The Sensitouch Study: A Prospective Exploration of the Development of Affective Touch Sensitivity in Early Life

INTRODUCTION. Adverse early experiences, particularly touch deprivation, are known to have enduring effects on development. Affective touch, particularly mediated by C-Tactile afferents, plays a pivotal role in the healthy development of infants. Previous research, predominantly retrospective and cross-sectional, has focused on the infant, mother, or at best the mother-infant dyad. In infants, no preliminary work has been done examining affective touch sensitivity, or CT-sensitivity, prospectively in early life related to the context, including that of both parents’ – mother ànd father.

AIM of the study. The Sensitouch project takes a novel approach, prospectively examining CT-sensitivity development in infants during the first six months of life within the broad parental context.

MATERIAL and METHODs. This currently ongoing prospective study involves 57 non-clinical parent-infant dyads so far. CT-sensitivity is assessed in infants at 1, 3, 8, 12, and 24 weeks of age and in parents before birth and at 12 and 24 weeks. Using an experiential stroking touch paradigm to measure CT-sensitivity, we measure parent and infant electrocardiogram (ECG) and respiration to calculate RR-interval (RRI), respiration rate (fR), and respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA). Parental CT-sensitivity is also assessed vicariously, with parents rating the perceived pleasantness of touch interaction videos. The broad parental context is measured through trait questionnaires assessed before birth covering personality, attachment style, emotion regulation, touch attitudes and experiences, loneliness, and fetal attachment. State questionnaires assessed before birth and at 1, 3, 8, 12, and 24 weeks assess couple satisfaction, parent-infant caregiving touch, postnatal depression, sleep quality, prenatal/postnatal parent-infant bonding, and longing for touch.

CONCLUSIONs. Preliminary findings will be presented, offering a first contextual understanding of CT-sensitivity development in early life. The goal of this study is to identify risk and protective factors associated with early parental touch deprivation, to ultimately enhance prevention and intervention efforts.