Abstract
The emergence of the interdisciplinary field of salivary bioscience has created opportunity for neonatal researchers to measure multiple components of biological systems non-invasively in oral fluids. The implications are profound and potentially high impact. From a single oral fluid specimen, information can be obtained about a vast array of biological systems (e.g., endocrine, immune, autonomic nervous system) and the genetic polymorphisms related to individual differences in their function. The purpose of this review is to describe the state of the art for investigators interested in integrating these unique measurement tools into the current and next generation of research on gonadal steroid exposure during the prenatal and neonatal developmental periods.
Highlights
The direction of research in the field of human development is being influenced by theoretical models that champion the study of individual differences using multi-level analyses of the confluence of prenatal, biological, behavioral, and social contextual forces [e.g., Ref. [1,2,3,4]]
The purpose of this report is to provide a roadmap for investigators interested in pushing cutting-edge integration of these measurement tools into the generation of studies on gonadal steroid exposure and child development
We propose measurement considerations for oral fluid and applications of salivary analytes in studies of maternal and neonatal gonadal steroid activity for future investigation
Summary
The direction of research in the field of human development is being influenced by theoretical models that champion the study of individual differences using multi-level analyses of the confluence of prenatal, biological, behavioral, and social contextual forces [e.g., Ref. [1,2,3,4]]. Androgens, and progesterone, yet few studies have collected oral fluid for this purpose in women during the antepartum and postpartum periods or in neonates (see Table 2); most have relied on serum. Steroid levels found in saliva, albeit lower in concentration, are correlated with serum constituents, the free fraction which exerts physiological effects [12, 36]. To this end, we propose measurement considerations for oral fluid and applications of salivary analytes in studies of maternal and neonatal gonadal steroid activity for future investigation
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