Maternal Hair Cortisol Concentrations Research Articles

Hair cortisol concentrations in pregnant women with bipolar, depressive, or schizophrenic spectrum disorders

PurposeMaternal cortisol levels in pregnancy may support the growth of or adversely affect fetal organs, including the brain. While moderate cortisol levels are essential for fetal development, excessive or prolonged elevations may have negative health consequences for both the mother and the offspring. Little is known about predictors of altered hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis activity during pregnancy. This study examined maternal hair cortisol concentration (HCC) in the 3rd trimester of pregnancy in relation to severe psychopathology.MethodsHair samples were collected from 69 women, 32 with a lifetime diagnosis of severe mental disorders (bipolar I or II disorder, moderate or severe depressive disorder, schizophrenic spectrum disorder), and 37 non-clinical controls. Hair samples were collected during the 3rd trimester, and liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry was used for cortisol assessment. Psychiatric diagnosis and current level of symptomatic functioning were assessed using the structured clinical interview from the DSM-5 and the global assessment of functioning scale.ResultsWomen with a lifetime diagnosis of severe mental illness had significantly elevated HCC compared to controls. Poorer current symptomatic functioning was also significantly associated with elevated HCC in pregnancy.ConclusionsThe implications of alterations in HCC on both maternal and infant health need further study.

Negative associations between maternal prenatal hair cortisol and child socioemotional problems

Maternal prenatal distress can participate in the programming of offspring development, in which exposure to altered maternal long-term cortisol levels as measured by hair cortisol concentrations (HCC) may contribute. Yet, studies investigating whether and how maternal prenatal HCC associates with problems in child socioemotional development are scarce. Furthermore, questions remain regarding the timing and potential sex-specificity of fetal exposure to altered cortisol levels and whether there are interactions with maternal prenatal distress, such as depressive symptoms. The subjects were drawn from those FinnBrain Birth Cohort families that had maternal reports of child socioemotional problems (the Brief Infant-Toddler Social and Emotional Assessment [BITSEA] at 2 years and/or the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire [SDQ] at 5 years) as follows: HCC1 population: maternal mid-pregnancy HCC measured at gestational week 24 with 5 cm segments to depict cortisol levels from the previous five months (n = 321); and HCC2 population: end-of-pregnancy HCC measured 1–3 days after childbirth (5 cm segment; n = 121). Stepwise regression models were utilized in the main analyses and a sensitivity analysis was performed to detect potential biases. Negative associations were observed between maternal HCC2 and child BITSEA Total Problems at 2 years but not with SDQ Total difficulties at 5 years, and neither problem score was associated with HCC1. In descriptive analyses, HCC2 was negatively associated with Internalizing problems at 2 years and SDQ Emotional problems at 5 years. A negative association was observed among 5-year-old girls between maternal HCC1 and SDQ Total Difficulties and the subscales of Conduct and Hyperactivity/inattentive problems. When interactions were also considered, inverse associations between HCC2 and BITSEA Internalizing and Dysregulation Problems were observed in subjects with elevated prenatal depressive symptoms. It was somewhat surprising that only negative associations were observed between maternal HCC and child socioemotional problems. However, there are previous observations of elevated end-of-pregnancy cortisol levels associating with better developmental outcomes. The magnitudes of the observed associations were, as expected, mainly modest. Future studies with a focus on the individual changes of maternal cortisol levels throughout pregnancy as well as studies assessing both maternal and child HPA axis functioning together with child socioemotional development are indicated.

Hair Cortisol Concentrations in Opioid-Exposed versus Nonexposed Mother-Infant Dyads.

To pilot measurement of hair cortisol concentration (HCC) in pregnant women with opioid use disorder and their infants over time and study the potential utility of hair cortisol as a biomarker of chronic stress in this population. In this pilot prospective cohort study of mother-infant dyads with and without prenatal opioid exposure, we obtained mother-infant HCCs at delivery and again within 1 to 3 months' postpartum. HCCs were compared between the opioid and control groups and between the two time points. There were no significant differences between opioid and control group maternal or infant HCCs at either time point. However, within the opioid-exposed group, there was a significant increase in infant HCCs across the two time points. This pilot study describes our experience with the measurement of HCCs in opioid-exposed mother-infant dyads. · Maternal stress impacts fetal and child health.. · Many stressors in pregnant women with opioid use disorder.. · Hair cortisol may be a useful stress biomarker..

