Behavioral Markers of Emergent Stranger Anxiety in Infants and Toddlers with Fragile X Syndrome.
Bridgette Tonnsen, Jessica Scherr, Debra Reisinger and 1 others
PMID 28856552WHAT IT FOUND
Infants with Fragile X showed less facial fear than controls.
Within the group, stable distress vocalizations linked to later social withdrawal, while lower escape behaviors linked to higher autistic symptoms. These markers did not predict general anxiety.
Key findings
01Infants and toddlers with Fragile X Syndrome displayed lower levels of facial fear compared to typically developing controls.
02Within the Fragile X group, lower intensity of escape behaviors was associated with higher autistic symptom severity.
03Stable distress vocalizations across age were associated with higher withdrawal symptoms, suggesting a link to social anxiety rather than general anxiety.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study used parent-report and examiner rating scales rather than gold-standard diagnostic instruments like the ADOS-2. The sample size was small, particularly for the control group, limiting the generalizability of the findings. The study did not measure parental responses or the child's reaction to familiar people, restricting understanding of dyadic social factors. Anxiety diagnoses were not confirmed clinically, relying on symptom severity scores which may not capture the full clinical picture.
Declared interests
No specific conflicts of interest or funding sources were declared in the provided text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the lower facial fear in children with Fragile X Syndrome as a lack of emotional response or a positive sign. The study indicates this is a characteristic pattern of the syndrome, potentially linked to autonomic functioning, and does not predict general anxiety or autism severity.