TY - JOUR
T1 - Fetal state concordance predicts infant state regulation
AU - DiPietro, Janet A.
AU - Costigan, Kathleen A.
AU - Pressman, Eva K.
N1 - Funding Information:
This research was supported by grant R01 HD27592, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, awarded to the first author. The investigators wish to thank the diligent and generous participation of our study families, without which this research would not have been possible. Portions of this research were presented at the International Conference on Infant Studies, Brighton, England, July 2000.
PY - 2002
Y1 - 2002
N2 - Fetal state organization reflects the development of the central nervous system but may also portend individual differences in postnatal state organization. The goal of the present study was to determine the extent to which fetal state regulation, defined as the percentage of an observation period in which fetal heart rate and movement concordance was displayed, is associated with neonatal state regulation. Neonatal state regulation was evaluated through a standard neurobehavioral assessment at 2 weeks postpartum. Biobehavioral concordance was measured in 52 normally developing fetuses at 24, 30 and 36 weeks gestation using an actocardiograph; the neonatal assessment was administered to 41 of these as infants. Intrafetal stability in biobehavioral concordance did not emerge prior to 36 weeks. Fetuses with higher concordance at 36 weeks were infants that displayed better state regulation during the exam, including more alertness and orientation (r(35)=0.29), less cost of maintaining attention (r=0.36), less irritability (r=-0.41), better regulatory capacity (r=0.47), a greater range of available states (r=0.34), and were significantly more likely to maintain control during the most aversive portions of the exam F(1,31)=4.63, p<0.05). These results support fetal state as a stable individual attribute that is conserved across the prenatal and neonatal periods.
AB - Fetal state organization reflects the development of the central nervous system but may also portend individual differences in postnatal state organization. The goal of the present study was to determine the extent to which fetal state regulation, defined as the percentage of an observation period in which fetal heart rate and movement concordance was displayed, is associated with neonatal state regulation. Neonatal state regulation was evaluated through a standard neurobehavioral assessment at 2 weeks postpartum. Biobehavioral concordance was measured in 52 normally developing fetuses at 24, 30 and 36 weeks gestation using an actocardiograph; the neonatal assessment was administered to 41 of these as infants. Intrafetal stability in biobehavioral concordance did not emerge prior to 36 weeks. Fetuses with higher concordance at 36 weeks were infants that displayed better state regulation during the exam, including more alertness and orientation (r(35)=0.29), less cost of maintaining attention (r=0.36), less irritability (r=-0.41), better regulatory capacity (r=0.47), a greater range of available states (r=0.34), and were significantly more likely to maintain control during the most aversive portions of the exam F(1,31)=4.63, p<0.05). These results support fetal state as a stable individual attribute that is conserved across the prenatal and neonatal periods.
KW - Central nervous system
KW - Fetal state concordance
KW - Infant state regulation
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0036280330&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0036280330&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/S0378-3782(02)00006-3
DO - 10.1016/S0378-3782(02)00006-3
M3 - Article
C2 - 12191524
AN - SCOPUS:0036280330
SN - 0378-3782
VL - 68
SP - 1
EP - 13
JO - Early Human Development
JF - Early Human Development
IS - 1
ER -