dpb | projects

MOM-COPE Project

Measuring the Outcomes of Maternal COVID-19-related Prenatal Exposure

Research question | How is maternal prenatal stress experienced by women during the COVID-19 pandemic affecting their psychological well-being and the developmental trajectories of their infants?

Synopsis | A network of 10 neonatology units from Northern Italy is involved in this multicentric and longitudinal study. We follow up mothers and infants from birth to 12 months for emotional, social, and cognitive developmental outcomes. Moreover, we explore the role of epigenetic regulation of specific stress-related target genes in mediating the association between pandemic-related stress and both maternal and infants outcomes.

Funding | Italian Ministry of Health; Fondazione Roche Italia

Nazzari S, Grumi S, Mambretti F, et al. (2023) Sex-dimorphic pathways in the associations between maternal trait anxiety, infant BDNF methylation, and negative emotionality. Dev Psychopathol. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0954579423000172

Nazzari S, Grumi S, Mambretti F, et al. (2022) Maternal and infant NR3C1 and SLC6A4 epigenetic signatures of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown: when timing matters. Transl Psychiatry. 12(1):386. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-022-02160-0

Provenzi L, Grumi S. (2022) The Need to Study Developmental Outcomes of Children Born During the COVID-19 Pandemic. JAMA Pediatr. 176(1):103.

https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2021.4342

Roberti E, Giacchero R, Grumi S, et al. (2022) Post-partum Women's Anxiety and Parenting Stress: Home-Visiting Protective Effect During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Matern Child Health J. 26(11):2308-2317. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-022-03540-0

Provenzi L, Grumi S, Altieri L, et al. (2021) Prenatal maternal stress during the COVID-19 pandemic and infant regulatory capacity at 3 months: A longitudinal study. Dev Psychopathol. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0954579421000766

Provenzi L, Mambretti F, Villa M, et al. (2021) Hidden pandemic: COVID-19-related stress, SLC6A4 methylation, and infants' temperament at 3 months. Sci Rep. 11(1):15658. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-95053-z

Grumi S, Provenzi L, Accorsi P, et al. (2021) Depression and Anxiety in Mothers Who Were Pregnant During the COVID-19 Outbreak in Northern Italy: The Role of Pandemic-Related Emotional Stress and Perceived Social Support. Front Psychiatry. 12:716488. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.716488

2-BRAINED Project

2-Brain Regulation to Achieve Improved Neuroprotection during Early Development

Research question | How do parents and infants synchronize their brains? What happens to brain-to-brain synchrony when developmental risk conditions (e.g., preterm birth) are present? Is an early parenting intervention capable of protect synchrony in at-risk conditions?

Synopsis | This study integrates video-feedback intervention and EEG hyperscanning technique to the study of parent-infant interaction to investigate how the brain of parents and infants couple together and resonate during face-to-face interactions in full-term and preterm infants.

Funding | Italian Ministry of Health (GR-2021: Dr. Livio Provenzi)

Roberti E, Capelli E, Provenzi L. (2023) Envisioning translational hyperscanning: how applied neuroscience might improve family-centered care. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci. 18(1):nsac061. https://doi.org/10.1093%2Fscan%2Fnsac061

SPHERE Project

Supporting Parenting at Home: Empowering Rehabilitation Engagement

Research question | Can we support parents of children with developmental risk or disabilities by engaging them in remote video-feedback supportive interventions?

Synopsis | Video-feedback support for parents is effective to promote parental well-being, caregiving skills, and child development. Nonetheless, the resources needed for extensive video-feedback programs in hospitals or at home are huge and not all families can afford it. The SPHERE projects is a clinical trial on the effectiveness of a video-feedback intervention delivered online to parents of children with developmental risk or disability conditions.

Funding | Italian Ministry of Health (Starting Grant 2019: Dr. Serena Grumi)

Grumi S, Pettenati G, Manfredini V, Provenzi L. (2022) Flexibility and organization in parent-child interaction through the lens of the dynamic system approach: A systematic review of State Space Grid studies. Infant Behav Dev. 67:101722. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.infbeh.2022.101722

Provenzi L, Grumi S, Gardani A, et al. (2021) Italian parents welcomed a telehealth family-centred rehabilitation programme for children with disability during COVID-19 lockdown. Acta Paediatr. 110(1):194-196. https://doi.org/10.1111/apa.15636

Grumi S, Borgatti R, Provenzi L. (2021) Supporting Parenting at Home-Empowering Rehabilitation through Engagement (SPHERE): study protocol for a randomised control trial. BMJ Open. 11(12):e051817. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2021-051817

MASK Project

Mask-response in Autism Spectrum at-risk Kids

Research question | Is caregivers' mask-wearing really affecting the ability of young children to elaborate and process emotional signals in face-to-face interactions?

Synopsis | There is a general concern about the short- and long-term effects of mask-wearing by adults who take care of young children. We know that face processing is key to emotional regulation. Nonetheless, we do not know if hiding details behind the mask is resulting in significant alterations of emotional processing in face-to-face interactions. In this study, we explore how healthy infants and siblings of children with autism spectrum disorders interact with adults who wear a protective mask.