Every personality is unique, and it can be a fun experience to watch a baby’s personality develop. Along with personality comes temperament, and as every parent knows that attribute varies greatly amongst babies. Some babies are fussy, while others hardly ever cry; a variance that once was considered all part of the parenting experience. A recent study might have found a scientific reason for those fussy babies.
Fussy babies can be difficult to soothe, leaving parents frustrated and questioning their parenting skills. Parents of fussy babies can rest assured as researchers from
This particular pattern of brain activity is in the frontal cortex of the brain and has been associated with different types of temperaments. Specifically, babies with more activity in the left frontal cortex are often called “easy″ babies or are more easily soothed. Yet infants with more activity in the right frontal cortex are more “difficult″ or hard to calm down.
The study, published in Psychological Science, went a step further to examine a possible connection between brain activity and the DRD4 gene. In previous studies, the longer version of this gene has been associated with risk-seeking behavior, attention problems, and increased sensory responsiveness in children. For this study, brain activity was measured in 9 month old infants by electroencephalography (EEG) along with a behavioral questionnaire for parents when the infants were 48 months. DNA samples were also taken to for analysis of the DRD4 gene.
An interesting association was found amongst behavior, the DRD4 gene, and brain activity. Infants who possessed long versions of the gene with greater left frontal cortex activity were the least fussy babies. It was not the gene alone, however, as babies also with the long version of the gene along with greater right frontal cortex activity were the most difficult or fussy tempered babies. Researchers conclude the gene is more of a moderator of a child’s temperament noting the long version of the DRD4 plays different roles depending on other internal conditions along with brain activity. The authors also recognize that other factors likely interact with these particular measurements to determine a child’s temperament.
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