Oxytocin Receptor Single-Nucleotide Polymorphisms Are Related to Maternal-Infant Co-Occupation and Infant Sensory Processing.

Background: Caregiver-infant reciprocity is related to infant/toddler development and health. However, there is a dearth of research on reciprocity variables like co-occupation and developmental variables such as infant/toddler sensory processing/preferences, and it is important to understand the biopsychosocial mediators of these relations. These include novel genetic markers like maternal oxytocin receptor single-nucleotide polymorphisms (OXTR SNPs).

Trauma History Questionnaire: validation with novel samples of incarcerated women and perinatal women.

Trauma exposure is associated with numerous negative outcomes, many of which are amplified within at-risk populations. Two under-researched and at-risk populations, incarcerated women and perinatal women, both report high rates of trauma, psychopathology, and PTSD compared to the general population. One common measure of trauma exposure in various populations, including incarcerated women and perinatal women, is the Trauma History Questionnaire (THQ).

Associations among Maternal Trauma History, Postnatal Maternal Sensitivity, and Infant Temperament.

Women are at increased risk of trauma exposure and of experiencing prolonged posttraumatic stress. Maternal trauma exposure and associated impairment may adversely impact mother-infant interaction quality, which may in turn be associated with infant temperament difficulties. More research is needed to identify which maternal trauma predictors are most robustly related to infant temperament outcomes.

Socioeconomic resources moderate the relationship between maternal prenatal obsessive-compulsive symptoms and infant negative affectivity.

Perinatal maternal depression, anxiety, and stress are associated with poor infant outcomes. However, no known study has investigated the effects of perinatal maternal obsessive-compulsive symptomatology on infant outcomes while considering important situational factors such as socioeconomic resources. Therefore, we investigated the effects of prenatal and postnatal obsessive-compulsive symptomatology on infant behavioral reactivity, beyond the effects of postnatal depressive symptomatology, at 6 months of age.

Placenta DNA methylation levels of the promoter region of the leptin receptor gene are associated with infant cortisol.

The intrauterine environment and early life stress regulation are widely recognized as an early foundation for lifelong physical and mental health. Methylation of CpG sites in the placenta represents an epigenetic modification that can potentially affect placental function, influence fetal development, and ultimately impact the health of offspring by programming the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis stress response during prenatal development. Leptin, an adipokine produced by the placenta, is essential for energy homeostasis.

Prenatal depression moderates the relationship between maternal trauma exposure and cortisol production and predicts breastfeeding behavior.

Trauma exposure is associated with many negative outcomes for women during the prenatal and postnatal periods, including increased antenatal depressive symptomatology and dysregulation of the body's stress responses. Trauma exposure and its consequences are also tied to women's ability to breastfeed, a crucial component in maternal and infant health. Cortisol is biologically relevant to the breastfeeding process, and is also associated with depressive symptoms, which may interfere with women's ability to successfully maintain breastfeeding.

Proteasome activity modulates amyloid toxicity.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is responsible for 60%-80% of identified cases of dementia. While the generation and accumulation of amyloid precursor protein (APP) fragments is accepted as a key step in AD pathogenesis, the precise role of these fragments remains poorly understood. To overcome this deficit, we induced the expression of the soluble C-terminal fragment of APP (C99), the rate-limiting peptide for the generation of amyloid fragments, in yeast that contain thermosensitive mutations in genes encoding proteasome subunits.

Diet Quality and Mental Health Status among Division 1 Female Collegiate Athletes during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The International Olympic Committee has identified mental health as a priority that significantly affects the physical health and safety of collegiate athletes. Interventions that improve diet quality have been shown to improve mental health in several populations. However, studies are needed to examine this relationship in female collegiate athletes, who have elevated risk of experiencing anxiety and depression symptoms, as well as dietary insufficiencies.

Perinatal Maternal Mental Health and Breastfeeding Are Associated with Infant and Toddler Sensory Profiles.

Infants' sensory processing may impact their development and daily functioning in multiple domains, as does the mental health of their mothers. Little research has been conducted exploring the novel construct of sensory processing in relation to maternal mental health and arguably one of the most important co-occupations during this sensitive time (i.e.

A Cohort Study of Relations Among Caregiver-Infant Co-Occupation and Reciprocity.

Co-occupation is the mutual engagement of two people in a shared occupation. Recent research has investigated co-occupational activities during sensitive periods to inform clinical practice. However, there remains a dearth of applied research to bridge gaps between research and practice within salient co-occupational relationships between caregivers and infants.

A Moderated Mediation Model of Maternal Perinatal Stress, Anxiety, Infant Perceptions and Breastfeeding.

This study examined a moderated mediation model of relations among maternal perinatal stress/anxiety, breastfeeding difficulties (mediator), misperceptions of infant crying (moderator), and maternal breastfeeding duration to understand risk factors for early breastfeeding termination. It was hypothesized that more breastfeeding difficulties would mediate the relation between greater prenatal stress/anxiety and shorter breastfeeding duration, and that perceptions of response to infant crying as spoiling would moderate the relation between more breastfeeding difficulties and reduced breastfeeding duration. Additionally, it was hypothesized that participants who breastfed through 6 months would demonstrate less postnatal stress/anxiety and there would be a positive relation between fewer breastfeeding difficulties and less postnatal stress/anxiety through 6 months.

