Maternal stress is consistently linked to alterations in maternal behavior and infant neurodevelopmental outcomes. As the Latino population grows in the U.S., it is increasingly important to understand how culturally relevant factors affect this relationship. This study aimed to address the role of sociocultural stressors on maternal sensitivity and markers of infant emotional regulation and the neuroendocrine response to stress in mother/infant dyads of Mexican descent. Pregnant women of Mexican descent (n = 115) were recruited during early pregnancy and followed until their infants were 6 months old. Mothers completed measures of sociocultural stressors (acculturative stress and discrimination) at pre and postnatal time points. At 6 months, dyads underwent the Still Face procedure. Mothers were observed for behaviors exhibiting maternal responsivity, while negative vocalizations were observed in infants. Salivary cortisol was also collected from infants. Maternal responsivity was a salient risk factor for alterations in infant emotional regulation and cortisol activity. Postnatal experiences of discrimination were also negatively associated with infant negative affect. This work highlights maternal responsivity and points to a potential role for experiences of discrimination in the response to stress in the mother/child dyad that may have consequences for the development of emotional regulation in infants of Mexican descent.

中文翻译：

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社会文化压力源对墨西哥裔家庭母亲反应性以及婴儿行为和神经内分泌反应的影响

母亲压力始终与母亲行为和婴儿神经发育结果的改变有关。随着美国拉丁裔人口的增长，了解文化相关因素如何影响这种关系变得越来越重要。本研究旨在探讨社会文化压力源对母亲敏感性和婴儿情绪调节标志物以及墨西哥血统母婴二人组中压力的神经内分泌反应的作用。墨西哥裔孕妇 (n = 115) 在怀孕早期被招募，并进行随访直至婴儿 6 个月大。母亲在产前和产后时间点完成了社会文化压力源（文化压力和歧视）的测量。 6 个月大时，两人接受了静脸手术。观察母亲表现出母亲反应的行为，同时观察婴儿的消极发声。还从婴儿身上收集了唾液皮质醇。母亲的反应是婴儿情绪调节和皮质醇活动改变的一个显着危险因素。产后的歧视经历也与婴儿的负面影响呈负相关。这项工作强调了母亲的责任感，并指出了歧视经历在母子二人压力反应中的潜在作用，这可能会对墨西哥血统婴儿情绪调节的发展产生影响。