Written by Marcos Camargo
The Dixie State University Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences is conducting a major study designed to better understand parent-child relationships. Dannelle Larsen-Rife, DSU psychology professor and chair of the department of social and behavioral sciences, is heading the project. The research is being conducted by members of the Nueroscience in Relationship and Development lab (NiRD) at DSU, and they are currently seeking participants.
Dr. Larsen-Rife, along with research assistants at NiRD, designed the study to better understand connections between a mother’s early experiences, pregnancy, birth, and the parent-child relationship. They are particularly interested in possible connections between birth interventions and early childhood development. Possible birth interventions include the administering of drugs or other medical procedures by doctors to mothers during labor and delivery.
Lyndsey Craig, senior lab member at NiRD, spoke with The Independent about the goals and purpose of this study, which will run for the remainder of 2015. She said since the launch of the study, they have had about 12 participants.
“We’re trying to release as much information about it as possible, so we can get people to volunteer,” Craig said. “So far we’ve had a lot of people participating from [local] schools because we’ve sent out a lot of information to the schools about it.”
Craig said they started looking into the study in 2014.
“Initially we just wanted to look at complications with delivery and how it may impact the child and also birth interventions and how that may impact the child,” Craig said. “Not a lot of research has been done around birth interventions or inducing labor. There are some studies that show that it could lead to autism, and there are some studies that show it doesn’t lead to autism… but [the studies are] very limited. We’re trying to add to the literature and have a more in-depth look at how birth interventions may impact the child and the child’s development.”
The DSU study is the first of its kind for two reasons, the first being that it includes a more detailed look at medical histories.
“In the previous studies [medical history] was all self-reported,” Craig said, “but in our study, we are actually asking participants to sign a medical release form… to provide us limited access to their medical records from their pregnancy labor and delivery.”
Craig explained that using medical records, rather than self-reporting, will give researchers detailed information about what types of drugs participants received and how the drugs were administered.
“We’ve heard there have been issues with interventions and how drugs were administered,” Craig said. “Mother’s aren’t fully aware of what they’ve been given. You know, we’re putting so many chemicals into mothers, which may or may not go through the blood-brain barrier to the infant. So we don’t really know how it’s impacting the infant.”
Craig said that because there has been little research on the topic, the team at NiRD hopes the study will bring greater insight into birth intervention and early childhood development. This information can be used to better educate mothers as they make medical decisions during pregnancy and delivery.
“We just really want to increase awareness in the community and knowledge in the literature with how interventions may impact the development of the child,” Craig said.
Craig also commented on the interdisciplinary nature of the study, which showcases DSU’s increasing emphasis on conducting large and complex research projects.
“We have the biology department, the chemistry department, the nursing department, and the psychology department all working together on this study,” said Craig, “and that’s the first time that has ever happened on this campus. So it’s a really big, important study for us.”
The study is being conducted on the campus of DSU. The process takes about two hours and only the mother needs to be present. However, children are welcome to come as well. Researchers have set up a room with toys where mothers can watch their children play. Lab assistants will be present to supervise, so mothers who want to participate should not be discouraged over concerns about finding childcare.
Mothers will be given an online survey, a child behavior checklist, and a card-sorting task. The results of these activities, when studied alongside participants’ medical records, will give researchers valuable information about mothers’ decisions regarding birth intervention and the effects of those decisions on the early development of their children.
Any mothers who gave birth in Washington County and have children between the ages of three to five years old, including children with learning, cognitive, or physical disabilities, are invited to take part in the study. All participants in the study will receive a small gift for their participation and will be entered into a drawing for a $75 gift card to The Learning Express. Anyone interested in joining is encouraged to set up an appointment by phone at (435) 879-4225.
