title: Infants at familial risk for depression show a distinct pattern of cortisol response to experimental challenge.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of the study was to examine the link between maternal depression and the infant's HPA axis functioning in relation to a sequence of emotional challenges at 12 months postpartum, while controlling for maternal anxiety disorder and general sociodemographic risk.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two hundred and fifty-seven infants whose mothers had been interviewed in pregnancy, as part of a prospective longitudinal study of a nationally representative sample of U.K. families, were individually tested in the laboratory and then observed during a simulated birthday party scenario. Three cortisol samples were taken over the course of 1½ h of afternoon testing.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The cortisol levels of infants whose mothers had no history of depression decreased significantly after individual testing, and rose again significantly in response to the birthday party challenge. In contrast, infants whose mothers had been diagnosed with depression before conception, during pregnancy or in the first 6 months postpartum showed no decrease from the initially elevated levels at entry to the laboratory and a less marked increase in response to the party.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study does not employ a traditional stress paradigm; instead it introduces a novel design to assess HPA axis functioning in relation to everyday emotional challenges.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings suggest that altered responses to mildly challenging events in infancy may be a marker for infants' familial risk for depressive illness.
authors.affiliation: Cardiff University, UK.
authors.forename: Cerith S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Waters
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: van Goozen
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Phillips
authors.forename: Naomi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Swift
authors.forename: Sarah-Louise
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Hurst
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mundy
authors.forename: Roland
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: Ian
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: Ian
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Goodyer
authors.forename: Dale F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Hay
mesh_terms: D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D007030:Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System / Q000378:metabolism*; D007223:Infant; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D010913:Pituitary-Adrenal System / Q000378:metabolism*; D049590:Postpartum Period / Q000097:blood; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D006854:Hydrocortisone
keywords: Cortisol; Foetal programming; Infants; Intergenerational transmission; Maternal depression; Prospective longitudinal design