Residential greenness and lower stress during pregnancy: hair cortisol levels as a chronic stress biomarker among pregnant women in Israel

Purpose: Stress has been shown to cause a large range of adverse fetal effects. This pilot study is the first attempt to examine cortisol level in the hair of pregnant women and assess its potential as a biomarker of gestational stress. Patients and Methods: Twenty-five healthy pregnant women, in whom hair cortisol levels and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) were measured and correlated. Results: Maternal hair cortisol levels, ranging between 0.06 and 0.23 nmol/g of hair correlated positively and significantly with measures of perceived stress (ranging between 2-22); (Rs=0.47) (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Our findings corroborate recent primate studies with induced stress, and suggest that hair cortisol is a potential biomarker of chronic stress in pregnancy. This new long term biological marker may have important implications in research and clinical practice.

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Do You Think I Am Living Well? A Four-Season Hair Cortisol Analysis on Leisure Horses in Different Housing and Management Conditions

Animals ◽

10.3390/ani11072141 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (7) ◽

pp. 2141

Author(s):

Silvia Michela Mazzola ◽

Carla Colombani ◽

Giulia Pizzamiglio ◽

Simona Cannas ◽

Clara Palestrini ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Chronic Stress ◽

Coat Color ◽

Management Strategies ◽

Social Contact ◽

Well Being ◽

Hair Cortisol ◽

Living Well ◽

Management Group ◽

Cortisol Levels ◽

Few Data

The satisfaction of leisure horses’ behavioral needs has begun to be considered a priority, linked to the awareness that horses kept in single boxes may be deprived of social contact and the possibility to perform natural behaviors. Several factors may influence horses’ quality of life also in the paddock, and there are very few data on the effects of those variables on leisure horses’ chronic stress, measurable in terms of activation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenocortical axis. Therefore, managerial choices faced by owners and stables managers are only based on experience, common sense, and anecdotal beliefs. This study assessed and compared the chronic stress levels in leisure horses hosted in structures in the same geographic and climatic area with different daily routines to verify which management strategy could be the one that better contributes to achieving the welfare of horses. Forty-seven horses were divided into three groups homogeneous in terms of sex and age: Mixed management group (n = 12), Paddock group (n = 19), and Natural management group (n = 16). The hair cortisol concentration, a reliable marker of long-term stress, was analyzed in all the horses the same day at four time points of the year. In addition to management strategies, the influences of other variables (sex, age, coat color, and season) were evaluated. Independently from the management strategies, significantly higher hair cortisol values were detected in the autumn and summer, as well as in individuals older than 15 years. No significant differences were highlighted between the sexes or the coat colors. The comparison of the different management strategies showed that, in the summer, autumn, and winter, the hair cortisol levels were significantly lower in the Mixed management group horses than the Paddock group, highlighting that those subjects had better homeostasis. The Natural management group horses’ hair cortisol levels were intermediate between the other two groups of horses in all the seasons. Spending the night in the stables would seem to positively impact the well-being of the horses. These findings, if confirmed by further studies, may be helpful in enhancing horse welfare and assisting in managerial choice decision-making.

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Maternal and Neonatal Hair Cortisol Levels Are Associated with Infant Neurodevelopment at Six Months of Age

Journal of Clinical Medicine ◽

10.3390/jcm8112015 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 8 (11) ◽

pp. 2015 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Rafael A. Caparros-Gonzalez ◽

Borja Romero-Gonzalez ◽

Raquel Gonzalez-Perez ◽

Lidia Lucena-Prieto ◽

Miguel Perez-Garcia ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Pregnant Women ◽

