title: The Association between Hair Cortisol and Self-Reported Symptoms of Depression in Pregnant Women.
abstract: Depression has been linked to an imbalance in cortisol. Until recently, cortisol has been studied by measuring concentrations at single time points in blood or saliva samples. Cortisol concentrations vary with circadian rhythm and experiences, from time point to time point. The measurement of hair cortisol concentration (HCC) is a new method of accessing mean, long-term cortisol concentrations. Recent studies show positive associations between depression and HCC, and prenatal maternal cortisol is thought to influence the developing fetus. We therefore examined the association between HCC and self-reported symptoms of depression in second trimester pregnant women. Participants were 181 women, recruited between September 2011 and October 2013 to the Little-in-Norway (LiN)-study. These women answered the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Rating Scale (EPDS) on self-reported symptoms of depression, and one cm maternal scalp hair was collected and analyzed for cortisol concentrations. Multiple regression analyses did not show depressive symptoms as a predictor for HCC in our selection of pregnant women, while gestational age was significantly related. In conclusion, our study indicated that symptoms of depression during pregnancy did not predict HCC, but further studies of clinically depressed, pregnant women using gestational age as an adjustment variable are warranted.
authors: Institute of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
authors: Ellen
authors: E
authors: Wikenius
authors: Department of Psychology, Faculty of social sciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.|The Center for Child and Adolescent Mental Health, Eastern and Southern Norway (RBUP), Oslo, Norway.
authors: Vibeke
authors: V
authors: Moe
authors: National Institute of Nutrition and Seafood Research (NIFES), Bergen, Norway.
authors: Marian
authors: M
authors: Kjellevold
authors: Department of Psychology, Faculty of social sciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
authors: Lars
authors: L
authors: Smith
authors: The Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.|Department of Medical Genetics, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
authors: Robert
authors: R
authors: Lyle
authors: National Institute of Nutrition and Seafood Research (NIFES), Bergen, Norway.
authors: Rune
authors: R
authors: Waagbø
authors: Institute of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
authors: Christian Magnus
authors: CM
authors: Page
authors: Institute of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.|Child & Adolescent Mental Health Research Unit, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
authors: Anne Margrethe
authors: AM
authors: Myhre
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006197:Hair / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000032:analysis*; D009664:Norway; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011262:Pregnancy Trimester, Second
chemical_list: D006854:Hydrocortisone