Long-Term Effects of Child Early Surgical Ventricular Septal Defect Repair on Maternal Stress.

The ventricular septal defect (VSD) represents the most common congenital heart defect (CHD). The diagnosis of and cardiac surgery for their child's VSD are highly stressful experiences for parents; especially mothers, who are at risk of developing long-lasting stress-related symptoms. This study examined long-term alterations in maternal stress including self-reported psychological and biophysiological stress levels in a case-control design. We investigated 24 mothers of children with an isolated, surgically corrected VSD compared to non-affected controls. Maternal self-reports on psychopathology, everyday stress, parenting stress and hair cortisol concentrations (HCC) were measured during children's primary school age (6-9 years, t1) and early adolescence (10-14 years, t2). In maternal self-reports, psychopathology and stress symptoms in the VSD-group and controls were comparable at t1, whereas at t2, mothers in the VSD-group even showed a decrease in psychopathology. Maternal HCC levels in the VSD-group were significantly lower (hypocortisolism) than HCC levels of controls at t1. This effect was no longer observed at t2 reflecting an approximation of HCC levels in the VSD-group to controls' levels. This study highlights the potential for improved stress hormone balance and psychological well-being in mothers following their child's surgical VSD repair. However, the need for parent-centered interventions is discussed, particularly during peri-operative phases and in early child developmental stages.

Amniotic fluid cortisol predicts neonatal and infant development in non-stressed rhesus monkeys: Implications for prenatal stress

Prenatal stress adversely affects offspring development, with fetal cortisol (CORT) exposure being a primary hypothesized mechanism for stress-induced developmental deficits. Fetal CORT exposure can be assessed via measurements in amniotic fluid. However, in humans, amniocentesis is typically only performed for clinical reasons such as karyotyping; thus, amniotic fluid CORT cannot be obtained from a random sample. To test the hypothesis that fetal CORT exposure predicts neonatal and infant development in healthy primates, we measured amniotic fluid CORT in N = 18 healthy rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) dams (50:50 female:male infants) between 80 and 124 days gestation (mean ± SEM = 98.3 ± 2.9 days out of 165 days gestational length; i.e., second trimester). Maternal hair cortisol concentrations (HCCs) were assessed throughout pregnancy and lactation. Offspring were assessed for physical growth, neurological development, cognitive development, and HCCs across postnatal days 30–180. Controlling for gestational age at amniocentesis, higher amniotic fluid CORT significantly predicted slower infant growth rate (g/day) in the first 30 days (β = −0.19; R2 = 0.71, p = .008), poorer sensorimotor scores on the day 30 neonatal assessment (β = −0.28; R2 = 0.76, p = .015), and longer time to complete training (β = 0.48; R2 = 0.54, p = .026), but better performance (β = 0.91; R2 = 0.60, p = .011) on a discrimination cognitive task at 120–180 days. Amniotic fluid CORT was not associated with maternal or infant HCCs. Although these results are correlative, they raise the intriguing possibility that fetal CORT exposure in non-stress-exposed primates, as measured by amniotic fluid CORT, programs multiple aspects of neonatal and infant development. On the other hand, amniotic fluid CORT may not relate to chronic CORT levels in either mothers or infants when assessed by hair sampling.

How prenatal cortisol levels may differentially affect the neurodevelopment of boys and girls

Background: Prenatal stress could have serious consequences on maternal and fetal health. In this sense, some studies have stated that maternal HCC during pregnancy could contribute to sex-specific effects on infant neurodevelopment, following the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease Hypothesis. Aim: This study aimed to determine whether maternal hair cortisol concentration (HCC) during each trimester of pregnancy and postpartum could predict the neurodevelopmental outcomes of their 12-month-old offspring, with sex-specific differences considered. Study design: longitudinal. Subjects: The study involved 93 pregnant women and their babies. Outcome measure: Hair samples collected during each trimester and postpartum and The Bayley Scales for Infant Development III was used to assess the infants' abilities. Results: The results showed that maternal HCC during the first and second trimesters could predict language and motor abilities. However, when discriminated by sex, only females' cognitive, expressive language, and fine and gross motor skills were predicted by cortisol, not males. Conclusions: These findings support the idea that non-toxic levels of cortisol can positively influence infants' neurodevelopment.

