Possíveis condicionantes maternos da fase do sono e do desenvolvimento global de lactentes

Abstract

The study of circadian rhythms throughout human development and their physiological and behavioral impact in early life is still scarce. Previous studies have shown that interactions between mother and infant are important for both sleep and infant development. This is a cross-sectional study that aimed to investigate the association between chronotype, sleep and development of infants and their mothers' sleep, mental health and socioeconomic status as possible interfering factors (n = 108 mother-infant dyads). To determine the chronotype and sleep parameters of infants, the 19th question of the Morning and Evening Questionnaire (MEQ), Infant nocturnal midpoint of sleep (iMSF) and Brief Childhood Sleep Questionnaire (BISQ) were used. To assess child development, the Brazilian Portuguese version of The Ages & Stages Questionnaire-3 (ASQ 3-BR) was used. The mothers' chronotype and sleep parameters were obtained using the Morning and Evening Questionnaire, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS). To assess maternal mental health, the Brazilian version of the Self-Reporting Questionnaire 20 (SRQ-20) was used. Socioeconomic conditions were assessed by the Brazilian Economic Class Criterion of the Brazilian Association of Research Companies (ABEP). The babies' sleep phase was partially explained by the mother's chronotype. As a result, we found that the sleep duration of infants was affected by sleep latency, which was higher in the group with atypical development, but an association with sleep phase was not identified. In addition, the mothers' sleep quality was associated with mothers' Common Mental Disorder and the infants' total sleep time. Thus, the results do not support the hypothesis of an innate association between evening wear and developmental problems. These findings highlight the relevance of health interventions for better sleep hygiene during pregnancy and in the early stages to support babies and their mothers.