Effects of an attachment-based intervention in infancy on children’s autonomic regulation during middle childhood

•An attachment-based intervention (Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-up; ABC) in infancy affects physiology at age 9.•ABC was associated with higher respiratory sinus arrhythmia and lower heart rate at rest than a control intervention.•ABC was also associated with higher respiratory sinus arrhythmi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Biological psychology 2019-04, Vol.143, p.22-31
Main Authors: Tabachnick, Alexandra R., Raby, K. Lee, Goldstein, Alison, Zajac, Lindsay, Dozier, Mary
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Autonomic nervous system
Autonomic Nervous System - physiopathology
Child
Female
Heart Rate - physiology
Humans
Infant
Longitudinal
Longitudinal Studies
Male
Object Attachment
Parent-Child Relations
Parenting - psychology
Parenting intervention
Parents - psychology
Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia - physiology
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Summary:•An attachment-based intervention (Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-up; ABC) in infancy affects physiology at age 9.•ABC was associated with higher respiratory sinus arrhythmia and lower heart rate at rest than a control intervention.•ABC was also associated with higher respiratory sinus arrhythmia and lower heart rate during a parent-child interaction.•Intervention effects were not detected for average skin conductance level or for indices of autonomic reactivity. The present study used a longitudinal randomized clinical trial to test whether an early intervention has causal effects on children’s autonomic nervous system regulation. When children were infants, parents involved with Child Protective Services received Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-up (ABC; N = 43), an intervention that promotes sensitive parenting, or a control intervention (N = 53). When children were 9 years old, children whose parents had received ABC exhibited higher respiratory sinus arrhythmia and lower heart rate at rest and during a parent-child interaction than children in the control group. Intervention effects were not detected for children’s average skin conductance levels or for indices of autonomic reactivity. Results suggest that a parenting-focused early intervention impacted the development of children’s autonomic regulation.
ISSN:0301-0511
1873-6246
DOI:10.1016/j.biopsycho.2019.01.006