Parenting predicts Strange Situation cortisol reactivity among children adopted internationally

Abstract

The functioning of the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis can be altered by adverse early experiences. Recent studies indicate that children who were adopted internationally after experiencing early institutional rearing and unstable caregiving exhibit blunted HPA reactivity to stressful situations. The present study examined whether caregiving experiences post-adoption further modulate children's HPA responses to stress. Parental sensitivity during naturalistic parent-child play interactions was assessed for 66 children (M age = 17.3 months, SD = 4.6) within a year of being adopted internationally. Approximately 8 months later, children's salivary cortisol levels were measured immediately before as well as 15 and 30 min after a series of brief separations from the mother in an unfamiliar laboratory setting. Latent growth curve modeling indicated that experiencing more parental sensitivity predicted increased cortisol reactivity to the stressor. Although half the families received an intervention designed to improve parental sensitivity, the intervention did not significantly alter children's cortisol outcomes. These findings suggest that post-adoption parental sensitivity may help normalize the HPA response to stress among children adopted internationally.

Biological sensitivity to context: A test of the hypothesized U-shaped relation between early adversity and stress responsivity

“…Finally, emerging evidence suggests that exposure to highly nurturant and supportive family environments can also become biologically embedded in the functioning of stress response systems (Shirtcliff, Skinner, Obasi, & Haggerty, 2017). A growing empirical literature suggests that a subset of children growing up in stable, supportive contexts develop heightened physiological reactivity to challenging conditions (e.g., Alkon et al, 2014;Blair et al, 2008;DePasquale, Raby, Hoye, & Dozier, 2018;Ellis et al, 2005Ellis et al, , 2017Evans et al, 2013;Hackman et al, 2013;Luecken, Kraft, & Hagan, 2009). A common reactivity pattern among children in such supportive contexts is low basal activation of autonomic and adrenocortical systems, but strong responsivity to environmental challenges followed by fast recovery (Blair et al, 2008;Ellis et al, 2017;Hackman et al, 2013).…”

Early adversity and children's regulatory deficits: Does postadoption parenting facilitate recovery in postinstitutionalized children?

“…More structure and limit setting shortly after adoption is associated better behavioral regulation 8 months later (Lawler et al, 2017). Parental sensitivity is related to normalization of cortisol reactivity for families participating in a parenting intervention (DePasquale et al, 2018). Maternal sensitivity is associated with fewer disinhibited social engagement behaviors (van den Dries et al, 2012).…”

“…Despite noted improvements in some domains, there is substantial variability in children's development following adoption. While adoption represents vast improvements in care, research also shows that variation in adoptive parents’ caregiving abilities after entry into the family can influence subsequent child development (DePasquale, Raby, Hoye, & Dozier, 2018; Lawler, Koss, & Gunnar, 2017; van den Dries et al, 2012). However, less research has examined the role of specific forms of postadoption parenting that may promote recovery and lessen the impact of preadoption adversity on children's later regulation abilities.…”

Neural meaning making, prediction, and prefrontal–subcortical development following early adverse caregiving

“…This question has significant implications for interventions targeting mental health problems following crEA exposure. High quality family experiences are important for socio–emotional development of all children, but it may be especially important for children with a history of crEA exposure (e.g., Callaghan et al, 2019b; DePasquale, Raby, Hoye, & Dozier, 2018; Koss, Lawler, & Gunnar, 2020; Vantieghem et al, 2017), and adoptive and foster parent support groups often discuss the notion of needing to parent their children “differently.” Sattler and Font (2018) showed that at-risk children may need especially supportive environments to overcome the risks that they experience, perhaps reflecting the significant challenge of accommodating mPFC–subcortical-based schemas constructed from adverse caregiving experiences. Cues related to caregiving can vary in their potency.…”