Title
Preterm birth and infant diurnal cortisol regulation
Document Type
Journal Article
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 British Heart Foundation
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.
DOI
10.1136/archdischild-2021- 323296
Access Rights
subscription content
Research Themes
Health
Priority Areas
Multidisciplinary biological approaches to personalised disease diagnosis, prognosis and management
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. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1136/archdischild-2021- 323296