Fetal Neurobehavioral Development & Postnatal Continuity

描述（由申请人提供）：了解 胎儿期为人类发育和产后提供基质 功能是发展探究的核心。经过10年的 调查，我们的方向是胎儿神经行为发育 反映了妊娠期间中枢神经系统的成熟， 建立了自主功能的个体差异的起源。的 我们提出的和过去的研究目标有三个方面： 测量胎儿的神经行为，并将其应用于记录 健康胎儿的发育（个体发育）;评价 从产前到产后的功能（预测）;并确定 母体介质是否以及如何影响产前发育过程 （母亲的影响）。提出了两项研究，建立在我们以前的 结果和扩展我们到新的理论和方法领域。的 首先将研究诱发的母亲唤醒和放松对 胎儿神经行为，以及检查母亲属性的作用 与心理健康和压力缓冲有关的观察到的 方面的影响. 106对母胎将在24和36期间监测两次 怀孕几周。胎儿（心率、运动及其相互关系）和 产妇（皮肤电导、呼吸、心率、血压）将 同时收集，并使用自动化系统进行数字化。多普勒 将使用速度测定法来评估脐和子宫血流。产后 数据，将婴儿的调节和反应过程与母亲的 和胎儿产前反应，将在6周和16个月时收集。的 第二项研究将调查胎儿神经行为测量的个体发育， 如上所述，在代表妊娠过渡期的妊娠期期间， 神经行为发育每3个月将评估总共105个胎儿 妊娠24周至38周。每周提供数据点 在每隔一段时间内，数据收集的开始将在个人之间错开。 积极的产妇心理社会属性也将进行评估， 个体发育将在新生儿中评估成熟度和神经系统最佳性 期生长曲线建模和时间序列分析将应用于 评估妊娠期间的发育速度是否预示着身体， 神经系统和调节系统在出生时就成熟了。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Understanding the manner in which the fetal period provides the substrate for human development and postnatal function is at the core of developmental inquiry. After 10 years of investigation, our orientation is that fetal neurobehavioral development reflects maturation of the central nervous system during gestation and establishes the origins of individual differences in autonomic functioning. The goals of our proposed and past research are threefold: to develop ways of measuring fetal neurobehavior and apply these over gestation to document development of healthy fetuses (Ontogeny); to evaluate the continuity of function from the prenatal to postnatal periods (Prediction); and to determine whether and how maternal mediators affect the course of antenatal development (Maternal Influences). Two studies are proposed which build on our prior results and extend us into new theoretical and methodological domains. The first will investigate the effects of evoked maternal arousal and relaxation on fetal neurobehavior, as well as examine the role of maternal attributes associated with psychological well-being and stress buffering on observed effects. 106 maternal-fetal pairs will be monitored twice during 24 and 36 weeks gestation. Fetal (heart rate, movement, and their interrelation) and maternal (skin conductance, respiration, heart rate, blood pressure) will be collected simultaneously, and digitized using an automated system. Doppler velocimetry will be used to assess umbilical and uterine blood flow. Postnatal data, relating infant regulatory and reactive processes to patterns of maternal and fetal prenatal responses, will be collected at 6 weeks and 16 months. The second study will investigate the ontogeny of fetal neurobehavioral measures, as described above, during a gestational period that represents a transition in neurobehavioral development. A total of 105 fetuses will be assessed every 3 weeks from 24 through 38 weeks gestation. To provide data points at weekly intervals, onset of data collection will be staggered among individuals. Positive maternal psychosocial attributes will also be evaluated in relation to ontogeny. Maturation and neurologic optimality will be assessed in the neonatal period. Growth curve modeling and time series analyses will be applied to evaluate whether rate of development during gestation predicts physical, neurological, and regulatory maturation at birth.