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Contains fulltext : 248345.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Closed access) Maternal prenatal distress is associated with child outcomes, including health, neurocognitive, and socio-emotional development. Knowledge on underlying mechanisms is limited, yet relevant for prevention and intervention. This study investigated whether maternal prenatal distress predicts specific caregiving practices that are known for their effects on child outcomes. Caregiving practices studied were maternal caregiving quality and the initiation and course of breastfeeding and room-sharing. We hypothesized that more maternal prenatal distress would be associated with altered caregiving practices. Participants were 174 healthy mother-child dyads. During the 37(th) week of pregnancy maternal self-reported distress was assessed using questionnaires, and physiological stress by collecting saliva cortisol. Maternal caregiving quality was observed in postnatal week 5 during infant bathing. Weekly diaries on breastfeeding and daily diaries on room-sharing were completed during the first 6 postnatal months. In a regression analysis, no associations between maternal prenatal distress and caregiving quality were found. Multilevel analyses indicated that maternal prenatal evening cortisol was positively related to the initiation of breastfeeding and room-sharing. Replications are warranted, but these results suggest that breastfeeding and room-sharing initiation may be part of a mechanism underlying links between maternal prenatal physiological stress and child outcomes. As other prenatal cortisol markers and self-reported distress were not found to be related to the caregiving practices, it is likely that alternative mechanisms (co-)exist in explaining links between maternal prenatal distress and child outcomes. Future replication research including child outcomes and (other) potential mechanisms will inform prevention and intervention programs fostering healthy pregnancies and child development. 15 p.

Contains fulltext : 293488.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Open Access) This commentary is based on the premise that the goal of scientific publications is to advance knowledge and inspire scientific discussion. First, the Nomura et al. paper is briefly summarized and shortly discussed to illustrate some of the challenges faced in this field, and suggestions for improvement are made. Then, the reader is invited to take a step back and reflect on how to continue investigating the effects of natural disasters on pregnant women and their children in the best possible manner. Additional suggestions are made for much-needed research on other types of severe maternal prenatal stress and on high-quality interventions for natural disasters. The goal is to stimulate reflection and exchange so that future choices made by researchers, funding bodies, and policymakers lead to substantial advances in the field of prenatal stress. 01 juli 2023

Contains fulltext : 294310.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Open Access) Aim: The recommendations of 6 months of exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) and parent-infant room-sharing (RS) are often not followed. As these early caregiving practices may have been affected by the COVID-19-related restrictions, we documented BF and RS practices in the Netherlands (2020-2021) and the effects of perceived perinatal healthcare support. Methods: Pregnant women and mothers of an infant younger than 6 months (N = 784) completed online questionnaires (e.g., demographic information, the impact of COVID-19 on their lives aspects, infant childcare practices) twice: at the beginning of the pandemic and when the infant reached 6 months of age. Results: The pandemic EBF practices mirrored pre-pandemic Dutch reports (17.8 %; Mduration = 3.4 months), while RS rates and duration seemingly doubled (30.6 %; Mduration = 3.98 months). Higher maternal education (r = 0.18) and multiparity (r = 0.08) were significantly associated with longer EBF, and similarly for education (r = 0.17) and multiparity (r = 0.11) with RS durations. Higher perceived perinatal healthcare support predicted shorter RS duration [β = -0.509, t(5,596) = -2.27, p = .023]. Conclusion: While the COVID-19 pandemic did not impact EBF, it may have promoted RS. The negative association between perinatal healthcare support and RS may suggest that parents who need more support from their providers also experience more challenges adhering to RS recommendations, yet this hypothesis remains to be corroborated. 9 p.

Maternal antenatal depression strongly influences child mental health but with considerable inter-individual variation that is, in part, linked to genotype. The challenge is to effectively capture the genotypic influence. We outline a novel approach to describe genomic susceptibility to maternal antenatal depression focusing on child emotional/behavioral difficulties. Two cohorts provided measures of maternal depression, child genetic variation, and child mental health symptoms. We constructed a conventional polygenic risk score (PRS) for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (PRSADHD) that significantly moderated the association between maternal antenatal depression and internalizing problems at 60 months (p = 2.94 x 10(-4), R-2 = .18). We then constructed an interaction PRS (xPRS) based on a subset of those single nucleotide polymorphisms from the PRSADHD that most accounted for the moderation of the association between maternal antenatal depression and child outcome. The interaction between maternal antenatal depression and this xPRS accounted for a larger proportion of the variance in child emotional/behavioral problems than models based on any PRSADHD (p = 5.50 x 10(-9), R-2 = .27), with similar findings in the replication cohort. The xPRS was significantly enriched for genes involved in neuronal development and synaptic function. Our study illustrates a novel approach to the study of genotypic moderation on the impact of maternal antenatal depression on child mental health and highlights the utility of the xPRS approach. These findings advance our understanding of individual differences in the developmental origins of mental health.

