Neonatal neurobehavior and infant temperament amongst offspring born to parents with and without ADHD

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most common neurodevelopmental condition of childhood. Identification of signals of emerging ADHD before the onset of symptoms is a necessary first step to intervening early and preventing associated impairments. The current study examined the relation between neonatal neurobehaviors infant temperament traits known to be associated with childhood ADHD. Neonates (43-49 weeks postmenstrual age; N = 78), half with increased likelihood of childhood ADHD based on parental ADHD, were assessed using the NeoNatal Neurobehavioral Scale (NNNS-II). Parents later reported on infant temperament using the Infant Behavior Questionnaire at 7-10 months of age. Offspring born to parents with and without ADHD did not differ on neonatal neurobehavior.Infants of parents with ADHD had less effortful control and greater negative affect.Greater non-optimal reflexes and central nervous system stress abstinence signs were associated with less effortful control in infancy. Whereas greater neonatal selfregulation was associated with more negative affect in infancy. Very early neurobehavioral signals of risk for behavioral and emotional dysregulation associated with later attentional problems to be detectable as early as the neonatal period. Longitudinal follow-up to the age at which ADHD can be clinically assessed is needed to examine these neurobehavioral presentations as predictors of childhood ADHD.