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.
Keywords
preterm birth, hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal, (HPA), Saliva cortisol concentrations, Cortisol stress response, diurnal slope
Document Type
Journal Article
Date of Publication
8-2022
Publication Title
Archives of Disease in Childhood: Fetal & Neonatal
Publisher
BMJ Publishing Group
School
School of Nursing and Midwifery / Centre for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Services Research
RAS ID
44318
Funders
Theirworld
MRC Centre for Reproductive Health (MRC G1002033)
British Heart Foundation (RE/18/5/34216)
Copyright
subscription content
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