Biomedical subjects

Susan L Warren

Publications and source records attributed to Susan L Warren.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Maternal panic disorder: Infant prematurity and low birth weight.

The aim of this pilot research was to investigate whether infants of mothers with panic disorder (PD) would be at higher risk for prematurity and low birth weight (corrected for gestational age) than controls. Medical records were reviewed for 25 mothers with PD and 33 mothers without a lifetime history of anxiety disorders or other major psychopathology as determined by diagnostic interview. Mothers also completed questionnaires concerning demographic information and life stresses. Compared to controls, infants with PD mothers were not significantly more likely to be born prematurely or earlier than controls but did show smaller birth weight corrected for gestational age, even after accounting for possible confounding influences. Additional research is needed to confirm these preliminary findings. Studying PD mothers during pregnancy could provide insight concerning mechanisms for the development of low birth weight and psychopathology.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Maternal depressive symptoms and child sleep: models of mutual influence over time.

The aim of the research was to test hypotheses concerning the associations between maternal depressive symptoms and child sleep using longitudinal data to examine possible predictive pathways. Data from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Study of Early Child Care with 1222 children studied from 1 to 36 months of age were analyzed to examine: effects on trajectories over time, and phase-specific effects over three defined age periods (6 to 15, 15 to 24, and 24 to 36 months). Child sleep was found to influence maternal depressive symptoms only for the 15- to 24-month age period, where, contrary to expectation, longer duration of child awakenings predicted decreased maternal depressive symptoms. Maternal depressive symptoms were found to predict an increased frequency of child awakenings across the 15- to 24-month age period only. In contrast, maternal depressive symptoms were found to significantly predict increased duration of child awakenings both for the 3-year trajectory and across the 15- to 24- and 24- to 36-month age periods. Additional research is needed to clarify the mechanisms by which maternal depressive symptoms predict increased duration of child awakenings.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Toddler anxiety disorders: a pilot study.

OBJECTIVE: This research examined the validity of criteria for diagnosing social phobia (SOC) and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), where the DSM-IV criteria were modified to better identify toddlers who could have these disorders. METHOD: Diagnoses were made with a semistructured clinical interview that included child observations. Parents and caregivers completed child behavior, temperament, and socioemotional functioning questionnaires to test convergent and discriminant validity. RESULTS: Of 72 children, 18 months to 5 years old, 19 met modified SOC criteria (8 met DSM-IV criteria SOC also), 29 met modified GAD criteria (5 met DSM-IV criteria GAD also), and 35 met no anxiety disorder criteria. Children with modified SOC were more likely than nonanxious children to display higher levels of anxiety symptoms and shyness/inhibition and to have anxious parents. Modified SOC did not relate to the nonanxiety constructs (cuddling, imaginary play, fine motor). Children with modified GAD did not consistently demonstrate higher levels of anxiety symptoms, did not have more anxious parents than nonanxious children, and did not have higher mean scores on the nonanxiety constructs. CONCLUSIONS: This research provides initial evidence supporting convergent and discriminant validity for the modified SOC criteria but not the modified GAD criteria.

Anxiety Disorders↗

PubMed2003

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. METHOD: 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.

Adult↗