Can reactivity and regulation in infancy predict inattentive and hyperactive/impulsive behavior in 3-year-olds?

Abstract

A need to identify early infant markers of later occurring inattentive and hyperactive/impulsive behaviors has come to the fore in the current attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder literature. The purpose of such studies is to identify driving mechanisms that could enable early detection of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder liability and thus facilitate early intervention. Here we study independent and interactive effects of cognitive regulation (inhibition and sustained attention), temperament (reactive and regulatory aspects), and maternal sensitivity (as external regulation) in a sample of 112 typically developing 10-month-old infants (59 boys, 52.7%), in relation to inattentive and hyperactive/impulsive behavior at 3 years. The results showed that infant temperamental regulation and maternal sensitivity made independent contributions to both inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity, in that higher levels of temperamental regulation and maternal sensitivity were related to less inattentive and hyperactive/impulsive behavior. In addition, the temperamental factor positive affectivity/surgency made a significant contribution to later hyperactivity/impulsivity, in that higher levels of positive affectivity/surgency were related to more hyperactive/impulsive behavior. No interaction effects were found. Our findings suggest temperament and parental regulation as potential and independent markers of later inattentive and hyperactive/impulsive behavior.

Atypical development of attentional control associates with later adaptive functioning, autism and ADHD traits

“…Furthermore, there is evidence for a predictive association between parent report of attentional control in infancy and childhood behavioural difficulties, even in general community samples. Low parent-reported attentional focus scores at age 18-32 months are associated with elevated internalising and externalising problems at 37-59 months (Gartstein, Putnam, & Rothbart, 2012), whilst individual differences at 10 months of age in a composite attention-regulatory measure are predictive of ADHD-related behaviours at age 3 years (Frick, Forslund, & Brocki, 2019). In combination, these studies indicate that infant attentional control is measurable?…”

Does child verbal ability mediate the relationship between maternal sensitivity and later self‐regulation? A longitudinal study from infancy to 4 years

“…Data were not collected from five children at 18 months due to a reported lack of time ( n = 2) and that the parent missed filling out the form ( n = 3), but they were still included in the final sample. In short, the sample was recruited through the birth registry of Uppsala, Sweden (for a full description, see Frick, Forslund, Fransson et al ., ). Mail was sent out to families of all newborns with a general inquiry about participating in studies within the lab (retention rate ~30%) and interested families were then informed about this specific study.…”

“…We used the Maternal Sensitivity Scales (Ainsworth, ) to assess maternal sensitivity during a semi‐structured play session that lasted 26 min (Pederson, Moran, & Bento, ). The session contained different blocks with different levels of demand on the mothers (e.g., free play with and without toys while the mother was busy filling out a form, dyadic free play with and without toys, reading a book together, and playing together with a toy that was difficult to master for the child) and have been described in detail elsewhere (Frick, Forslund, Fransson et al ., ). The filmed procedure was coded as a whole on a nine‐point scale in accordance with Ainsworth's scale of sensitivity vs. insensitivity (1969), which addresses the mother's capacity to identify, interpret, and adequately respond to the infant's signals.…”

“…At each time point, the families received a gift certificate worth approximately 20 US$. The tasks and measures used in this study were part of a larger longitudinal study aimed at assessing development of various aspects of self‐regulation over time, and data on maternal sensitivity has been reported elsewhere (Frick, Forslund & Brocki, ; Frick, Forslund, Fransson et al ., ). The local ethics committee in Uppsala, Sweden approved the study (EPN; dnr: 2011/165, ‘'the EFFECT study’).…”

“…Further, maternal support was concurrently related to emotion regulation in 3–4‐year‐olds (Cole, Dennis, Smith‐Simon & Cohen, ) and maternal responsiveness at 4 years predicted delay of gratification 1 year later (Pauli‐Pott et al ., ). Also, maternal sensitivity predicted emotion regulation at 18 months in the present sample, but we did not find the expected link to EF at the same age, possibly due to lack of stability of cognitive function at that early age (Frick, Forslund, Fransson et al ., ). One potential pathway that links responsive parenting to later self‐regulation is verbal ability, in that responsive parenting is predictive of language, which in turn works as a regulatory function that aids the development of self‐regulation.…”