The association between prenatal exposure to cigarettes and infant and maternal negative affect

Abstract

This study examined the association between prenatal exposure to cigarettes and infant and maternal negative affect. Participants were 115 mother-infant dyads (69 prenatally exposed to cigarettes and 46 nonexposed). Infant and maternal negative affect were both assessed during the neonatal period (2-4 weeks of age) and again at 7 months of infant age. Results indicated that only prenatal exposure to cigarettes predicted infant negative affect. Infants who were prenatally exposed to more cigarettes had higher levels of negative affect at both time points. Furthermore, regression analyses indicated that both infant and maternal negative affect during the neonatal period predicted maternal negative affect at 7 months of age. These results highlight the importance of considering the reciprocal relationship between infant and maternal behavior when examining developmental outcomes among infants prenatally exposed to cigarettes.Keywords prenatal exposure to cigarettes; infant negative affect; maternal negative affect; cross-lagged panel design Prenatal exposure to cigarettes has consistently been associated with adverse perinatal outcomes (Abel, 1980;Fried & O'Connell, 1987;Fried & Oxorn, 1980;Olsen, Pereira, & Olsen, 1991). In addition, a growing body of research has documented an association between prenatal exposure to cigarettes and deficits in affective behaviors and regulation. Exposed infants have been found to show deficits in arousal and attention throughout the first year of life (Franco et al., 1999;Franco et al., 2000;Fried & Makin, 1987;Jacobson, Fein, Jacobson, Schwartz & Dowler, 1984;Picone, Allen, Olsen, & Ferris, 1982;Saxton, 1978;Schuetze & Eiden, 2006;Schuetze & Zeskind, 2001;Streissguth, Barr, & Martin, 1983). Studies have also found differences in affective behaviors among exposed infants as compared to nonexposed infants as early as the neonatal period and persisting into childhood. Specifically, studies with infants and toddlers who were prenatally exposed to cigarettes have found evidence of increased irritability (Brook, Brook & Whiteman, 2000;Jacobson et al., 1984 Publisher's Disclaimer: This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof before it is published in its final citable form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain. Corneal, 2001;Ramsay, Bendersky, & Lewis, 1996;Schuetze & Zeskind, 2001). The extent to which these effects are due to the direct, teratological impact of prenatal exposure to cigarettes or are mediated by other maternal factors that are associated with maternal smoking is not clear. NIH Public AccessPrevious studies highlight the importance of examining both direct and indirect pathways to the development of affect among cigarette-expo...

Maternal self-regulation, relationship adjustment, and home chaos: Contributions to infant negative emotionality

“…Similarly, Leve et al (In Press) reported a negative zero-order association between maternal inhibition, an aspect of executive functioning, and toddler NE at 27 months of age. Although mechanisms of direct effects have not frequently been considered, two possibilities include prenatal (e.g., Schuetze & Rina, 2007) or genetic (e.g., Bell & Deater-Deckard, 2007) mechanisms. However, indirect, or mediated effects, wherein parental self-regulation influences aspects of the home environment, which subsequently act to influence children, represents another potential mechanism of influence.…”

Prenatal nicotine changes the response to postnatal chlorpyrifos: Interactions targeting serotonergic synaptic function and cognition

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Prenatal tobacco exposure: Developmental outcomes in the neonatal period.

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