Differences in segmental hair cortisol concentration analysis among children and adolescents with overweight and obesity, their parents, and normal weight peers.

Dysregulation of the stress system via incidental long exposure to glucocorticoids (GCs) can lead to weight gain. In addition, family and maternal stress can also have an impact on children's weight. Hair is used in several studies to evaluate cortisol (GC) levels in children and adolescents with excess weight as a retrospective stress biomarker, depending on the hair length the cortisol measurement depicting different time periods. We aimed to investigate whether there is a difference among segmental hair cortisol concentration (HCC) analysis between children and adolescents with overweight and obesity, their mothers, and normal weight peers. This study recruited 25 children aged 6-14 years with a body mass index (BMI) ≥ 85th centile and their mothers, as well as 20 children of the same age with a BMI < 85th centile. Hair cortisol concentration was measured using electrochemiluminescence immunoassay. Segmental HCC analysis exhibited gradually decreasing values in all participants as segments of hair were more distantly located from the scalp. A positive correlation was found between BMI z-score and HCC of the first segment of hair in children and adolescents with elevated BMI (b = 1.84, p = 0.033), as well as with maternal HCC / of an only child (b = 15.77, p = 0.01). There were no associations between mother-child dyads and children and adolescents of different BMI groups, even though minors with excess weight exhibited higher HCC levels in all segments of hair in comparison to their normal weight counterparts. Hair cortisol of all participants exhibited a gradually declining concentration. More studies with larger samples and more sensitive methods of analysis are warranted in order to draw firmer conclusions.

Relations Among Mothers’ Childhood Neglect, Maternal Cortisol Hypoactivity, and Child Maltreatment in the Next Generation

There is substantial evidence that childhood maltreatment can be intergenerational, yet mechanisms responsible for this transmission are just beginning to be understood. Related evidence suggests that childhood maltreatment may lead to long-term dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, and that maternal HPA activity is associated with caregiving quality and child abuse potential. This study sought to extend prior research by testing the relations among mothers’ severity of abuse and neglect in their own childhoods, maternal HPA axis functioning assessed by mothers’ hair cortisol concentration (HCC), and mothers’ involvement with child protective services for any offspring. Fifty-one women completed a measure of childhood maltreatment and provided a hair sample for cortisol extraction during pregnancy. During pregnancy and at four months postpartum, participants provided data on their involvement with State Protective Services (SPS) at any time as a parent due to concerns about the welfare of any of their children. Two mediation models were evaluated to test whether maternal HCC mediated the association of severity of mothers’ childhood abuse (model 1) and mothers’ childhood neglect (model 2) with their family SPS involvement as a parent. Results indicated that lower maternal HCC mediated the association between mothers’ childhood neglect and SPS involvement as a parent. The indirect effect of childhood abuse severity did not reach significance. Findings extend prior work by highlighting mothers’ HPA hypoactivity as a mechanism in the intergenerational transmission of maltreatment.

Pre- and early postpartum psychosocial stress trajectories in mothers and child body mass index at 3 years: a birth cohort study

BackgroundChild overweight remains a prevalent public health concern, but the impact of maternal psychosocial stress and related constructs, the timing, and possible trajectories on child body mass index (BMI) is controversial. We aimed to investigate the association of maternal stress, depression and anxiety symptoms, and maternal hair cortisol concentrations (HCC) at delivery, 6, and 12 months postpartum with child BMI and age- and sex-standardized BMI (BMI-SDS) at age 3 years.MethodsData were derived from the Ulm SPATZ Health Study with a baseline examination between 04/2012 and 05/2013 at the University Medical Centre Ulm, Germany, the only maternity clinic in Ulm, with a good representation of the source population. Adjusted regression analyses based on BMI/BMI-SDS (dependent) and trajectories of stress, depression, and anxiety (independent variables) were investigated in 596 mothers and children. Multiple imputation of missing covariates was performed.ResultsVarious trajectories in independent variables were identified, trajectories of maternal anxiety symptom differed between child sexes. We did not find an association between trajectories of maternal chronic stress, depression symptoms, or HCC and child BMI/BMI-SDS. However, trajectories of low-increasing maternal anxiety symptoms were linked to higher child BMI compared to a low-stable trajectory group (b = 0.58 kg/m2, 95% Confidence Interval: 0.11; 1.04) in girls.ConclusionsTrajectories of maternal anxiety symptoms were associated with the child’s BMI/BMI-SDS in girls at age 3 years. However, further large scale studies should include variables to determine the causal pathway and enlighten sex-specific differences.

