This study investigated the impact of pre-and postnatal exposure to cigarettes and associated risk factors on infant regulation. Researchers examined the possibility that early exposure to cigarettes may impact regulation beyond the neonatal period through direct teratological impact, environmental cigarette smoke (ETS), and maternal cigarette use on growth outcomes that may in turn influence infant reactivity and regulation. Average Heart Rate (HR) and Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia (RSA) were assessed at 2-4 weeks of age during sleep. Prenatal cigarette exposure and ETS were both related to HR and RSA and fetal growth did not mediate these associations. However, boys in both exposure groups had higher autonomic arousal than girls (Schuetze & Eiden, in press). Results also indicated that mothers who smoked during pregnancy had higher levels of Maternal Insensitivity (MI) and lower levels of Maternal Warmth (MW) during interactions with their infant even after controlling for demographics and pregnancy alcohol use. Maternal anxiety and hostility mediated the association between smoking and MI and maternal anger mediated the association between smoking and MW. In addition, there was an interaction between infant gender and maternal smoking for MW with pregnancy smokers displaying less warmth to boys during interactions (Schuetze, Eiden, & Dombkowski, in review). Data from assessments at 7 months of infant age are currently being analyzed. This study was a collaborative effort between Principal Investigator Pamela Schuetze, SUNY College at Buffalo, and Co-Investigator Rina Das Eiden, of RIA. Funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, 2002-2004.
