@inproceedings{01JA8287Q3YR6SFH8ZXAETTX22,
  abstract     = {{The rise in survival rates among preterm (PT) infants has shifted attention towards understanding the challenges faced by PT survivors, particularly in the social domain. Very preterm (VPT) birth (< 32 weeks of gestation) is associated with a distinct set of characteristics known as the “preterm behavioral phenotype,” which includes inattention, emotional problems, and social difficulties. However, limited research has explored the interrelation of these factors in VPT children. This study aims to bridge this gap by investigating the association between gaze behavior and autonomic nervous system (ANS) regulation in VPT survivors within a real-life social context.

Employing an ecologically-valid dyadic interaction paradigm, this study examines gaze behavior in 39 8-to-12-year-old VPT children compared to 38 matched full-term controls. Additionally, it explores the potential role of dysregulated ANS functioning, particularly vagal tone as indexed by heart rate variability (HRV), in contributing to socio-emotional difficulties. While previous studies have supported the link between vagal tone and the social domain, no research to date has investigated the association between gaze behavior and stress physiology in preterm-born children.

Participants engaged in live dyadic interactions while their gaze behavior was micro-coded from video data and ANS functioning assessed through HRV recordings. Preliminary findings reveal distinct gaze behavior patterns in VPT children, characterized by reduced mutual gaze duration and increased frequency of gaze aversion. By further exploring HRV measures, this study seeks to elucidate the underlying mechanisms contributing to socio-emotional difficulties in VPT survivors and deepen our understanding of ANS regulation in preterm populations.}},
  articleno    = {{137}},
  author       = {{Piers, S and Tang, T and Gistelinck, L and Moerkerke, Matthijs and Daniels, N and Ortibus, E and Alaerts, K and Naulaers, G and Boets, B}},
  booktitle    = {{BAPS 2024, Annual Meeting of the Belgian Association for Psychological Sciences, Abstracts}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  location     = {{Brussels, Belgium}},
  pages        = {{137:171--137:171}},
  title        = {{Insights into social challenges in very preterm birth survivors : examining gaze behavior and vagal tone}},
  url          = {{http://www.bapsannualmeeting.com/uploads/1/3/8/9/138984452/program.pdf}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}