TY - JOUR
T1 - Prospective relations between prenatal maternal cortisol and child health outcomes
AU - Roettger, Michael E.
AU - Schreier, Hannah M.C.
AU - Feinberg, Mark E.
AU - Jones, Damon E.
N1 - Funding Information:
Source of Funding and Conflicts of Interest: M.E.F., the principal investigator of the study, developed the Family Foundations program and is the owner of a private company, Community Strategies, which disseminates the program. This research is based on data from a trial of the program (NIH Grant MH064125; M.E.F.), but this report does not concern program effects. This research is supported by NIH Grant HL137809 (HMCS). The other authors report no conflicts of interest.
Publisher Copyright:
Copyright © 2019 by the American Psychosomatic Society.
PY - 2019/7/1
Y1 - 2019/7/1
N2 - Objective The aim of the study was to investigate prospective, longitudinal associations between maternal prenatal cortisol response to an interpersonal stressor and child health for the subsequent 3 years. Methods One hundred twenty-three women expecting their first child provided salivary cortisol samples between 12 and 32 weeks of gestation (M (SD) = 22.4 (4.9) weeks) before and after a videotaped couple conflict discussion with their partner. Mothers reported on overall child health and several indicators of child illness (sick doctor visits, fevers, ear, and respiratory infections) when children were 6 months (n = 114), 1 (n = 116), and 3 (n = 105) years old. Associations between maternal prenatal cortisol reactivity and recovery and later child health at each of the three time points were analyzed using longitudinal regression models. Results Greater cortisol reactivity in response to the couple conflict discussion was associated with maternal self-report of better overall child health (p =.016, 95% CI = 0.06-1.30, Cohen's f = 0.045) across the study period. Greater cortisol reactivity was also associated with lower incidence rate ratios for maternal reports of sick doctor visits (incidence rate ratio 95% CI = 0.25-0.83, p =.006), fevers (95% CI = 0.25-0.73, p =.002), ear infections (95% CI = 0.25-0.58, p <.001), and respiratory infections (95% CI = 0.08-1.11, p =.073). Cortisol recovery was unrelated to study outcomes (all p's > 0.05). Maternal prenatal depressive symptoms moderated the association between cortisol reactivity and overall child health (p =.034, 95% CI = 0.07-1.87 for interaction term) but no other health outcomes (p's > 0.05). Among women with lower depressive symptoms, cortisol reactivity was not associated with overall child health; among women with higher levels of depressive symptoms, greater cortisol reactivity was associated with better overall child health. Conclusions This study provides longitudinal evidence that greater maternal cortisol reactivity to a salient interpersonal stressor during pregnancy is associated with fewer child health problems and better maternal report of overall child health during infancy and into early childhood. Trial Registration: Clinicaltrials.gov ID NCT01901536.
AB - Objective The aim of the study was to investigate prospective, longitudinal associations between maternal prenatal cortisol response to an interpersonal stressor and child health for the subsequent 3 years. Methods One hundred twenty-three women expecting their first child provided salivary cortisol samples between 12 and 32 weeks of gestation (M (SD) = 22.4 (4.9) weeks) before and after a videotaped couple conflict discussion with their partner. Mothers reported on overall child health and several indicators of child illness (sick doctor visits, fevers, ear, and respiratory infections) when children were 6 months (n = 114), 1 (n = 116), and 3 (n = 105) years old. Associations between maternal prenatal cortisol reactivity and recovery and later child health at each of the three time points were analyzed using longitudinal regression models. Results Greater cortisol reactivity in response to the couple conflict discussion was associated with maternal self-report of better overall child health (p =.016, 95% CI = 0.06-1.30, Cohen's f = 0.045) across the study period. Greater cortisol reactivity was also associated with lower incidence rate ratios for maternal reports of sick doctor visits (incidence rate ratio 95% CI = 0.25-0.83, p =.006), fevers (95% CI = 0.25-0.73, p =.002), ear infections (95% CI = 0.25-0.58, p <.001), and respiratory infections (95% CI = 0.08-1.11, p =.073). Cortisol recovery was unrelated to study outcomes (all p's > 0.05). Maternal prenatal depressive symptoms moderated the association between cortisol reactivity and overall child health (p =.034, 95% CI = 0.07-1.87 for interaction term) but no other health outcomes (p's > 0.05). Among women with lower depressive symptoms, cortisol reactivity was not associated with overall child health; among women with higher levels of depressive symptoms, greater cortisol reactivity was associated with better overall child health. Conclusions This study provides longitudinal evidence that greater maternal cortisol reactivity to a salient interpersonal stressor during pregnancy is associated with fewer child health problems and better maternal report of overall child health during infancy and into early childhood. Trial Registration: Clinicaltrials.gov ID NCT01901536.
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U2 - 10.1097/PSY.0000000000000705
DO - 10.1097/PSY.0000000000000705
M3 - Article
C2 - 31058707
AN - SCOPUS:85068830487
SN - 0033-3174
VL - 81
SP - 557
EP - 565
JO - Psychosomatic medicine
JF - Psychosomatic medicine
IS - 6
ER -
