International Journal of Behavioral Medicine, Apr 14, 2020
Background.The study examined the association between prenatal tobacco or co-exposure to tobacco ... more Background.The study examined the association between prenatal tobacco or co-exposure to tobacco and cannabis and children’s cortisol reactivity at kindergarten age, and the role of child sex, maternal negative mood (depression/perceived stress), and parenting behavior during play interactions as moderators of this association.Methods.The sample was 238 mother-child dyads (67 tobacco users, 83 co-users of tobacco and cannabis, and 88 non-users). Data used were obtained from pregnancy assessments, and six postnatal assessments at 2, 9, 16, 24, 36 months, and kindergarten age. Infant cortisol was measured in response to two laboratory stress paradigms.Results.Co-exposed children had a significantly greater decrease from pre-stressor to post-stressor and overall lower cortisol response compared to non-exposed children. This association was moderated by maternal harshness during play interactions across early childhood. Co-exposed children had flatter cortisol responses regardless of the mother’s level of harshness or stress/depression. However, non-exposed children who experienced low harshness had the normative cortisol peak 20 minutes post-stressor while non-exposed children with high maternal harshness had a flatter cortisol pattern. Similarly, non-exposed children with more depressed/stressed mothers had higher pre-stressor cortisol levels while those who experienced low maternal depression/stress had lower pre-stressor cortisol but peaked post-stress.Conclusions.Results suggest that prenatal polysubstance exposure is associated with greater risk for lower cortisol response in children, and highlight the role of parenting behavior for non-exposed but not the co-exposed children.
This study investigated the longitudinal associations among prenatal substance use, socioeconomic... more This study investigated the longitudinal associations among prenatal substance use, socioeconomic adversity, parenting (maternal warmth, sensitivity and harshness), children’s self-regulation (internalization of rules and conscience), and conduct problems from infancy to middle childhood (grade 2). Three competing conceptual models including cascade (indirect or mediated), additive (cumulative), and transactional (bidirectional) effects were tested and compared. The sample consisted of 216 low-income families (primary caretaker and children; 51% girls; 74% African American). Using a repeated-measures, multi-method, multi-informant design, a series of full panel models were specified. Findings primarily supported a developmental cascade model, and there was some support for additive effects. More specifically, maternal prenatal substance use and socioeconomic adversity in infancy were prospectively associated with lower levels of maternal sensitivity. Subsequently, lower maternal sensitivity was associated with decreases in children’s conscience in early childhood, and in turn, lower conscience predicted increases in teacher-reported conduct problems in middle childhood. There was also a second pathway from sustained maternal depression (in infancy and toddlerhood) to early childhood conduct problems. These findings demonstrated how processes of risk and resilience collectively contributed to children’s early-onset conduct problems.
This study was designed to assess whether prenatal cocaine exposure (PCE) is associated with sex ... more This study was designed to assess whether prenatal cocaine exposure (PCE) is associated with sex differences in behavior problems in middle childhood and whether there are sex differences in the way in which parasympathetic functioning mediates the relations between PCE and behavior problems within a diverse low-income sample. Participants included 164 high risk mother-child dyads including 89 PC exposed children and 75 control children participating in an ongoing longitudinal study. Respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) was measured to assess parasympathetic functioning at 13 months of age and maternal reports of child behavior problems were collected at 7 years of age. Results revealed no significant association between PCE and behavior problems for the full sample. A 2X2 Anova revealed a significant interaction between PCE and child sex on internalizing, externalizing, and total behavior problems (F (3, 160) = 13.45, p < .001) with cocaine exposed females averaging the highest behavior problem scores. Results also revealed a statistically significant indirect effect linking cocaine exposure to lower externalizing problems via lower baseline RSA among males. Findings indicate that cocaine exposed females may be more vulnerable to developing behavior problems than cocaine exposed males and that high baseline RSA may present a sex specific risk factor for externalizing problems among exposed males.