Maternal attachment state of mind and perinatal emotional wellbeing: Findings from a pregnancy cohort study

ObjectivesMaternal attachment state of mind is an important potential predictor of risk and resilience to perinatal emotional wellbeing and early parenting. To explore maternal attachment in relation to perinatal depression and emotional wellbeing. MethodsThis study drew on data collected within an ongoing cohort from 170 women recruited in early pregnancy, including 67 who met criteria for Major Depression. Maternal attachment state of mind was assessed with the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) in pregnancy. Additional measures included the Structured Clinical Interview for the DSM (SCID), at 12 months the Strange Situation Procedure (SSP), Child Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), Parenting Stress Index, and antenatal maternal hair cortisol concentrations (HCC). LimitationsSample size to be able to undertake all analyses using the 4 way classifications, cortisol measurement is limited to hair only and there is no prospectively collected measure of childhood trauma in mothers. ConclusionsThis study found that maternal attachment, specifically the Non-Autonomous states of mind, adjusted for clinical depression, was associated with higher cortisol in pregnancy and higher depressive symptoms across pregnancy and the postpartum. Furthermore, separately those with depression and Non-Autonomous states of mind also had higher postpartum parenting stress. There was no significant intergenerational concordance between AAI and SSP attachment classifications. Our findings support future research exploring the role of maternal attachment state of mind in understanding perinatal depression and emotional wellbeing.

Threat versus deprivation in mother's childhood: Differential relations to hair cortisol and psychopathology in pregnancy

BackgroundThe negative effects of childhood maltreatment can be intergenerational, and the prenatal period may play an important role in this intergenerational transmission. Maternal hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis dysfunction and maternal psychopathology represent two mechanisms through which the effects of childhood maltreatment are hypothesized to be transmitted across generations. ObjectiveThis study first sought to extend prior research on pathways of intergenerational transmission by examining whether mothers' childhood experiences of abuse versus neglect differentially relate to maternal HPA activity and to maternal psychopathology during the prenatal period. Second, exploratory analyses examined the links between maternal variables and their State Protective Service involvement as a parent, as an indicator of maladaptive caregiving. MethodsDuring the third trimester of pregnancy, 51 women reported on experiences of childhood maltreatment, on State Protective Service involvement as an adult parent, and on current depressive and post-traumatic stress symptoms, and provided a hair sample for cortisol assay. ResultsRegression analyses indicated that greater severity of abuse, but not neglect, in childhood was associated with higher maternal depressive symptoms (β = 0.488, p = .020). In contrast, greater severity of neglect, but not abuse, in mothers' childhood was associated with lower maternal hair cortisol concentration (β = −0.437, p = .031). Lower maternal hair cortisol concentration, but not maternal psychopathology or severity of childhood abuse or neglect, in turn, was associated with State Protective Service involvement (β = −0.785, p < .001). ConclusionsFindings extend prior work by suggesting that childhood abuse and neglect may have different sequelae for mothers during pregnancy and that these sequelae may have different relations to parenting.