Hepatitis C Treatment Cascade in a Federally Qualified Health Center.

Hepatitis C (HCV) care cascades have been described in diverse clinical settings, patient populations and countries, highlighting the steps in HCV care where improvements can be made and resources allocated. However, more research is needed to examine barriers to HCV treatment in rural, underserved populations and in Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs). As part of a quality improvement (QI) project, this study aimed to describe and evaluate the HCV treatment cascade in an FQHC serving a large rural patient population in the Western United States.

The Reciprocity Team: Development of an Interprofessional Research Collaboration.

The purpose of this article is to articulate and provide detail about an interprofessional research collaboration at a public university in a rural area of western United States. This interprofessional research collaboration was organized to explore infant and maternal reciprocity. As a part of the organization and process portion of the collaborative effort, the authors identify the unique attributes of their collaboration.

Multiple Biomarkers of Maternal Iron Predict Infant Cognitive Outcomes.

This study examined relations between multiple measures of maternal iron status assessed 3 months post-partum, and infant processing speed (longest look during visual habituation), memory (novelty preference), attention (heart rate changes), and neural response variability (in auditory event-related potentials) at 3 and 9 months. Plasma iron was associated with 9-month novelty preference and longest look, and developmental changes in longest look. Hemoglobin predicted sustained attention, and both plasma iron and soluble transferrin receptors predicted neural response variability at 9 months.

Maternal pre-pregnancy obesity and gestational weight gain influence neonatal neurobehaviour.

Maternal weight before and during pregnancy is associated with offspring neurobehaviour in childhood. We investigated maternal weight prior to and during pregnancy in relation to neonatal neurobehaviour. We hypothesized that maternal obesity and excessive gestational weight gain would be associated with poor neonatal attention and affective functioning.

Relationships among Socioeconomic Status, Dietary Intake, and Stress in Breastfeeding Women.

Background: As breastfeeding duration increases, it is important to understand diets of breastfeeding women and other factors salient to maternal/offspring health, including stress. It is important to further consider sociodemographic factors, given their associations with nutritional deficiencies and perceived stress.

Objective: We cross-sectionally compared breastfeeding women's dietary intakes from a food frequency questionnaire (assessing from pregnancy through 3 months postpartum) with Estimated Average Requirements (EARs).

Pre-pregnancy obesity and maternal circadian cortisol regulation: Moderation by gestational weight gain.

We investigated main and interactive effects of maternal pre-pregnancy obesity and gestational weight gain on circadian cortisol from the second to third trimester. A diverse sample of 215 pregnant women was enrolled. Maternal height and most recent pre-pregnancy weight were collected at study initiation (22% obese).

Lifetime major depression and comorbid disorders among current-era women veterans.

Background: Most research on women veterans' mental health has focused on postraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or reactions to military sexual trauma. Although depression is also a frequent diagnosis among women veterans, little is known about its characteristics, including comorbid conditions and patterns of disorder onset. We investigated lifetime diagnoses of major depressive disorder (MDD) and comorbid conditions in a primarily treatment-seeking research sample of male and female veterans to determine frequency of lifetime MDD, comorbid disorders and their temporal onset.

Enhancing information pertaining to client characteristics to facilitate evidence-based practice.

Objective: Evidence-based practice (EBP) includes utilization of empirically supported treatments, application of clinical expertise, and consideration of client characteristics. The following brief report aims to elucidate barriers in the study and dissemination of research regarding these client characteristics.

Design: Authors examined empirical papers cited on psychologicaltreatments.

Interactive relations among maternal depressive symptomatology, nutrition, and parenting.

Theoretical models linking maternal nutrition, depressive symptomatology, and parenting are underdeveloped. However, existing literature suggests that iron status and depressive symptomatology interact in relation to problematic parenting styles (authoritarian, permissive). Therefore, in the current study the authors investigate these interactive relations in a sample of breastfeeding mothers (n = 105) interviewed at three months postpartum.

Infant responsiveness, alertness, haemoglobin and growth in rural Sidama, Ethiopia.

Several recent studies have supported relations between infant behaviour (alertness and responsiveness) and nutrition in addition to investigating infant behaviour within the context of changes in iron status over time. Existing research is typically limited to the investigation of the effects of a single vitamin or mineral, and no studies have been found that examined the influence that early alertness and responsiveness have on growth in early infancy, despite the fact that relations between behaviour and nutritional status may be bidirectional. The current study used a sample of Ethiopian infants and investigated anthropometrics, haemoglobin, the frequency of alertness and the frequency of responsiveness at 6 and 9 months of age.

Hemoglobin, growth, and attention of infants in southern Ethiopia.

Male and female infants from rural Ethiopia were tested to investigate relations among hemoglobin (Hb), anthropometry, and attention. A longitudinal design was used to examine differences in attention performance from 6 (M = 24.9 weeks, n = 89) to 9 months of age (M = 40.

The role of iron in neurocognitive development.

In this article we present a review of the current literature relating iron and iron deficiency to psychological and neurobiological outcomes in both humans and experimental animals. In particular, we focus on the role of iron during gestation and infancy and the possible impact on neurobehavioral development in the short and long term. In the context of reviewing this literature, the following questions are addressed: (1) What are the neural mechanisms that are directly influenced by iron and iron deficiency? (2) Does iron play a true causal role in determining these outcomes? (3) Is there a sensitive period during which iron deficiency is most harmful?