Fetal sleep organization: A biological precursor of self-regulation in childhood and adolescence?

B.R.H. Van den Bergh, E.J. Mulder

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleScientificpeer-review

31 Citations (Scopus)
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Abstract

Fetal sleep states emerge during the third trimester of pregnancy and involve multiple interconnected neuronal networks. We examined whether fetal sleep characteristics predict child and adolescent self-regulation in a non-clinical sample (study group, n = 25; reference group, n = 48). Combined recordings of three sleep variables (fetal heart rate, body movements and rapid eye movements) were made for 2 h at 36–38 weeks’ gestation. Fetuses showing synchronous change of sleep variables (i.e. within 3 min) at transition from quiet into active sleep reached a higher level of effortful control, both at 8–9 and 14–15 years, than fetuses not making synchronous transitions and compared with the reference group. Results are discussed from a Developmental Origins of Behavior, Health and Disease (DOBHaD) point of view. It is concluded that studying sleep ontogeny offers the possibility to gain insight into brain maturational processes and/or environmental adaptive processes that may have long term behavioral developmental consequences.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)584-590
JournalBiological Psychology
Volume89
Issue number3
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2012

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