Sensitive, stimulating caregiving predicts cognitive and behavioral resilience in neurodevelopmentally at-risk infants

Abstract

Although neurodevelopmental impairment is a risk factor for poor cognitive and behavioral outcomes, associations between early and later functioning are only moderate in magnitude, and it is likely that other factors intervene to modify this trajectory. The current study tested the hypothesis that sensitive, stimulating caregiving would promote positive behavioral and cognitive outcomes among children who were at risk based on the results of a neurodevelopmental screener and a temperament inventory. The sample comprised 1,720 infants and toddlers from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being, a longitudinal study of children who were involved with child welfare services. Children were first assessed between 3 and 24 months of age and subsequently 18 months later. Children who experienced improvements in the amount of sensitive, stimulating caregiving they received had positive cognitive and behavioral outcomes 18 months later, despite early levels of neurodevelopmental risk. The association between changes in caregiving quality and changes in children's functioning was stronger for children who were removed from the care of their biological parents before the follow-up assessment than for children who remained in the care of biological parents, suggesting a causal role for caregiving quality on children's outcomes.

Figure 1

Removal from the care of biological parents moderates the effect of changes in cognitive stimulation on children’s language abilities.