Key result
Higher maternal prenatal resting RSA is linked to greater infant resting RSA at 7 months.
Why the study?
Perinatal predictors of infant resting respiratory sinus arrhythmia, an index of parasympathetic functioning, were not well established.
Is maternal resting respiratory sinus arrhythmia during pregnancy associated with infant resting respiratory sinus arrhythmia at 7 months?
Cohort (n=385)
Is maternal resting respiratory sinus arrhythmia during pregnancy associated with infant resting respiratory sinus arrhythmia at 7 months?
Maternal parasympathetic functioning during pregnancy is associated with infant parasympathetic functioning at 7 months, suggesting intergenerational continuity.
Supports intergenerational continuity in parasympathetic regulation; hypothesis-generating and requires prospective trials before clinical consideration.
This Registered Report tested perinatal predictors of infant resting respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), an index of parasympathetic functioning. Maternal RSA was collected at a resting state during the third trimester of pregnancy (N = 385, 56.9% of the pregnant mothers were White, non-Hispanic/Latina). Newborn attention and arousal were assessed shortly after birth. When infants (48% are male, and 50.7% are White, non-Hispanic/Latino) were 7 months old, their resting RSA was measured, and maternal sensitivity during a free-play interaction was coded. Greater maternal prenatal RSA was found to be associated with greater infant resting RSA. This longitudinal and intergenerational association was not significantly moderated or mediated by newborn neurobehavior or maternal sensitivity. Findings suggest that infant RSA may have roots in mothers' parasympathetic functioning during pregnancy.
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Gao et al. (2026) conducted a cohort in Pregnancy (n=385). Maternal prenatal resting respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) was evaluated on Infant resting respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) at 7 months. Greater maternal prenatal resting respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) was associated with greater infant resting RSA at 7 months, unmediated by newborn neurobehavior or maternal sensitivity.
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