Prenatal maternal mood is associated with altered diurnal cortisol in adolescence.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Experimental animal work shows that prenatal stress has a persisting effect on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis of offspring. The implications of these findings for human health and development are not yet clear.

Methods

The data are based on the ALSPAC cohort, a prospective longitudinal study of a community sample that has followed mothers and children from pregnancy. When the children were aged 15 years, diurnal cortisol samples were collected at wake-up, 30 min post-awakening and at afternoon and evening times on up to three consecutive days on n=889 adolescents. Diurnal cortisol was predicted from prenatal anxiety and depression, obstetric, life-style, socio-demographic, and postnatal covariates.

Results

Multilevel model analysis indicated

SUBMITTER: O'Donnell KJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3695029 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature