Prenatal Exposure to Maternal Depression and Infant Vagal Tone at 3-Months: The Moderating Role of Maternal Parenting Quality Open Access

Morgan, Julia Elizabeth (2010)

Permanent URL: https://etd.library.emory.edu/concern/etds/xw42n827r?locale=en
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Abstract

Abstract
Prenatal Exposure to Maternal Depression and Infant Vagal Tone at 3 -Months:
The Moderating Role of Maternal Parenting Quality
By Julia E. Morgan
This study examined maternal parenting quality and infant cardiac vagal tone at 3-months
among 57 mother-infant dyads to test the hypothesis that the quality of the mothers'
parenting behaviors with their infants would moderate the association between prenatal
depression exposure and infant vulnerability to the later development of depression. All
women had a history of major depression and/or anxiety disorder and 40 of them
experienced at least a clinically significant level of depression symptoms, if not a
diagnosed episode of major depression, during pregnancy. Maternal parenting quality
was measured with rating scales that reflected parenting characteristics known to be early
life stressors to infants and that also assessed positive affect. Preliminary analyses
identified three distinct maternal parenting behavior constructs within the scales:
Sensitivity, Intrusiveness, and Withdrawal. Infant vulnerability to the later development
of depression was reflected in infant cardiac vagal tone, a psychophysiological measure
known to be associated with prenatal exposure to depression and with the development of
depression and psychopathology. Electrocardiogram (EKG) recordings were collected
during 5-minute freeplay dyads, which were also rated for maternal parenting quality.
Hierarchical regression analysis showed that while exposure to prenatal depression
significantly predicted infant vagal tone at 3-months (although not in the expected
direction), maternal parenting quality and the interaction between prenatal depression
exposure and maternal parenting quality did not account significantly for additional
variance in vagal tone. Results are discussed in terms of implications for future research.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Introduction………………………………………………………………………………..1

Method………………………………………………………………………………….....13

Results……………………………………………………………………………………...20

Discussion………………………………………………………………………………...26

References………………………………………………………………………………..32

Appendix……………………………………………………………………………..……39

Tables…………………………………………………………………………………...….50

1. Descriptive Statistics for Maternal Interactive Quality Rating Scales

2. Correlations Among Rating Scales in the Hypothesized Withdrawal Construct

3. Descriptive Statistics for Sensitivity, Intrusiveness, and Withdrawal Summary
Scales; Prenatal Depression Scores (BDI AUC); and Vagal Tone

4. Correlations Among Maternal Parenting Quality Summary Scales, Prenatal
Depression Scores (BDI AUC), and Vagal Tone

5. Summary of Hierarchical Regression Analysis for Variables Predicting Vagal
Tone

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