs about crying. Participants were 259 primiparous mothers (128 European American, 131 African American). The path analysis indicated that mothers who recalled their own mothers responding to their childhood distress in a non-supportive manner had more mother-oriented beliefs (i.e., crying is a nuisance to be suppressed for the comfort of the mother and others) which predicted lower maternal sensitivity to their children’s distress at 6 months and 14 months. Although there was a positive association between supportive emotion socialization and infant-oriented crying beliefs (i.e., crying as a meaningful signal that warrants a response) and a marginal but non-significant positive association between infant-oriented crying beliefs and maternal sensitivity to distress at 6 months, the indirect pathway was not statistically significant. Thus, identifying mothers who experienced non-supportive emotion socialization in childhood and providing preventative interventions to reduce their mother-oriented cry beliefs may promote more adaptive parenting in infancy.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48222,"journal":{"name":"Infant Behavior & Development","volume":"79 ","pages":"Article 102056"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143724750","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}