Contains fulltext : 162913.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Open Access) Background. Rotavirus (RV) is the leading cause of diarrhea-related death in children worldwide and ninety-five percent of RV deaths occur in Africa and Asia where rotavirus vaccines (RVV) have lower efficacy. We hypothesize that differences in intestinal microbiome composition correlate with the decreased RVV efficacy observed in poor settings. Methods. We conducted a nested, case-control study comparing pre-vaccination, fecal microbiome compositions between 6-week old, matched RVV-responders and non-responders in rural Ghana. These infants' microbiomes were then compared to 154 age-matched, healthy Dutch infants' microbiomes, assumed to be RVV-responders. Fecal microbiota analysis was performed in all groups using the Human Intestinal Tract Chip (HITChip). Results. 78 Ghanaian infants, equalling 39 RVV responder and non-responder pairs, were analysed. The overall microbiome composition was significantly different between RVV-responders and non-responders (FDR=0.12), and Ghanaian responders were more similar to Dutch infants than non-responders (p=0.002). RVV-response correlated with an increased abundance of Streptococcus bovis and a decreased abundance of the Bacteroidetes phylum in comparisons between Ghanaian RVV-responders and non-responders (FDR=0.008, FDR=0.003) as well as between Dutch infants and Ghanaian non-responders (FDR=0.002, FDR=0.009). Conclusions. The intestinal microbiome composition correlates significantly with RVV immunogenicity and may contribute to the diminished RVV immunogenicity observed in developing countries. 8 p.

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Item does not contain fulltext Verloskundigen melden dat ze steeds vaker zien dat zwangere vrouwen angstig zijn voor de bevalling, soms heel angstig, en zich zorgen maken over hun zwangerschap. Dit kan schadelijk zijn voor zowel moeder als kind. Het tijdig signaleren van dergelijke gevoelens verdient dan ook meer aandacht. Probleem daarbij is dat vooralsnog onduidelijk is hoe we dergelijker angstgevoelens kunnen verminderen. 2 p.

Contains fulltext : 167027.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Open Access) The present study investigated whether cortisol stress responses of 6-year-olds were associated with their behavioral functioning at school. Additionally, the moderating role of stress in the family environment was examined. To this end, 149 healthy children (Mage = 6.09 years; 70 girls) participated in an age-appropriate innovative social evaluative stress test. Saliva cortisol samples were collected six times during the stress test to calculate two indices of the cortisol stress response: cortisol stress reactivity and total stress cortisol. Teachers assessed children's internalizing, externalizing, and prosocial behaviors. Stress in the family environment was operationalized as maternally reported parenting stress. Results indicated a significant increase in cortisol concentrations in response to the stressor. No significant associations were found between cortisol stress responses and behavioral functioning at school and there was no evidence for moderation by maternal parenting stress. Potential theoretical and methodological explanations for these results are discussed. 8 p.

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Item does not contain fulltext The prenatal period is a critical window of development for all major physiological systems in the human body. During pregnancy, maternal prenatal psychosocial stress (PNS) and maternal obesity are identified as risk factors for infant and child health. Several possible mechanisms have been suggested to explain this link, including the transfer of maternal microbiota to offspring. PNS and maternal obesity may negatively affect maternal microbiota during pregnancy. By means of maternal microbial transfer in utero and at birth, PNS and maternal obesity could negatively affect the offspring's gut microbial colonisation. During delivery infants will come in contact with maternal vaginal and gut microbiota, and a spurt in infant gut colonisation will commence. Appropriate colonisation and gut microbiota development in new-borns are important for gut health, and therefore for child health and development. Results from animal and human studies show that PNS can affect the infant microbial composition. These findings need to be confirmed in large prospective cohort studies. In addition, a number of human studies indicate that maternal obesity may alter maternal gut microbiota and through vertical transfer of obesogenic maternal microbes may consequently predispose offspring to obesity. The relevance of these maternal obesogenic microbes in the infant's gut for weight trajectory over the life course requires further evaluation. In this chapter, we will review the current understanding of how PNS and maternal pregnancy obesity may affect maternal gut microbiota and consequently infant microbiota and health. We will also discuss recent findings concerning proposed mechanisms of action. Finally, we will offer recommendations for clinical practice and future research.

