title: Transgenerational effects of maternal care interact with fetal growth and influence attention skills at 18 months of age.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Evidence suggests that there is an association between being born small for gestational age (SGA) and an increased risk of internalizing and externalizing problems, such as ADHD. Additionally, individuals who report having received a lower quality of maternal care show an increased prevalence of depression and anxiety, and they are generally worse caregivers of their offspring. Therefore, an interaction between the birth weight status and the quality of maternal care perceived by the mother could affect behavioral outcomes of the children.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Evaluate the influence of being born SGA and parental bonding, as perceived by the mother during her infancy, on the children's behavior at 18 months of age.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nested cross-sectional study within a Canadian prenatal cohort (MAVAN, Maternal Adversity, Vulnerability and Neurodevelopment) recruited from 2003 to 2010.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data from 305 children who were evaluated at 18 months of age.
  
  
  METHODS
  Early Childhood Behavior Questionnaire--ECBQ and Infant-Toddler Social and Emotional Assessment--ITSEA) were included.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Children born SGA whose mothers reported low maternal care during her infancy (using the Parental Bonding Instrument--PBI) showed lower scores in the attentional set shifting trait (ECBQ, p=0.002) and attention construct (ITSEA, p=0.05) at 18 months of age. We also found that SGA increases decreases cuddliness (p=0.011) and poor perceived maternal care decreases low intensity pleasure (p=0.016) on the ECBQ.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest a complex transgenerational transmission whereby mother's own care interacts with the fetal growth of her offspring to predict its attentional skills at 18 months of age.
authors.affiliation: PPG Saúde da Criança e do Adolescente, Departamento de Pediatria, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul 90035-903, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marla F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Neuwald
authors.affiliation: PPG Saúde da Criança e do Adolescente, Departamento de Pediatria, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul 90035-903, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marilyn
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Agranonik
authors.affiliation: Hospital da Criança Santo Antônio, Santa Casa de Misericórdia de Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: André K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Portella
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Mississauga, Ontario ON L5L 1C6, Canada.
authors.forename: Alison
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fleming
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Jewish General Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3T 1E4, Canada.
authors.forename: Ashley
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wazana
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario L8S4L8, Canada.
authors.forename: Meir
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Steiner
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto and Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario M5T 1R8, Canada.
authors.forename: Robert D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Levitan
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Neurology, McGill University, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, Quebec H4H 1R3, Canada; Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, 117609, Singapore.
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Meaney
authors.affiliation: PPG Saúde da Criança e do Adolescente, Departamento de Pediatria, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul 90035-903, Brazil. Electronic address: 00032386@ufrgs.br.
authors.forename: Patrícia P
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Silveira
mesh_terms: D001007:Anxiety / Q000453:epidemiology; D001288:Attention; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000453:epidemiology; D002652:Child Behavior; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007236:Infant, Small for Gestational Age / Q000254:growth & development*; D008297:Male; D008425:Maternal Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Attention; Infant; Infant care; Small for gestational age