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Oxytocin and parent-child interaction in the development of empathy among children at risk for autism.

ABSTRACT: This longitudinal study investigated whether variation in the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) and early parent-child interactions predicted later empathic behavior in 84 toddlers at high or low familial risk for autism spectrum disorder. Two well-studied OXTR single-nucleotide polymorphisms, rs53576 and rs2254298, were examined. Parent-child interaction was measured at 15 and 18 months of age during free play sessions. Empathy was measured at 24 and 30 months using a response to parental distress paradigm. While there was no direct association between parent-child interaction quality or OXTR and empathy, rs53576 moderated the relation between interaction quality and empathy. Results suggest that the interplay between OXTR and early parent-child interactions predicts individual differences in empathy in children at varying risk for atypical social development. Findings are consonant with a differential susceptibility model in which an OXTR variant may increase the social salience of interaction processes for specific allele carriers. These results increase our understanding of predictors of empathy development in young children with a wide range of social outcomes. (PsycINFO Database Record

SUBMITTER: McDonald NM

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4844836 | biostudies-literature | 2016 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Oxytocin and parent-child interaction in the development of empathy among children at risk for autism.

McDonald Nicole M NM Baker Jason K JK Messinger Daniel S DS

Developmental psychology 20160321 5

This longitudinal study investigated whether variation in the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) and early parent-child interactions predicted later empathic behavior in 84 toddlers at high or low familial risk for autism spectrum disorder. Two well-studied OXTR single-nucleotide polymorphisms, rs53576 and rs2254298, were examined. Parent-child interaction was measured at 15 and 18 months of age during free play sessions. Empathy was measured at 24 and 30 months using a response to parental distress ...[more]

PMID: 26998571

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Project description:Co-occurring anxiety is common in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, inconsistencies across parent and child reports of anxiety may complicate the assessment of anxiety in this population. The present study examined parent and child anxiety ratings in children with ASD with and without anxiety disorders and tested the association between parent-child anxiety rating discrepancy and ASD symptom severity. Participants included children aged 8-16 years in three diagnostic groups: ASD with co-occurring anxiety disorders (ASD + Anxiety; n = 34), ASD without co-occurring anxiety disorders (ASD; n = 18), and typically developing healthy controls (TD; n = 50). Parents and children completed ratings of child anxiety using the Multidimensional Anxiety Rating Scale. Patterns of parent and child anxiety ratings differed among the three groups, with parent ratings exceeding child ratings only in the ASD + Anxiety group. Parents reported higher levels of child anxiety in the ASD + Anxiety versus ASD group, whereas children reported comparable levels of anxiety in the two groups. Among children with ASD, ASD symptom severity was positively associated with the degree to which parent ratings exceeded child ratings. Results suggest that children with ASD and co-occurring anxiety disorders endorse some anxiety symptoms but may underreport overall levels of anxiety. In addition, ASD symptom severity might increase discrepancies in parent-child anxiety ratings. These findings suggest a unique and valuable role of child anxiety ratings and suggest that both parent and child anxiety ratings should be considered in light of children's ASD symptom severity and used to guide further assessment. Autism Res 2020, 13: 93-103. © 2019 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. LAY SUMMARY: Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) commonly experience anxiety; yet, their perceptions of their anxiety might differ from their parents' perceptions. This study found that, while children with ASD and anxiety disorders acknowledge some anxiety, their parents report them as having higher levels of anxiety. Also, child and parent perceptions of anxiety may differ more for children with more severe ASD symptoms. How these findings may guide research and clinical practice is discussed.

