Tulane University, New Orleans, LA.
Program in Neuroscience and The Brain Institute, Tulane University.
J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2017 Nov;56(11):922-929. doi: 10.1016/j.jaac.2017.09.001. Epub 2017 Sep 12.
Respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) is a parasympathetic-mediated biomarker of self-regulation linked to lifespan mental and physical health outcomes. Intergenerational impacts of mothers' exposure to prenatal stress have been demonstrated, but evidence for biological embedding of maternal preconception stress, including adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), on infant RSA is lacking. We examine the independent effects of maternal ACEs and prenatal stress on infant RSA, seeking to broaden the understanding of the earliest origins of mental and physical health risk.
Mothers reported on ACEs and prenatal stress. RSA was recorded in a sample of 167 4-month-old infants (49% female and 51% male) during a dyadic stressor, the Still Face Paradigm.
Independent contributions of maternal ACEs and prenatal stress to infant RSA were observed. High maternal ACEs were associated with lower RSA, whereas prenatal stress was associated with failure to recover following the stressor. Sex but not race differences were observed. Prenatal stress was associated with higher RSA among boys but lower RSA among girls.
Infants' RSA is affected by mothers' life course experiences of stress, with ACEs predicting a lower set point and prenatal stress dampening recovery from stress. For prenatal stress but not ACEs, patterns vary across sex. Findings underscore that stress-reducing interventions for pregnant women or those considering pregnancy may lead to decreased physical and mental health risk across generations.
呼吸窦性心律失常（RSA）是一种自主调节的副交感神经介导的生物标志物，与寿命的心理和身体健康结果有关。已经证明了母亲暴露于产前压力的代际影响，但缺乏关于母亲孕前压力（包括不良童年经历 ACEs）对婴儿 RSA 的生物嵌入的证据。我们研究了母亲 ACEs 和产前压力对婴儿 RSA 的独立影响，旨在更广泛地了解心理和身体健康风险的最早起源。
母亲报告 ACEs 和产前压力。在一项 167 名 4 个月大婴儿（49%为女性，51%为男性）的样本中，通过双人压力源，即静止面孔范式，记录 RSA。
观察到母亲 ACEs 和产前压力对婴儿 RSA 的独立贡献。母亲 ACEs 较高与 RSA 较低有关，而产前压力与压力源后恢复失败有关。观察到性别而非种族差异。产前压力与男孩的 RSA 较高有关，与女孩的 RSA 较低有关。
婴儿的 RSA 受到母亲生活经历压力的影响，ACEs 预测较低的设定点，产前压力抑制压力后的恢复。对于产前压力而不是 ACEs，模式因性别而异。研究结果强调，为孕妇或考虑怀孕的女性实施的减压干预措施可能会降低代际之间的身体和心理健康风险。
