The integration of behavioral epigenetics' principles (eg, DNA methylation) into the study of
human infants' development has mainly focused on the effects of early adverse exposures …

Prematurity deprives infants of the prenatal sensory stimulation essential to their correct
development; in addition, the stressful environment of the NICU impacts negatively on their …

Background Studies of parents' psychological well-being in single-family rooms in neonatal
intensive care units have shown conflicting results. Aims To compare emotional distress in …

Stress and fear have biological functions that, when neuromodulated, make adaptive
otherwise maladaptive responses. While the concept of a defensive cascade supports …

Background A few positive effects of mothers' voice on physiological outcomes have been
studied and limited studies have focused on the level of cortisol. In addition, white noise has …

Preterm birth is associated with a higher prevalence of neurodevelopmental deficits. Indeed,
preterm children are at increased risk for cognitive, behavioral, and socio-emotional …

This paper aims to present clear and evidence-based proposals for the integration of Early
Parental Vocal Contact into the clinical practices of neonatal units. In the first part, we …

Background: After preterm birth, infants are at high risk for delays in language development.
A promising intervention to reduce this risk is represented by the exposure to parental voices …

Background Premature birth is known to affect the newborn's autonomic nervous system
(ANS) maturation, with potential short and long-term impact on their neurobehavioral …

Aims The first purpose of the study was to examine fathers' spontaneous communicative
behavior with their preterm infants in the neonatal intensive care unit, and how father's and …