Maternal hair cortisol concentrations and its association with increased insulin resistance in midpregnancy

PurposeStress and elevated maternal glycemia have negative effects on pregnancy. We evaluated the association of hair cortisol concentrations (HCC), a marker of chronic stress, with insulin resistance and gestational diabetes (GDM). MethodsIn total, 527 women from Lima, Peru, provided a hair sample in the second trimester of their pregnancy to measure HCC using liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. Each 6 cm of hair captured HCC in early (T1=1–12 weeks) and midpregnancy (T2 = 13–24 weeks). GDM diagnosis was conducted in midpregnancy. Multivariable regression models adjusted for putative risk factorsincluding maternal sociodemographic factors, diabetes history, and hair characteristics, were used to estimate the association of HCC with GDM and various glycemic traits. ResultsGDM was diagnosed in 122 (23%) women. Mean HCC across pregnancy was T1 = 3.7 (±3.4) pg/mg and T2 = 4.8 (±3.4) pg/mg. HCC was associated with increased log-transformed units of fasting insulin (T1 = 0.15 [0.03, 0.27], T2 = 0.17 [0.04, 0.30]), homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance (T1 = 0.14 [0.01, 0.26], T2 = 0.17 [0.03, 0.30]), and homeostasis model assessment for β-cell function (T1 = 0.20 [0.05, 0.34], T2 = 0.20 [0.04, 0.36]), but not with GDM (T1 = 0.95 [0.63, 1.40], T2 = 1.11 [0.74, 1.67]). ConclusionsElevated maternal HCC was associated with abnormal insulin homeostasis in pregnancy. Dysregulation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis, as reflected by high HCC, may also contribute to insulin resistance syndrome in pregnancy.

Intergenerational impact of childhood trauma on hair cortisol concentrations in mothers and their young infants

BackgroundAlterations in stress regulation and function of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis during infancy may be a risk factor for the development of psychopathology later in life. Maternal childhood trauma, depression, anxiety and stressful life events are individually associated with HPA axis dysregulation. Less is known about their interdependent influence on maternal and infant stress regulation in at risk populations. In a sample of mothers with a history of depressive-, and/or anxiety disorders and their infants we explored if a history of maternal childhood trauma, current depressive and anxiety symptomatology, and recent life events were associated with maternal and infant long-term cortisol levels three months postpartum. MethodsData were available of 89 mothers and 49 infants. All mothers fulfilled criteria for a lifetime depressive or anxiety disorder. Diagnosis was established with a diagnostic interview. Current depressive symptomatology was assessed with the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), current anxiety with the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), maternal childhood trauma with the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) and recent life events with the Everyday Problem Checklist (EPC). Maternal and infant hair cortisol concentrations (HCC) were quantified with liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) three months after birth. Total scores of the CTQ and subscales, EPDS, STAI, and EPC were regressed on maternal and infant HCC using regression analyses. Differences in HCC regarding trauma history were tested with t-tests. Potential confounders were identified and adjusted for. ResultsIn regression analyses, a positive curvilinear relationship was found between CTQ total score and maternal HCC (n = 83, B = 0.076, SE 0.033, p = .021), but not for current depression (n = 88, B = −0.001, SE 0.011, p = .931), current anxiety (n = 88, B = 0.002, SE 0.004, p = .650) or recent life events (n = 89, B = 0.018, SE 0.032, p = .568). Analyses were adjusted for confounders. A negative linear relationship was found between maternal CTQ score and infant HCC (n = 49, β = −0.264, B = −0.006, SE 0.003, p = .052), but not for current maternal depression (n = 45, β = −0.182, B = −0.011, SE 0.008, p = .164), current maternal anxiety (n = 45, β = −0.209, B = −0.005, SE 0.003, p = .113) or recent life events (n = 46, β = −0.128, B = −0.022, SE 0.023, p = .325). Analyses were adjusted for relevant infant hair characteristics. Specifically, maternal emotional and physical neglect were related to HCC in both mothers and infants. ConclusionsResults suggest that maternal childhood trauma is more prominent in altering maternal and infant long-term cortisol levels than perinatal depressive and anxiety symptomatology or recent life stressors in mothers with a history of depressive and/or anxiety disorders, and their infants. As infants of mothers with psychopathology are at increased risk for later psychiatric disease, future studies should investigate the interplay of possible risk factors for transgenerational transmission, intra-uterine programming of the HPA axis, including (epi-)genetic phenomena, of the HPA axis, and the influence of parenting impairment.

