Newborn neurobehavioral competencies portend a young child's abilities to modulate their arousal and attention in response to dynamic environmental cues. Although evidence suggests prenatal contributions to newborn neurobehavioral differences, no study to date has examined wellness-promoting traits, such as a pregnant woman's mindfulness, in this association. We examined whether a mother's mindfulness while pregnant related to neurobehavioral outcomes in her neonate, as well as whether maternal mindfulness moderated the link between prenatal maternal emotion dysregulation and newborn neurobehavior. Mothers (N = 162) reported on their mindfulness and emotion dysregulation while pregnant. Newborn arousal and attention were assessed at least 24 h after birth (M = 3.8 days, SD = 8.3) using the NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale (NNNS). Highly mindful pregnant women reported lower levels of emotion dysregulation. Newborns of highly mindful mothers exhibited higher levels of arousal (e.g., excitability, motor activity) but did not differ in regards to attention at birth. Maternal emotion dysregulation while pregnant was associated with blunted newborn attention, but only among mothers who were less mindful. Our findings suggest that a mother's mindfulness while pregnant may influence her fetus’ neurobehavioral development in ways that are evident at birth.

中文翻译：

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怀孕期间母亲的正念可预测新生儿的神经行为


新生儿的神经行为能力预示着幼儿调节其觉醒和注意力以响应动态环境线索的能力。尽管有证据表明产前对新生儿神经行为差异有影响，但迄今为止还没有研究探讨这种关联中促进健康的特征，例如孕妇的正念。我们研究了母亲在怀孕期间的正念是否与新生儿的神经行为结果相关，以及母亲的正念是否调节了产前母亲情绪失调与新生儿神经行为之间的联系。母亲 ( N = 162) 报告了她们在怀孕期间的正念和情绪调节失调。使用 NICU 网络神经行为量表 (NNNS) 在出生后至少 24 小时（ M = 3.8 天，SD = 8.3）评估新生儿的唤醒和注意力。高度正念的孕妇报告情绪失调的程度较低。高度正念的母亲的新生儿表现出更高水平的唤醒（例如兴奋性、运动活动），但在出生时的注意力方面没有差异。怀孕期间母亲情绪失调与新生儿注意力减弱有关，但仅限于注意力不集中的母亲。我们的研究结果表明，母亲在怀孕期间的正念可能会影响胎儿的神经行为发育，这种影响在出生时就很明显。