From the Department of Psychology (Deer, Doom, Davis), University of Denver, Denver; Department of Psychiatry (Demers, Hoffman), University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado; Department of Psychology (Hankin), University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, Illinois; Department of Psychological Science (Shields), University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas; Division of Maternal and Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology (Hoffman), University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado; and Department of Pediatrics (Davis), University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California.
Psychosom Med. 2024 Oct 1;86(8):720-729. doi: 10.1097/PSY.0000000000001339. Epub 2024 Aug 10.
Prenatal stress physiology is often posited as a predictor of birth outcomes, including gestational age at birth and birthweight. However, research has predominantly relied on indicators in the maternal system, with few studies examining hormones of the fetal system. The current study focuses on fetal cortisol in the third trimester, as measured in neonatal hair, as a biological factor that might be associated with birth outcomes (gestational age at birth and birthweight). We report findings from two studies: a longitudinal cohort (Study 1), and a meta-analysis of the existing literature (Study 2).
Hair was collected for cortisol analysis from 168 neonates (55.95% female) shortly after birth. Gestational age at birth and birthweight were abstracted from medical records.
An exhaustive search of four databases was conducted, yielding 155 total studies for screening. Papers reporting neonatal hair cortisol (collection <2 weeks postpartum) and birth outcomes among human neonates were retained for analysis, including Study 1 results ( k = 9).
Higher neonatal hair cortisol was related to longer gestation ( r = 0.28, p < .001) and higher birthweight, r = 0.16, p = .040. Sex did not moderate either association.
Across the nine studies, higher neonatal hair cortisol predicted both longer gestation ( r = 0.35, p < .001, 95% confidence interval = 0.24-0.45) and higher birthweight ( r = 0.18, p = .001, 95% confidence interval = 0.07-0.28). Neonatal sex did not moderate these associations.
Fetal cortisol exposure in the third trimester plays a role in normative maturation of the fetus, and findings reveal that higher cortisol is associated with positive birth outcomes.
产前应激生理学通常被认为是出生结局的预测因素，包括出生时的胎龄和出生体重。然而，研究主要依赖于母体系统的指标，很少有研究检查胎儿系统的激素。本研究侧重于第三孕期胎儿皮质醇，即新生儿头发中测量的皮质醇，作为与出生结局（出生时的胎龄和出生体重）相关的生物学因素。我们报告了两项研究的结果：一项纵向队列研究（研究 1）和对现有文献的荟萃分析（研究 2）。
研究 1 从 168 名新生儿（女性占 55.95%）出生后不久采集头发进行皮质醇分析。从病历中提取出生时的胎龄和出生体重。
对四个数据库进行了详尽的搜索，共筛选出 155 项研究。保留了报告新生儿头发皮质醇（采集时间在产后 2 周内）和人类新生儿出生结局的论文进行分析，包括研究 1 的结果（ k = 9）。
新生儿头发皮质醇水平越高，胎龄越长（ r = 0.28，p <.001），出生体重越高， r = 0.16，p =.040。性别均不能调节这两种关联。
在这九项研究中，较高的新生儿头发皮质醇预测胎龄较长（ r = 0.35，p <.001，95%置信区间= 0.24-0.45）和出生体重较高（ r = 0.18，p =.001，95%置信区间= 0.07-0.28）。新生儿性别不能调节这些关联。
第三孕期胎儿皮质醇暴露在胎儿正常成熟中发挥作用，研究结果表明，皮质醇水平较高与良好的出生结局相关。
