Pre- and perinatal predictors of sensory over-responsivity

Abstract

Prediction of children at risk for sensory over-responsivity (SOR) is difficult. Children are not typically identified until school age, resulting in frustration for caregivers and impact upon child development. Prediction of SOR could aid early intervention and possibly lead to prevention for some children. This research aimed to determine the pre- and perinatal predictors of SOR and used infant sleep and feeding difficulties, thought to reflect poor regulation, as a proxy for infants who would later develop SOR. Thirty-eight pre- and perinatal factors were examined and eighteen formed a unidimensional construct. Children with SOR and infants with and without sleep/feeding difficulties were compared on the 18-variable construct using Rasch analysis, differential analysis and classification functions. Four variables (anaesthesia, oxytocics, parity and history of maternal mental health treatment) were associated with infants with sleep/feeding difficulties compared with those without difficulties; when the four variables were considered together, they were best at predicting infants without sleep/feeding difficulties. In addition, four variables (parity, resuscitation intervention, SES and stage 1 labour) were associated with children with SOR in comparison with infants with and without sleep/feeding difficulties. Pre- and perinatal factors are important to the prediction of both SOR and infant sleep/feeding difficulties.