The following is a summary of “Negative associations between maternal prenatal hair cortisol and child socioemotional problems,” published in the January 2024 issue of Obstetrics and Gynaecology by Mustonen et al.

Maternal prenatal distress potentially influences offspring development, wherein exposure to modified maternal long-term cortisol levels measured by hair cortisol concentrations (HCC) might play a role. However, limited research exists on how maternal prenatal HCC relates to child socioemotional development, leaving uncertainties about timing, potential sex-specific impacts of fetal cortisol exposure, and interactions with maternal prenatal distress, like depressive symptoms.

This study involved participants from the FinnBrain Birth Cohort families, focusing on maternal reports of child socioemotional problems using the Brief Infant-Toddler Social and Emotional Assessment (BITSEA) at 2 years and/or the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) at 5 years. Two distinct populations were considered: HCC1 (n=321) with maternal mid-pregnancy HCC measured at gestational week 24, reflecting cortisol levels from the previous five months via 5 cm segments, and HCC2 (n=121) with end-of-pregnancy HCC measured 1-3 days postpartum using a 5 cm segment. Stepwise regression models were employed in the main analyses, complemented by a sensitivity analysis to identify potential biases.

Negative correlations emerged between maternal HCC2 and child BITSEA Total Problems at 2 years, while no significant associations were found with SDQ Total difficulties at 5 years, and HCC1 displayed no relation to either problem score. Descriptive analyses indicated a negative link between HCC2 and Internalizing problems at 2 years and SDQ Emotional problems at 5 years. In 5-year-old girls, a negative association was observed between maternal HCC1 and SDQ Total Difficulties, Conduct, and Hyperactivity/inattentive problems. Considering interactions, inverse associations between HCC2 and BITSEA Internalizing and Dysregulation Problems were noticed in subjects with heightened prenatal depressive symptoms.

The discovery of solely negative connections between maternal HCC and child socioemotional problems was somewhat unexpected, contrasting previous findings associating elevated end-of-pregnancy cortisol levels with improved developmental outcomes. The observed associations generally exhibited modest magnitudes. Future studies should delve into individual changes in maternal cortisol levels throughout pregnancy and explore both maternal and child HPA axis functioning in conjunction with child socio-emotional development for a comprehensive understanding.

Source: sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306453023009332