Beschrijving
Affective touch is widely recognised as crucial for the healthy development of infants. This is evidenced by the far-reaching role of C-Tactile afferents, an essential subclass of unmyelinated low-threshold mechano-sensitive skin fibers that conduct affective information about gentle interpersonal touch (McGlone et al., 2014). However, studying infants is challenging and standardized laboratory studies often require a more flexible and ecologically valid setting. However, various contextual factors may confound results. For instance, the use of oil might enhance the effects of affective touch (Field et al., 1996). Additionally, changes in the parents’ behaviors, such as engaging in other movement or activity while interacting with their infant, may cause metabolic changes which affect either of their cardiorespiratory parameters. Our prior work found that 3-min maternal gentle stroking touch increased infant parasympathetic activity, relative to apre-stroking no-touch resting baseline (Authors, 2019). The aim of this current study was to test how manipulating mother’s movements during active no-touch baselines pre and post 3-minute stroking touch, as well as stroking with or without oil, may influence mother-infant cardiorespiratory parameters.
Methods. We tested the effect of a 3-min stroking touch period on mother-infant
physiological regulation relative to active no-touch baselines pre and post stroking touch. The goal of these active baselines was to stabilize the mother's metabolic activity, by asking them to stroke a pillow. Throughout the entire experiment mothers held their baby horizontally, but away from their chest, to control for vestibular proprioceptive effects. We also tested the physiological effects of using oil during stroking touch by conducting the experiment twice within each dyad on two consecutive days, once with and once without oil (counterbalanced). Electrocardiogram (ECG) and respiration of 21 mother-infant dyads (infants aged 5-14 weeks) were measured to calculate RR-intervals (RRI), respiration rates (fR) and respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA).
Results. Infants’ RSA significantly increased during the post-stroking active baseline, but not during the stroking touch period, indicating a delayed effect of stroking touch on infant cardio respiration. The use or omission of oil did not influence infant cardio respiration.
Conclusion. Prior work with resting no-touch baselines pre and post stroking touch found that infant RSA increased during stroking touch, and continued increasing after. The delay we observed may be attributed to infants acclimating to mothers' continued movement. These results underscore the impact of experimental manipulations and the need for ecological designs when studying parent-infant populations.
Next Steps. Expanding on these insights, we will also present methods and preliminary results for an ongoing project "Sensitouch", which investigates the impact of the parental context on infant affective touch sensitivity. Existing research relies on retrospective, cross-sectional, and laboratory studies in the infant, the mother, or at best the mother-infant dyad. This project takes a novel approach by prospectively examining affective touch sensitivity (CT-sensitivity) in infants in the first six months of life within the broad parental context. The goal is to achieve a triadic understanding of CT-sensitivity development in early life, thereby better discerning associated risk and protective factors, ultimately enhancing prevention and intervention efforts.
| Periode | 11 jul. 2024 |
|---|---|
| Evenementstitel | XXIV International Congress of Infant Studies 2024 Convergence |
| Evenementstype | Congres |
| Locatie | Glasgow, Verenigd KoninkrijkToon op kaart |
| Mate van erkenning | Internationaal |