Project description:Empathy, which is the ability to feel concern for and to understand others' feelings, is thought to develop in high quality relationships with parent and peers, but also to facilitate the quality of these relationships. While a wide literature has addressed this aspect, the heterogeneity of primary studies, in which different indicators of relationship quality (e.g., support, conflict) and empathy (i.e., affective and cognitive) have been examined, makes it difficult to draw conclusive answers. Therefore, it remained ambiguous how parent-child and peer relationship quality are associated with adolescents' empathy. In order to increase the understanding of these associations, a multilevel meta-analysis was performed, which allowed for including multiple effect sizes from each study. By a systematic literate search, 70 eligible studies were found that provided 390 effect sizes from 75 independent samples. The results showed a small positive correlation between parent-child relationship quality and empathy, and a small-to-moderate positive correlation between peer relationship quality and empathy, which was significantly stronger than the correlation with parent-child relationship quality. Hence, the meta-analytic results indicate that adolescents with higher quality relationships, especially with peers, indeed tend to show more concern for and understanding of others' emotions than adolescents with lower quality relationships. Moreover, the moderation analyses showed stronger correlations for the positive dimension of relationship quality than for the negative dimension, and stronger correlations for composite scores of affective and cognitive empathy than for separate scores of the empathy dimensions. However, no differences in correlations were found between the affective and cognitive empathy dimension, and no moderation effects were found for gender and age. Thus, this meta-analysis demonstrates robust positive associations between parent-child and peer relationship quality and empathy in adolescence, implying that good empathic abilities may be a protective factor for experiencing poor relationships.

Project description:ImportanceMaternal labor epidural analgesia (LEA) and oxytocin use for labor and delivery have been reported to be associated with child autism spectrum disorders (ASD). However, it remains unclear whether these 2 common medications used during labor and delivery have synergistic associations with ASD risk in children.ObjectiveTo assess the independent associations of LEA and oxytocin during labor and delivery with ASD, as well as outcome modification associated with the concurrent use of both interventions.Design, setting, and participantsData for this cohort study included 205 994 singleton births with vaginal deliveries in a single integrated health care system in Southern California from calendar years 2008 to 2017. Children were followed up to December 31, 2021. Data on use of LEA and oxytocin, covariates, and ASD outcome in children were obtained from electronic medical records. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to estimate the hazard ratios (HRs) adjusting for covariates.ExposuresLabor epidural analgesia and/or oxytocin use during labor and delivery.Main outcomes and measuresA child's clinical diagnosis of ASD during follow-up and at age of diagnosis.ResultsAmong the cohort, 153 880 children (74.7%) were exposed to maternal LEA and 117 808 children (57.2%) were exposed to oxytocin during labor and delivery. The population of children was approximately half boys and half girls. The median (IQR) age of the mothers was 30.8 (26.8-34.5) years for those not exposed to LEA, 30.0 (25.9-33.8) years for those exposed to LEA, 30.4 (26.5-34.1) years for those unexposed to oxytocin, and 30.0 (25.9-33.9) years for those exposed to oxytocin during labor and delivery. A total of 5146 children (2.5%) had ASD diagnosed during follow-up. Oxytocin exposure was higher among LEA-exposed (67.7%) than -unexposed (26.1%) children. The ASD risk associated with LEA was independent of oxytocin exposure (HR, 1.28; 95% CI, 1.18-1.38); however, the ASD risk associated with oxytocin was not significant after adjusting for LEA exposure (HR, 1.05; 95% CI, 0.99-1.12). A significant interaction of LEA and oxytocin on child ASD risk was found (P = .02 for interaction). Compared with no exposure, HRs were 1.20 (95% CI, 1.09-1.32) for LEA alone, 1.30 (95% CI, 1.20-1.42) for both LEA and oxytocin, and 0.90 (95% CI, 0.78-1.04) for oxytocin alone.Conclusions and relevanceThe findings of this cohort study suggest an association between maternal LEA and ASD risk in children, and the risk appeared to be further increased if oxytocin was also administered. Oxytocin exposure without LEA exposure was not associated with ASD risk in children. These findings must be interpreted with caution. Further studies are needed to replicate or refute the study results and examine biological plausibility.

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Oxytocin and parent-child interaction in the development of empathy among children at risk for autism.

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Oxytocin and parent-child interaction in the development of empathy among children at risk for autism.

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