Fetal heart rate variability and infant self-regulation: the impact of mother's prenatal depressive symptoms

Background: Foetal heart rate (FHR) variability is considered a marker of foetal neurobehavioral development associated with infant self-regulation and thus may be an early precursor of the adverse impact of mother’s prenatal depressive symptoms on infant self-regulation. Objective: This study analysed the mediator role of FHR variability in the association between mother’s prenatal depressive symptoms and infant self-regulation at three months. Methods: The sample comprised 86 first-born infants and their mothers. Mothers reported on depressive symptoms at the first trimester of pregnancy and on depressive symptoms and infant self-regulation at three months postpartum. FHR variability was recorded during routine cardiotocography at the third trimester of pregnancy. A mediation model was tested, adjusting for mother’s postnatal depressive symptoms. Results: Higher levels of mother’s prenatal depressive symptoms were associated with both lower FHR variability and lower infant self-regulation at three months. FHR variability was associated with infant self-regulation and mediated the association between mother’s prenatal depressive symptoms and infant self-regulation at three months. Conclusion: Findings suggested FHR variability as an early precursor of infant self-regulation that underlies the association between mother’s prenatal depressive symptoms and infant self-regulation. Infants of mothers with higher levels of prenatal depressive symptoms could be at risk of self-regulation problems, partially due to their lower FHR variability.
This study was conducted at Psychology Research Centre (UID/PSI/01662/2013), University of Minho, and supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology and the Portuguese Ministry of Education and Science through national funds and co-financed by FEDER through COMPETE2020 under the PT2020 Partnership Agreement (POCI‐‐01‐‐0145‐‐FEDER‐‐007653). This research was also supported by FEDER Funds through the Programa Operacional Factores de Competitividade – COMPETE and by National Funds through FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia under the project PTDC/SAU/SAP/116738/2010 and individual grant SFRH/BD/115048/2016. This study was funded by the Foundation for Science and Technology – FCT (Portuguese Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education), under the grant UIDB/05380/2020.