A multi-time-point study of newborn self-regulation and child self-regulation in the first two years of life: the mediating effects of child anger temperament and quality of mother-child interaction

Abstract

Studies on the development of child self-regulation during the first two years of life are limited. This study examined the association between newborn self-regulation at 1 month old and child self-regulation at 2 years old, with the child anger temperament and quality of mother-child interaction at 1 year and 2 years of age as the nature and nurture mediators for child selfregulation. The participants were 322 mother-child dyads in Chomthong and Fang districts, Chiangmai. The study was a multiple time-point design with a longitudinal data collection from the mothers and children at 1 month, 1 year, and 2 years of age. The direct observational measurements to assess behaviors of children and mothers were the main method of assessments in this study. Newborn self-regulation was measured by the NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale (NNNS), while child self-regulation at 2 years of age was measured by the battery tests of Crayon delay, Snack delay, and Prohibited toy task. Child anger temperament at 1 year, and 2 years were measured by Attractive toy behind a barrier episode of the Laboratory Temperament Assessment Battery (LabTAB), and the Early Childhood Behavior Questionnaire short form (ECBQ-sf), respectively. Quality of mother-child interaction was measured by maternal dimensions of the Emotional Availability Scale. Results from the structural equation model, taking into account biomarkers of prenatal pesticide exposure, mother’s education, and study location as covariates, revealed that anger temperament of 1-year-old child and quality of mother-child interaction at 2 years were not mediators but were direct predictors of the 2-year-old self-regulation. Newborn self-regulation at 1 month, however, had no association with child self-regulation, child anger temperament, or quality of mother-child interaction during the first two years of life. The coefficient of determination (R2 ) indicated that 25.7% of the variance in self-regulation of 2-year-old children could be explained by its predictors and covariates in this study. The findings highlight the importance of lower child anger temperament and high quality mother-child interaction for development of child self-regulation during the first two years of life. Thus, our study suggests that early intervention emphasizing effective parenting strategies for child anger control as well as high quality parent-child interaction practices should be evaluated to determine if these interventions can improve child self-regulation in the earlier years of life.