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Contains fulltext : 139818.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Closed access) AIM: To determine whether young childless adults show negative emotions and cognitive disturbances when listening to infant crying, compared to other disturbing noises, and whether negative emotions and cognitive disturbances are associated. METHODS: We tested the cognitive performances and emotional reactions of 120 childless participants on a working memory task while being subjected to different disturbing noises including infant crying. RESULTS: Participants had the least correct trials on the working memory task, and showed the most negative emotions, when hearing infant crying as compared to the other noises. Participants also showed less positive emotions when hearing infant crying as compared to working in silence. Overall, negative emotions were associated with less correct trials on the working memory task, except in the infant crying condition. Furthermore, cognitive performance and emotional reactions to infant crying were unrelated to personality characteristics. CONCLUSION: Negative emotions and cognitive disturbances may be general adult responses to infant crying that are not limited to parents. These results suggest a broadly present human emotional and cognitive response to infant crying, that may underlie a general predisposition to care for infants in distress.

Contains fulltext : 116885.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Closed access) The goal of the present study was to develop a stress paradigm to elicit cortisol secretory responses in a group of 5- and 6-year-old children as a whole. To this end, we tested a paradigm containing elements of social evaluative threat, unpredictability and uncontrollability, and with a duration of 20 min. The Children's Reactions to Evaluation Stress Test is composed of three short tasks that children have to perform in front of a judge. The tasks are rigged so as to provoke (partial) failure in the child's performance. Participants were 42 children (M = 68.0 months, SD = 4.3). Six saliva samples were taken during the testing session to obtain cortisol measurements of baseline concentrations, stress reactivity, and recovery. Our findings showed that this paradigm was effective in provoking a significant increase in salivary cortisol concentration in the group as a whole, with no effects of possible confounders (child's sex, age or school, parental educational level, time of testing, sex of experimenter, and sex of judge). The mean cortisol concentration increase for the group was 127.5% (SD = 190.9); 61% of the children could be classified as reactors (mean increase of 214%, SD = 201.5), and 39% as non-reactors (mean decrease of 7.8%, SD = 16.8). To our knowledge, this is the first study in this age group that shows a significant cortisol response for the group as a whole to a standardized laboratory paradigm. As such, this paradigm is a promising tool to be used in future research on early life interactions between physiology and psychology.

Item does not contain fulltext Exclusion and victimization by classmates were related to levels and diurnal change in cortisol in 97 fourth graders (53% boys, M = 9.3 years). Number and quality of friendships were considered as moderators. Salivary cortisol was collected 5 times daily on 2 school days. Excluded children had elevated cortisol levels at school and a flattened diurnal cortisol curve, suggesting hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenocortical (HPA) axis dysregulation. This effect was weaker for children with more friends or better friendships. Victimization was not associated with cortisol level or change. The results demonstrate the role of HPA activity in peer group processes and indicate that group and dyadic factors interact in predicting stress in the peer group. 15 p.

Item does not contain fulltext The aim of this study is to investigate to what extent vacation has positive effects on health and well-being, how long such effects last after work resumption, and how vacation activities and experiences play a role in these relationships. Based on a systematic literature search (Psycinfo, Medline) and methodological inclusion criteria, we selected 8 studies to answer our research questions. The results indicated that vacation improves psychological health, but these effects seem to fade out rather quickly. Our research further demonstrated that vacation activities and experiences have hardly been studied. Based on our review, we come up with some methodological and theoretical recommendations for future research in this area. 1 p.

Contains fulltext : 56625.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Closed access) 178 p.