This prospective study examined the effects of early childhood physical aggression and violence e... more This prospective study examined the effects of early childhood physical aggression and violence exposure on bullying victimization/perpetration and attitudes toward guns and violence in early adolescence (EA) in a high-risk sample. Participants included 216 mother-child dyads from an ongoing longitudinal study using multi-method assessments (e.g., classroom observations, laboratory assessment, parent-, teacher-, and child self-reports). Results supported a developmental pathway from early adversity (i.e., prenatal substance use) to aggression at kindergarten age to bullying perpetration and gun violence attitudes (aggressive responses to shame) in EA. Higher peer victimization was also associated with aggressive responses to shame in EA. Results are discussed in light of the complexity of the motives for aggression and the need for prevention and early intervention.
PurposeThe current study examined how early childhood (EC) family violence and risk (i.e., matern... more PurposeThe current study examined how early childhood (EC) family violence and risk (i.e., maternal aggression, sibling aggression, environmental risk) predicted early adolescent (EA) reactive physical and relational aggression and violence victimization through middle childhood (MC) parenting (i.e., guilt induction, power assertive discipline).MethodMother-infant dyads (N = 216; 72% African American) were recruited as part of a larger longitudinal study on prenatal cocaine and other substance exposure. Observations, interviews, and maternal and child self-report measures were collected from dyads in early childhood (1 to 36 months), middle childhood (84 months), and early adolescence (12 to 15 years).ResultsA cascading path model was specified where current variables were regressed on variables from the preceding time point. Primary results showed that environmental risk and EC child physical aggression predicted higher levels of MC caregiver power assertive discipline, which subsequently predicted lower levels of EA reactive relational aggression. Maternal substance use in pregnancy and the child’s continuous placement with biological caregivers predicted higher levels of reactive physical aggression in EA. Finally, MC physical aggression and EA reactive relational aggression predicted higher levels of EA violence victimization.ConclusionThere were a series of direct paths from early childhood family violence and demographic factors to reactive aggression and violence victimization. The current study underscores the importance of evaluating multiple facets of family violence and risk when evaluating aggressive behavior and victimization.
International Journal of Behavioral Medicine, Apr 14, 2020
Background.The study examined the association between prenatal tobacco or co-exposure to tobacco ... more Background.The study examined the association between prenatal tobacco or co-exposure to tobacco and cannabis and children’s cortisol reactivity at kindergarten age, and the role of child sex, maternal negative mood (depression/perceived stress), and parenting behavior during play interactions as moderators of this association.Methods.The sample was 238 mother-child dyads (67 tobacco users, 83 co-users of tobacco and cannabis, and 88 non-users). Data used were obtained from pregnancy assessments, and six postnatal assessments at 2, 9, 16, 24, 36 months, and kindergarten age. Infant cortisol was measured in response to two laboratory stress paradigms.Results.Co-exposed children had a significantly greater decrease from pre-stressor to post-stressor and overall lower cortisol response compared to non-exposed children. This association was moderated by maternal harshness during play interactions across early childhood. Co-exposed children had flatter cortisol responses regardless of the mother’s level of harshness or stress/depression. However, non-exposed children who experienced low harshness had the normative cortisol peak 20 minutes post-stressor while non-exposed children with high maternal harshness had a flatter cortisol pattern. Similarly, non-exposed children with more depressed/stressed mothers had higher pre-stressor cortisol levels while those who experienced low maternal depression/stress had lower pre-stressor cortisol but peaked post-stress.Conclusions.Results suggest that prenatal polysubstance exposure is associated with greater risk for lower cortisol response in children, and highlight the role of parenting behavior for non-exposed but not the co-exposed children.
