title: Associations of Prenatal and Perinatal Factors with Cortisol Diurnal Pattern and Reactivity to Stress at Preschool Age Among Children Living in Poverty.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the association of pre- and perinatal factors with diurnal cortisol pattern and reactivity to a stressor at preschool age among children living in poverty.
  
  
  METHODS
  Preschool aged children (n=275) provided saliva samples 3 times per day for 3 days to assess circadian rhythmicity (intercept and slope reflected diurnal pattern) and during a behavioral stress elicitation protocol to measure reactivity (5 samples before, during and after the stressor). Pre- and perinatal predictors were pregnancy weight gain, pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI), infant birth weight z-score and gestational age. We ran 7 linear regression models predicting each of the cortisol outcomes including all pre- and perinatal predictors and covariates simultaneously.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Greater pregnancy weight gain predicted higher morning cortisol [b=0.020 (SE 0.007), p=0.003]. Greater pregnancy weight gain also predicted higher cortisol at recovery from the stressor in girls only [β=0.002 (SE 0.001), p=0.036]. There was no association of pre-pregnancy BMI with any cortisol outcome. Higher birth weight z-score predicted higher morning cortisol in the total sample [β=0.134 (SE 0.066, p=0.043]. Greater gestational age predicted lower cortisol during peak stress in the sample who underwent cortisol reactivity testing [β=-0.015 (SE 0.007), p=0.032] and in boys [β=-0.032 (SE 0.014), p=0.027].
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pre- and perinatal factors are associated with cortisol patterning in offspring at preschool age. The implications for child health require additional studies.
authors: Maha E
authors: ME
authors: Elhassan
authors: Alison L
authors: AL
authors: Miller
authors: Delia M
authors: DM
authors: Vazquez
authors: Michigan University Faculty of Medicine, Center for Human Growth and Development, Michigan, USA Phone: +1 7346471102 E-mail: jlumeng@umich.edu.
authors: Julie C
authors: JC
authors: Lumeng
mesh_terms: D001724:Birth Weight; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002940:Circadian Rhythm / Q000502:physiology*; D004522:Educational Status; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D011203:Poverty; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000523:psychology*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000523:psychology*
chemical_list: D006854:Hydrocortisone