A matter of habit? Stressful life events and cognitive flexibility in 15-month-olds

Exposure to chronic stress is associated with habitual learning in adults. We studied the origins of this association by examining the link between stressful life events and infant cognitive flexibility. The final sample consisted of N = 72 fifteen-month-old infants and their mothers. Mothers completed a survey on pre- and postnatal negative life events. To assess chronic stress physiologically, infant and maternal hair cortisol concentrations were determined for cortisol accumulation during the past 3 months. Each infant participated in two cognitive tasks in the laboratory. An instrumental learning task tested infants’ ability to disengage from a habituated action when this action became ineffective (Seehagen et al., 2015). An age-adequate version of the A-not-B task tested infants’ ability to find a toy at location B after repeatedly finding it at location A. Correlations between cortisol concentrations and postnatal negative life events (number, perceived impact) did not yield significance. Infant and maternal hair cortisol concentrations were not correlated. Infants’ ability to shift to a new action in either task, controlled for acute stress, correlated neither with pre- and postnatal negative life events nor with cortisol concentrations. Taken together, these results indicate that the potential link between long-term stress exposure and cognitive flexibility might not be present in samples with low levels of psychosocial stress.

Household Social Needs, Emotional Functioning, and Stress in Low-Income Latinx Children and their Mothers

Latinx families may be particularly vulnerable to emotional dysfunction, due to higher rates of economic hardship and complex social influences in this population. Little is known about the impact of environmental stressors such as unmet social needs and maternal stress on the emotional health of Latinx children from low-income families. We conducted secondary analyses using survey and biomarker data from 432 Latinx children and mothers collected in a separate study. We used binomial and multinomial logistic regression to test if household social needs, or maternal perceived stress or hair cortisol concentration (HCC), predicted child measures of emotional functioning or child HCC, independent of relevant sociodemographic factors. Approximately 40% of children in the sample had symptoms consistent with emotional dysfunction, and over 37% of households reported five or more social needs. High perceived maternal stress predicted higher odds of child emotional dysfunction (OR = 2.15; 95% CI [1.14, 4.04]; p = 0.01), and high maternal HCC was positively associated with high child HCC (OR = 10.60; 95% CI [4.20, 26.74]; p < 0.01). Most individual household social needs, as well as the level of household social need, were not independently associated with child emotional dysfunction or child HCC. Our findings begin to define a framework for understanding emotional health, stress, and resilience when caring for Latinx children and mothers living with high levels of social need, and the need for integrated mental health and social needs screening and interventions in settings that serve this population.

Associations between Maternal and Offspring Hair Cortisol Concentrations and Child Behavioral Symptoms in Mother-Child Pairs with Perinatal Mental Disorders.

Maternal perinatal mental disorders (PMD) are associated with developmental and behavioral problems in children, probably mediated by the programming of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis. Increased cortisol concentrations during the antenatal and perinatal periods have been related to long-term effects on children’s behavior and stress response. We aimed to investigate the association of hair cortisol concentrations (HCC) between mothers, with (n = 16) and without PMD (n = 30), and their children, aged between 18 and 48 months. Participants were evaluated with a clinical interview and questionnaires for the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale and the Child Behavior Checklist for ages 1½–5. Maternal and child HCCs were compared between the two groups. Children of the PMD group had increased symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. A positive linear association between maternal and child HCC was observed only in the total sample of mother–child dyads and the control group. In the PMD group, children’s HCCs were significantly associated with child anxiety/depression symptoms. Aggressive behavior and oppositional/defiant problems correlated significantly with children’s own HCCs, and their mother’s too. These findings suggest that a chronic dysregulation of maternal and child HPA axis and their associations in the PMD dyads may underlie the linkage among prolonged maternal stress, child behavioral/emotional problems and stress responses.

Continuity of psychopathology v. resilience across the transition to adolescence: role of hair cortisol and sensitive caregiving.