This study investigated the longitudinal associations among prenatal substance use, socioeconomic... more This study investigated the longitudinal associations among prenatal substance use, socioeconomic adversity, parenting (maternal warmth, sensitivity and harshness), children’s self-regulation (internalization of rules and conscience), and conduct problems from infancy to middle childhood (grade 2). Three competing conceptual models including cascade (indirect or mediated), additive (cumulative), and transactional (bidirectional) effects were tested and compared. The sample consisted of 216 low-income families (primary caretaker and children; 51% girls; 74% African American). Using a repeated-measures, multi-method, multi-informant design, a series of full panel models were specified. Findings primarily supported a developmental cascade model, and there was some support for additive effects. More specifically, maternal prenatal substance use and socioeconomic adversity in infancy were prospectively associated with lower levels of maternal sensitivity. Subsequently, lower maternal sensitivity was associated with decreases in children’s conscience in early childhood, and in turn, lower conscience predicted increases in teacher-reported conduct problems in middle childhood. There was also a second pathway from sustained maternal depression (in infancy and toddlerhood) to early childhood conduct problems. These findings demonstrated how processes of risk and resilience collectively contributed to children’s early-onset conduct problems.
This study was designed to assess whether prenatal cocaine exposure (PCE) is associated with sex ... more This study was designed to assess whether prenatal cocaine exposure (PCE) is associated with sex differences in behavior problems in middle childhood and whether there are sex differences in the way in which parasympathetic functioning mediates the relations between PCE and behavior problems within a diverse low-income sample. Participants included 164 high risk mother-child dyads including 89 PC exposed children and 75 control children participating in an ongoing longitudinal study. Respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) was measured to assess parasympathetic functioning at 13 months of age and maternal reports of child behavior problems were collected at 7 years of age. Results revealed no significant association between PCE and behavior problems for the full sample. A 2X2 Anova revealed a significant interaction between PCE and child sex on internalizing, externalizing, and total behavior problems (F (3, 160) = 13.45, p < .001) with cocaine exposed females averaging the highest behavior problem scores. Results also revealed a statistically significant indirect effect linking cocaine exposure to lower externalizing problems via lower baseline RSA among males. Findings indicate that cocaine exposed females may be more vulnerable to developing behavior problems than cocaine exposed males and that high baseline RSA may present a sex specific risk factor for externalizing problems among exposed males.
This prospective study examined the effects of early childhood physical aggression and violence e... more This prospective study examined the effects of early childhood physical aggression and violence exposure on bullying victimization/perpetration and attitudes toward guns and violence in early adolescence (EA) in a high-risk sample. Participants included 216 mother-child dyads from an ongoing longitudinal study using multi-method assessments (e.g., classroom observations, laboratory assessment, parent-, teacher-, and child self-reports). Results supported a developmental pathway from early adversity (i.e., prenatal substance use) to aggression at kindergarten age to bullying perpetration and gun violence attitudes (aggressive responses to shame) in EA. Higher peer victimization was also associated with aggressive responses to shame in EA. Results are discussed in light of the complexity of the motives for aggression and the need for prevention and early intervention.
PurposeThe current study examined how early childhood (EC) family violence and risk (i.e., matern... more PurposeThe current study examined how early childhood (EC) family violence and risk (i.e., maternal aggression, sibling aggression, environmental risk) predicted early adolescent (EA) reactive physical and relational aggression and violence victimization through middle childhood (MC) parenting (i.e., guilt induction, power assertive discipline).MethodMother-infant dyads (N = 216; 72% African American) were recruited as part of a larger longitudinal study on prenatal cocaine and other substance exposure. Observations, interviews, and maternal and child self-report measures were collected from dyads in early childhood (1 to 36 months), middle childhood (84 months), and early adolescence (12 to 15 years).ResultsA cascading path model was specified where current variables were regressed on variables from the preceding time point. Primary results showed that environmental risk and EC child physical aggression predicted higher levels of MC caregiver power assertive discipline, which subsequently predicted lower levels of EA reactive relational aggression. Maternal substance use in pregnancy and the child’s continuous placement with biological caregivers predicted higher levels of reactive physical aggression in EA. Finally, MC physical aggression and EA reactive relational aggression predicted higher levels of EA violence victimization.ConclusionThere were a series of direct paths from early childhood family violence and demographic factors to reactive aggression and violence victimization. The current study underscores the importance of evaluating multiple facets of family violence and risk when evaluating aggressive behavior and victimization.
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