A dynamic, developmental systems approach to emotional self-regulation in the still-face paradigm reveals effects of preterm birth

Emotional self-regulation involves different systems (such as motor, attentional and cognitive) interacting in time to influence emotional behaviour and physiology. We investigated differences in emotional self-regulation during the still-face paradigm in 111 9-month-old infants (61 term; 50 preterm, <33 weeks of gestation), in the amount of emotional self-regulatory behaviours, as well as the micro-level (obtained using recurrence quantification analysis) and macro-level behavioural dynamics (differences under repeated stress). Preterm birth was associated with fewer repetitive movements, and lower gestational age increased this effect. Unlike that of term-born infants, the behaviour of preterm-born infants changed under repeated stress, leading to fewer object-oriented attentional distraction strategies, fewer repetitive movements, and greater oral-tactile self-comforting strategies. No differences in micro-level behavioural dynamics, or socially-oriented regulatory behaviours were found. Prematurity results in greater regulatory “brakes” on emotional expression with repetitive movements, and emotional self-regulatory capacities may be more vulnerable to the nature of environmental stress.