The implications of the biologically active elements in milk for the mammalian infant are largely unknown. Animal models demonstrate that transmission of glucocorticoids through milk influences behavior and modifies brain development in offspring. The aim of this study was to determine the relation between human milk cortisol levels and temperament of the breastfed infant. Fifty-two mother and ...

BACKGROUND The etiology of excessive infant crying is largely unknown. We hypothesize that excessive infant crying may have an early nutritional origin during fetal development. AIMS This study is the first to explore whether (1) maternal vitamin B-12 and folate status during pregnancy are associated with excessive infant crying, and (2) whether and how maternal psychological well-being durin...

OBJECTIVES To determine whether maternal report of infant behavioral dysregulation at 6 months is associated with a higher prevalence of behavioral concerns at 5, 14, and 21 years of age; and to assess the extent to which maternal and social factors may affect reported child behavior outcomes. METHODS From the Mater-University of Queensland Study of Pregnancy cohort of 7223 live singleton bab...

OBJECTIVE The goal was to examine whether children who screen positive for social-emotional/behavioral problems at 12 to 36 months of age are at elevated risk for social-emotional/behavioral problems in early elementary school. METHODS The sample studied (N = 1004) comprised an ethnically (33.3% minority) and socioeconomically (17.8% living in poverty and 11.3% living in borderline poverty) d...

Though rarely included in studies of parent–infant interactions, affectionate touch plays a unique and vital role infant development. Previous human rodent models have established that early consistent from caregiver confers wide-ranging holistic benefits for psychosocial neurophysiological We begin with an introduction to the pathways positive effects touch. Then, we provide brief review how t...

The failure of developmental tests in infancy to predict later competence may be because the tests ignore important dimensions of infant functioning. Yarrow and Pedersen (1976) have suggested that one such dimension could be mastery behavior, which involves persistence and investigation. Fiftythree infants were observed at 6 and 12 months during two 24-min play sessions. The Bayley Scales of In...