Across continents and demographics, unpredictable maternal signals are associated with children's cognitive function.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Early life experiences have persisting influence on brain function throughout life. Maternal signals constitute a primary source of early life experiences, and their quantity and quality during sensitive developmental periods exert enduring effects on cognitive function and emotional and social behaviors. Here we examined if, in addition to established qualitative dimensions of maternal behavior during her interactions with her infant and child, patterns of maternal signals may contribute to the maturation of children's executive functions. We focused primarily on effortful control, a potent predictor of mental health outcomes later in life.

Methods

In two independent prospective cohorts in Turku, Finland (N = 135), and Irvine, CA, USA (N = 192) that differed sign

SUBMITTER: Davis EP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6710909 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature