Preterm birth and infant diurnal cortisol regulation

Abstract

Background:

Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis adaptation is a potential mechanism linking early life exposures with later adverse health. This study tested the hypothesis that preterm birth is associated with adaptation of diurnal cortisol regulation across infancy.

Methods:

A secondary analysis was conducted of saliva cortisol measured morning, midday and evening, monthly, across infancy, as part of a birth cohort conducted in Linköping, Sweden. Diurnal cortisol regulation of infants born extremely preterm (n=24), very preterm (n=27) and at term (n=130) were compared across infancy through random coefficients regression models.

Results:

Compared with infants born at term, infants born extremely preterm (−17.2%, 95% CI: −30.7 to −1.2), but not very preterm (1.7%, 95% CI: −14.1 to 20.4), had a flattened diurnal slope across infancy.

Conclusions:

Extremely preterm birth is associated with a flattened diurnal slope in infancy. This pattern of cortisol regulation could contribute to adverse metabolic and neurodevelopmental phenotypes observed in this population.

RAS ID

44318

Document Type

Journal Article

Date of Publication

8-2022

Funding Information

Theirworld

MRC Centre for Reproductive Health (MRC G1002033)

British Heart Foundation (RE/18/5/34216)

School

School of Nursing and Midwifery / Centre for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Services Research

Copyright

subscription content

Publisher

BMJ Publishing Group

Comments

Stoye, D. Q., Boardman, J. P., Osmond, C., Sullivan, G., Lamb, G., Black, G. S., & Mörelius, E. (2022). Preterm birth and infant diurnal cortisol regulation. Archives of Disease in Childhood: Fetal & Neonatal, 107(5), 558-564.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/archdischild-2021-323296

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Link to publisher version (DOI)

10.1136/archdischild-2021-323296