Early behaviour and its relation to behaviour at 3 years

In 34 healthy 1-month-old infants sleep, waking, crying and conditioning were analysed in detail. Intellectual functioning and coping with an unfamiliar situation were assessed at the age of 3 years. Likewise, the social environment including mother-infant interaction was considered. The majority of sleep and waking parameters assessed during the first month did not correlate with outcome data at 3 years. Rather, it was those concerning conditioning at 1 month that significantly correlated with coping in an unfamiliar situation at 3 years, a finding in accordance with neurophysiological concepts concerning stimulus sensitivity. More sensitive infants at 1 month had problems in coping with an unfamiliar situation at 3 years. In the light of these results we suggest that factors related to central nervous system processes play a role in coping with unfamiliar situations.