The transition to adolescence implicates heightened vulnerability alongside increased opportunities for resilience. Contexts of early life stress (ELS) exacerbate risk; still, little research addressed biobehavioral mediators of risk and resilience across the adolescent transition following ELS. Utilizing a unique cohort, we tested biosocial moderators of chronicity in adolescents' internalizing disorders v. resilience. Families exposed to chronic war-related trauma, v. controls, were followed. We utilized data from three time-points framing the adolescent transition: late childhood (N = 177, Mage = 9.3 years ± 1.41), early adolescence (N = 111, Mage = 11 0.66 years ± 1.23), and late adolescence (N = 138, Mage = 15.65 years ± 1.31). In late childhood and late adolescence children's internalizing disorders were diagnosed. At early adolescence maternal and child's hair cortisol concentrations (HCC), maternal sensitivity, and mothers' post-traumatic symptoms evaluated. War-exposed children exhibited more internalizing disorders of chronic trajectory and mothers were less sensitive and more symptomatic. Three pathways elucidated the continuity of psychopathology: (a) maternal sensitivity moderated the risk of chronic psychopathology, (b) maternal post-traumatic symptoms mediated continuity of risk, (c) trauma exposure moderated the association between child internalizing disorders at late childhood and maternal HCC, which linked with child HCC. Child HCC linked with maternal post-traumatic symptoms, which were associated with child disorders in late adolescence. Results demonstrate the complex interplay of maternal and child's biosocial factors as mediators and moderators of risk chronicity across the adolescent transition following trauma. Findings are first to utilize maternal and child's HCC as biomarkers of chronic stress v. resilience during adolescence, a period of neural reorganization and personal growth that shapes the individual's lifetime adaptation.

Increased hair cortisol in mothers of children with ADHD symptoms and psychosocial adversity background.

Parents of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have shown high perceived parenting stress. Hence, physiological adjustment processes, involving the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, seem possible. We hypothesized that (1) ADHD symptoms of the child predict an increase of maternal hair cortisol concentration (HCC), and (2) presence of psychosocial adversity amplifies the prediction. We analyzed a preschool-aged sample using a longitudinal design (T1, at the children's age of 4years; T2, 12 months later). 128 mothers and their children participated in the study. To determine HCC of the previous 3months, the first scalp-near 3cm hair segment was used. ADHD symptoms of the child were measured using teacher- and parent-report questionnaires and a clinical interview with the mother. The T1 teacher-reported ADHD symptoms score of the child was significantly positively associated with the mother`s T1 and T2 HCC score. In families with high psychosocial adversity, the prediction of an increase in maternal HCC by the teacher-reported ADHD symptoms of child was significantly stronger than in low-adversity families. In presence of psychosocial family adversity, ADHD symptoms of the child predicted an increase in the mother's HCC. As a continuously high cortisol level implicates health risks and might in turn affect parenting resources, the identifying of caregivers at risk through biological markers of stress could be helpful for planning targeted interventions. As our study is the first on this issue, cross-validation is needed.

Maternal hair cortisol concentrations across pregnancy and the early postpartum period in a Puerto Rican sample.

Hair cortisol is a noninvasive, long-term biomarker of human stress. Strengths and weaknesses of this biomarker as a proxy measure of perinatal stress are not yet well understood. Hair cortisol data were collected from pregnant women in Puerto Rico to investigate maternal cortisol level variance across pregnancy. In 2017, we recruited 86 pregnant women planning to birth at a large urban hospital. We aimed to collect four hair samples from each participant, one in each trimester and one in the postpartum period. Median cortisol in the first trimester (n=82) was 5.7 picograms/milligram (pg/mg) (range: 1.0-62.4). In the second, third, and postpartum periods, the medians were 6.8pg/mg (1.0-69.5), (n=46), 20.1pg/mg (5.6-89.0), (n=30), and 14.1pg/mg (1.7-39.8), (n=9), respectively. These medians disguise a 10-fold and 50-fold variability for two participants. Our sample sizes declined sharply when Hurricane Maria caused major disruptions in services and participants' lives. Maternal hair cortisol concentrations were lower in the first and second trimester than the third trimester and early postpartum period. We also observed a wide range of variation in cortisol levels throughout pregnancy and in the postpartum period.

Maternal Hair Cortisol Concentrations and its Association with Increased Insulin Resistance in Mid-Pregnancy

Maternal Hair Cortisol Concentrations and its Association with Increased Insulin Resistance in Mid-Pregnancy