Effects of an attachment-based intervention on autonomic regulation among opioid-exposed infants

Abstract
Little is known about whether postnatal intervention enhances autonomic regulation among infants at risk for dysregulation due to prenatal opioid exposure. The present study evaluated the effects of modified Attachment Behavioral Catch-up (mABC) on autonomic regulation for opioid-exposed infants in a pilot randomized clinical trial. We hypothesized that, compared to a control intervention (modified Developmental Education for Families [mDEF]), mABC would be associated with higher resting respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) and pre-ejection period (PEP) as well as greater reactivity to and recovery from a social stressor (Still-Face Paradigm). Pregnant or peripartum women receiving opioid agonist therapy (61 mothers of 64 infants; final N = 36 infants) were randomly assigned to mABC or mDEF, 12-session home visiting programs beginning in the third trimester; mABC targets sensitive parenting, and mDEF targets cognitive and motor development. mABC was associated with significantly greater RSA reactivity and marginally greater PEP reactivity. In models accommodating missing data, mABC was additionally associated with significantly greater RSA recovery. In sensitivity analyses removing siblings, mABC predicted significantly enhanced PEP reactivity. Overall, in these preliminary analyses, mABC was associated with healthier autonomic regulation during a social stressor than mDEF. Thus, mABC may be a promising strategy to promote autonomic regulation among opioid-exposed infants through parenting intervention.
Description
This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Tabachnick, A. R., Eiden, R. D., Labella, M. H., & Dozier, M. (2022). Effects of an attachment-based intervention on autonomic regulation among opioid-exposed infants. Developmental Psychobiology, 64, e22286. https://doi.org/10.1002/dev.22286, which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1002/dev.22286. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Use of Self-Archived Versions. This article may not be enhanced, enriched or otherwise transformed into a derivative work, without express permission from Wiley or by statutory rights under applicable legislation. Copyright notices must not be removed, obscured or modified. The article must be linked to Wiley’s version of record on Wiley Online Library and any embedding, framing or otherwise making available the article or pages thereof by third parties from platforms, services and websites other than Wiley Online Library must be prohibited. This article will be embargoed until 06/02/2023.
Keywords
attachment, autonomic nervous system, substance exposure
Citation
Tabachnick, A. R., Eiden, R. D., Labella, M. H., & Dozier, M. (2022). Effects of an attachment-based intervention on autonomic regulation among opioid-exposed infants. Developmental Psychobiology, 64, e22286. https://doi.org/10.1002/dev.22286