Maternal Influence on Child HPA Axis: A Prospective Study of Cortisol Levels in Hair

• OBJECTIVE: To investigate cortisol concentrations in hair as biomarker of prolonged stress in young children and their mothers and the relation to perinatal and sociodemographic factors. less thanbrgreater than less thanbrgreater thanMETHODS: Prospective cohort study of 100 All Babies In Southeast Sweden study participants with repeated measures at 1, 3, 5, and 8 years and their mothers during pregnancy. Prolonged stress levels were assessed through cortisol in hair. A questionnaire covered perinatal and sociodemographic factors during the childs first year of life. less thanbrgreater than less thanbrgreater thanRESULTS: Maternal hair cortisol during the second and third trimester and child hair cortisol at year 1 and 3 correlated. Child cortisol in hair levels decreased over time and correlated to each succeeding age, between years 1 and 3 (r = 0.30, P = .002), 3 and 5 (r = 0.39, P andlt; .001), and 5 and 8 (r = 0.44, P andlt; .001). Repeated measures gave a significant linear association over time (P andlt; .001). There was an association between high levels of hair cortisol and birth weight (beta = .224, P = .020), nonappropriate size for gestational age (beta = .231, P = .017), and living in an apartment compared with a house (beta = .200, P = .049). In addition, we found high levels of cortisol in hair related to other factors associated with psychosocial stress exposure. less thanbrgreater than less thanbrgreater thanCONCLUSIONS: Correlation between hair cortisol levels in mothers and their children suggests a heritable trait or maternal calibration of the childs hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis. Cortisol output gradually stabilizes and seems to have a stable trait. Cortisol concentration in hair has the potential to become a biomarker of prolonged stress, especially applicable as a noninvasive method when studying how stress influences childrens health.

Nyckelord

stress

children

mother

cortisol

hair

health disparities

MEDICINE

MEDICIN

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