Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39579363›Full record

ArticleJournal of pediatric psychology2025

Caregivers' physiological responses during toddler vaccinations: associations with psychological and behavioral responses.

Shaylea D Badovinac, David B Flora, Heather Edgell, Dan Flanders, Hartley Garfield, Eitan Weinberg, Deena Savlov, Rebecca R Pillai Riddell

Abstract read
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Article in Journal of pediatric psychology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

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0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Shaylea D BadovinacDepartment of Psychology, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada.
David B FloraDepartment of Psychology, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Heather EdgellSchool of Kinesiology & Health Science, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Dan FlandersDepartment of Pediatrics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Hartley GarfieldDepartment of Pediatrics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Eitan WeinbergDepartment of Pediatrics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Deena SavlovDepartment of Pediatrics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Rebecca R Pillai RiddellDepartment of Psychology, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada.ORCID 0000-0003-3990-3680

Funding

Canadian Foundation for Innovation #29908Canadian Foundation for Innovation 29908CIHR #GSD-164166CIHR GSD-164166Meighen Wright Graduate Scholarship in Maternal-Child HealthNatural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada # RGPIN-2020-07140Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada RGPIN-2020-07140Ontario Graduate ScholarshipOntario Ministry of Research and Innovation #532653Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation 532653
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveThis study investigated biological, psychological, and behavioral aspects of caregivers' responses to toddlers' pain-related distress by measuring caregivers' high-frequency heart rate variability (HRV) responses during toddler vaccination pain and examining associations with caregivers' behavioral responses and psychological stress.

methodsParticipants included caregiver-toddler dyads (N = 194) from a longitudinal cohort-sequential study who were observed during toddlers' 12-, 18-, or 24-month routine vaccinations. Changes in caregiver HRV were analyzed using growth curve modeling. Conditional growth curve models examined associations between caregiver HRV and caregivers' concurrent behavior and psychological stress.

resultsThe unconditional growth curve model indicated a slight linear decrease in caregiver HRV (i.e., vagal withdrawal) across the 3 min post-needle (unstandardized B = -0.06, p = .049). In conditional growth curve models, higher levels of parenting stress were associated with less vagal withdrawal during the post-needle period (standardized B = 0.47, unstandardized B = 0.02, p = .003). Caregivers' behavioral responses (i.e., use of soothing and distress-promoting behaviors), state anxiety, and general anxiety symptomology were not significantly associated with HRV responses.

conclusionsCaregiver parasympathetic nervous system activity levels changed minimally from baseline to post-needle and decreased slightly across the post-needle period. Caregivers' self-reported parenting stress was associated with their parasympathetic responses to the procedure. Findings support an improved understanding of the mechanisms underlying caregivers' responses to children's pain-related distress in a naturalistic setting.

Indexed as

CaregiversHeart RatePainStress, PsychologicalVaccinationAdultAnxietyChild, PreschoolFemaleHumansInfantLongitudinal StudiesMaleacute paincaregiver functioninginfancy and early childhoodparent psychosocial functioningstress

Identifiers

PMID39579363
PMCPMC12013813

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.