TY - JOUR

T1 - The association of infant crying, feeding, and sleeping problems and inhibitory control with attention regulation at school age

AU - Baumann, Nicole

AU - Jaekel, Julia

AU - Breeman, Linda

AU - Bartmann, Peter

AU - Bäuml, Josef G.

AU - Avram, Mihai

AU - Sorg, Christian

AU - Wolke, Dieter

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © International Congress of Infant Studies (ICIS)

PY - 2019/9/1

Y1 - 2019/9/1

N2 - Regulatory problems in infancy and toddlerhood have previously been associated with an increased risk of developing attention problems in childhood. We hypothesized that early regulatory problems are associated with attention problems via reduced inhibitory control. This prospective study assessed 1,459 children from birth to 8 years. Crying, feeding, and sleeping problems were assessed at 5 and 20 months via parent interviews and neurological examinations. At 20 months, inhibitory control was tested with a behavioral (snack delay) task. Attention regulation was assessed at 6 and 8 years using multiple instruments and informants. Detrimental effects of crying, feeding, and sleeping problems on attention regulation were partly mediated by children's ability to inhibit unwanted behaviors (β = −0.04, p = 0.013). Accounting for cognition diminished this indirect effect (β = −0.01, p = 0.209). Instead, the effects of crying, feeding, and sleeping problems on attention regulation were fully mediated by children's cognitive functioning (β = −0.10, p < 0.001). These results support that inhibitory control abilities partly mediate effects of crying, feeding, and sleeping problems. However, these effects may be accounted for by children's general cognitive abilities. Early regulatory problems may set infants on a course of under control of behavior into school age, and such trajectories are highly associated with general cognitive development.

AB - Regulatory problems in infancy and toddlerhood have previously been associated with an increased risk of developing attention problems in childhood. We hypothesized that early regulatory problems are associated with attention problems via reduced inhibitory control. This prospective study assessed 1,459 children from birth to 8 years. Crying, feeding, and sleeping problems were assessed at 5 and 20 months via parent interviews and neurological examinations. At 20 months, inhibitory control was tested with a behavioral (snack delay) task. Attention regulation was assessed at 6 and 8 years using multiple instruments and informants. Detrimental effects of crying, feeding, and sleeping problems on attention regulation were partly mediated by children's ability to inhibit unwanted behaviors (β = −0.04, p = 0.013). Accounting for cognition diminished this indirect effect (β = −0.01, p = 0.209). Instead, the effects of crying, feeding, and sleeping problems on attention regulation were fully mediated by children's cognitive functioning (β = −0.10, p < 0.001). These results support that inhibitory control abilities partly mediate effects of crying, feeding, and sleeping problems. However, these effects may be accounted for by children's general cognitive abilities. Early regulatory problems may set infants on a course of under control of behavior into school age, and such trajectories are highly associated with general cognitive development.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85067848821&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1111/infa.12305

DO - 10.1111/infa.12305

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 32677276

AN - SCOPUS:85067848821

VL - 24

SP - 768

EP - 786

JO - Infancy

JF - Infancy

SN - 1525-0008

IS - 5

ER -