# Mapping Dysregulation: Prenatal Predictors and Developmental Trajectories of Multiple Regulatory Problems in Early Childhood

## TL;DR

This study explores how prenatal risk factors like poor maternal mental health and substance use predict regulatory problems in children up to age 3, finding that these risks are linked to increased dysregulation, especially in boys.

## Contribution

The study identifies prenatal predictors of developmental trajectories in child dysregulation and reveals sex differences in these associations.

## Key findings

- Prenatal risk factors predicted increased dysregulation from 18 months to 3 years (β = 0.208, p < .001).
- The association was stronger for boys (β = 0.229, p < .05) compared to girls (β = 0.151, p < .05).
- Sensory sensitivity, eating problems, and negative emotionality contributed to the effects, while sleeping problems did not.

## Abstract

Regulatory problems, defined as excessive crying, sleeping and feeding problems, as well as pronounced sensory sensitivity, pose a significant source of worry and exhaustion for parents. In this study, we investigate the evolvement of multiple regulatory problems up to 3 years of age. We ask whether a range of maternal prenatal risk factors, including poor mental health, substance use, and sociodemographic risks, predict developmental trajectory in dysregulation from 18 months to 3 years. The sample comprises 748 children and their mothers taking part in the prospective longitudinal community-based study Little in Norway. Utilizing latent change score modelling, we found that prenatal risk factors predicted an increase in dysregulation from 18 months to 3 years (β = 0.208, p <.001). This association was moderated by child sex, being stronger for boys (β = 0.229, p <.05) than for girls (β = 0.151, p <.05). A more fine-grained analysis of subscales showed that sensory sensitivity, eating problems and negative emotionality contributed to these effects, whereas sleeping problems were unrelated (p >.05). Results suggest that the association between early risk exposure and child dysregulation may unfold gradually over time. Those born into families with a higher load of prenatal risks are more vulnerable to dysregulation problems extending, or even increasing, into the preschool years.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10802-025-01320-2.