Maternal panic disorder: infant temperament, neurophysiology, and parenting behaviors.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether 4- and 14-month-old infants of mothers with panic disorder (PD) would be more likely to show differences in temperament, neurophysiology (salivary cortisol and sleep), and relationships with their mothers than controls.


METHODS
Two cohorts were recruited: 4-month-old infants with PD mothers (n = 25) and 4-month-old controls (n = 24), and 14-month-old infants with PD mothers (n = 27) and 14-month-old controls (n = 18). Mothers completed diagnostic interviews and questionnaires concerning infant temperament, sleep, and parenting. Infant salivary cortisol samples and standard observational procedures to measure infant temperament, sleep, attachment, and parenting were also used.


RESULTS
Infants with PD mothers did not show more high reactivity, behavioral inhibition, or ambivalent/resistant attachment but did demonstrate different neurophysiology (higher salivary cortisol and more disturbed sleep) than controls. PD mothers also displayed less sensitivity toward their infants and reported parenting behaviors concerning infant sleep and discipline that have been associated with child problems.


CONCLUSIONS
While infants with PD mothers did not show early behavioral differences from controls, they did display neurophysiological divergences consistent with higher arousal/arousability. Such neurophysiological divergences (elevated salivary cortisol and disturbed sleep) might be important early indicators of risk. Helping PD mothers parent their more highly aroused/arousable infants could reduce the development of psychopathology.
Warren
Susan L
SL
George Washington University, Washington, DC 20037, USA.
Gunnar
Megan R
MR
Kagan
Jerome
J
Anders
Thomas F
TF
Simmens
Samuel J
SJ
Rones
Michelle
M
Wease
Stephen
S
Aron
Emily
E
Dahl
Ronald E
RE
Sroufe
L Alan
LA
D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000032:analysis*; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008425:Maternal Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D016584:Panic Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D016487:Parenting; D002666:Psychology, Child; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry*; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013694:Temperament; D014743:Videotape Recording
D006854:Hydrocortisone