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Contains fulltext : 181416.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Open Access) A major player of the human stress system is the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis producing cortisol as primary hormonal end product. Alterations in cortisol production have been associated with health, making it important to understand HPA-axis functioning. This is especially important in childhood since during childhood HPA-axis functioning is developing, can be modified by interventions, and is susceptible to environmental factors. This dissertation focused on dynamics, development, early life predictors, and current correlates of HPA-axis functioning in childhood. Data of the ongoing prospective longitudinal BIBO project, following a cohort of typically developing children, were used. Results indicated, amongst other things, that a cortisol index of HPA-axis functioning showed developmental change between the ages of 1 and 6 years, and that maternal distress early in children’s lives, both pre- and postnatal, was associated with children’s later cortisol. These results indicate that early childhood is an important developmental period for HPA-axis functioning. Radboud University, 23 februari 2018 Promotores : Weerth, C. de, Cillessen, A.H.N. 159 p.

Contains fulltext : 197002.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Open Access) Radboud University, 06 november 2018 Promotores : Weerth, C. de, Riksen-Walraven, J.M.A. Co-promotor : Beijers, R. 180 p.

Kinderen die op jonge leeftijd een hoge mate van agressief gedrag laten zien hebben een verhoogd risico op problemen later in de ontwikkeling. Blootstelling aan risicofactoren tijdens de prenatale periode is in verband gebracht met de ontwikkeling van agressief gedrag. Echter, de mate waarin deze risicofactoren de ontwikkeling van het kind beïnvloeden hangt deels af van de eigenschappen van het individuele kind, waaronder het vermogen tot zelfregulatie. In dit proefschrift is onderzocht hoe zelfregulatie, gemeten op fysiologisch, emotioneel en cognitief niveau, en prenatale risicofactoren de kwetsbaarheid voor agressief gedrag in de vroege kinderleeftijd vergroten en in hoeverre prenatale risicofactoren samenhangen met vroege zelfregulatie. Geconcludeerd kan worden dat 1) kinderen in de voorschoolse leeftijd met een verhoogde mate van agressief gedrag gekenmerkt worden door een specifieke combinatie van tekorten in zelfregulatie op emotioneel en cognitief niveau, 2) de impact van prenatale risicofactoren op de ontwikkeling van fysieke agressie in de peuterleeftijd afhankelijk is van fysiologische zelfregulatie in de babytijd, en 3) blootstelling aan prenatale risicofactoren voorspellend is voor fysiologische zelfregulatie in de babytijd. Deze bevindingen suggereren dat (preventieve) interventieprogramma’s ter voorkoming van agressief gedrag zich moeten richten op zowel beïnvloeden van prenatale omstandigheden als zelfregulatie in de vroege kindertijd.

Contains fulltext : 179058.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Open Access) Radboud University, 22 december 2017 Promotores : Weerth, C. de, Riksen-Walraven, J.M.A. 241 p.

The general aim of the studies in this dissertation is to provide more insight in the role of family characteristics, parent characteristics, and child characteristics in early child emotion socialization and children’s social-emotional development. In Chapter 2 the degree to which fathers and mothers elaborate on emotions with their daughters and sons is examined from toddlerhood to preschool age. In addition, the role of gender stereotypes in parents’ use of emotion talk is examined. Chapter 3 reports on the role of the gender combination of siblings on everyday (emotion-related) parent-child interactions. Chapter 4 focuses on the potential influence of the proportion of male siblings in fathers’ and mothers’ family of origin on their current gender-typed parenting characteristics, including parents’ gendered use of emotion talk. In addition to a direct relation between parents’ family background and their gender-typed parenting, an indirect effect through parents’ testosterone levels is tested. In Chapter 5 a mediation model is tested in which the link between parents’ psychopathology symptoms and preschoolers’ social-emotional functioning is mediated by the degree to which parents elaborate on negative emotions with their children. Finally, in Chapter 6 the main findings of these empirical studies are reviewed and integrated.

Contains fulltext : 126372.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Open Access) Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen, 11 februari 2014 Promotor : Riksen-Walraven, J.M.A. Co-promotor : Weerth, C. de 133 p.

Contains fulltext : 98576.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Open Access) Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen, 29 oktober 2012 Promotor : Riksen-Walraven, J.M.A. Co-promotor : Weerth, C. de 227 p.

Contains fulltext : 99788.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Open Access) Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen, 15 maart 2011 Promotor : Riksen-Walraven, J.M.A. Co-promotor : Weerth, C. de 149 p.

Contains fulltext : 90648.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Open Access) RU Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen, 22 juni 2010 Promotor : Riksen-Walraven, J.M.A. Co-promotor : Weerth, C. de 119 p.