Motor Development ◽

Hair Cortisol ◽

Third Trimester ◽

Gross Motor ◽

Term Neonates ◽

Gross Motor Development ◽

Sensitive Periods ◽

Infant Neurodevelopment ◽

Cortisol Levels

Background: Maternal stress during pregnancy can affect fetal development during certain sensitive periods. Objective: To longitudinally assess maternal hair cortisol levels during pregnancy, and the postpartum along with neonatal hair cortisol levels that could be associated with infant neurodevelopment at six months of age. Methods: A sample of 41 pregnant women longitudinally assessed during the first, second, and third trimester and the postpartum, along with their 41 full-term neonates participated in this study. Hair cortisol levels were assessed from participants. Infant neurodevelopment was assessed by means of the Bayley Scale of Infants Development, Third Edition at age six months. Results: Maternal hair cortisol levels in the first and second trimester accounted for 24% and 23%, respectively, of variance of infant gross motor development (p < 0.05). Maternal hair cortisol levels during the postpartum accounted for 31% of variance of infant cognitive development (p < 0.05), and 25% of variance of infant gross motor development (p < 0.05). Neonatal hair cortisol levels accounted for 28% of variance of infant gross motor development (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The preconception and prenatal time are sensitive periods related to infant neurodevelopment along with the cortisol levels surrounding the fetus while in the womb. Pregnant women could be assessed for hair cortisol levels while attending a prenatal appointment.

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Hair cortisol levels in pregnant women in relation with stress and pregnancy anxiety during a coronavirus pandemic

Psychoneuroendocrinology ◽

10.1016/j.psyneuen.2021.105526 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 131 ◽

pp. 105526

Author(s):

P. Solarikova ◽

A. Cizmarova

Keyword(s):

Pregnant Women ◽

Hair Cortisol ◽

Pregnancy Anxiety ◽

Cortisol Levels

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Childhood abuse is associated with increased hair cortisol levels among urban pregnant women

Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health ◽

10.1136/jech-2015-205541 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 69 (12) ◽

pp. 1169-1174 ◽

Cited By ~ 34

Author(s):

Hannah M C Schreier ◽

Michelle Bosquet Enlow ◽

Thomas Ritz ◽

Chris Gennings ◽

Rosalind J Wright

Keyword(s):

Pregnant Women ◽

Childhood Abuse ◽

Hair Cortisol ◽

Cortisol Levels

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Socioeconomic status in children is associated with hair cortisol levels as a biological measure of chronic stress

Psychoneuroendocrinology ◽

10.1016/j.psyneuen.2015.11.022 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 65 ◽

pp. 9-14 ◽

Cited By ~ 76

Author(s):

J. Vliegenthart ◽

G. Noppe ◽

E.F.C. van Rossum ◽

J.W. Koper ◽

H. Raat ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Socioeconomic Status ◽

Chronic Stress ◽

Hair Cortisol ◽

Cortisol Levels

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Hair cortisol levels in pregnancy as a possible determinant of fetal sex: a longitudinal study

Journal of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease ◽

10.1017/s2040174420001300 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-6

Author(s):

Borja Romero-Gonzalez ◽

Jose A. Puertas-Gonzalez ◽

Raquel Gonzalez-Perez ◽

Marta Davila ◽

Maria Isabel Peralta-Ramirez

Keyword(s):

Low Birthweight ◽

First Trimester ◽

Hair Cortisol ◽

Negative Results ◽

Stress Vulnerability ◽

Biological Stress ◽

First Trimester Of Pregnancy ◽

Prenatal Distress ◽

Cortisol Levels ◽

The Relationship

Abstract Stress during pregnancy has been widely studied and associated to different variables, usually with negative results for the health of the mother and the newborn, such as having a higher risk of suffering postpartum depression, premature birth, obstetrics complications or low birthweight, among others. However, there are not many lines of research that study the role that the sex of the baby plays on this specific stress and vice versa. Thus, the main objective was to analyse the relationship between the sex of the offspring and the stress of the mothers in the first trimester of pregnancy. In order to achieve this, 108 women had their biological stress measured (trough hair cortisol levels) and psychological stress evaluated (the Prenatal Distress Questionnaire (PSS), the Perceived Stress Scale (PDQ) and the Stress Vulnerability Inventory (IVE)). The results revealed significant differences in maternal hair cortisol levels in the first trimester based on the sex of the baby they had given birth to (t = −2.04; P < 0.05): the concentration of the hormone was higher if the baby was a girl (164.36:54.45-284.87 pg/mg) than if it was a boy (101.13:37.95-193.56 pg/mg). These findings show that the sex of the future baby could be conditioned, among many other variables, by the mother´s stress levels during conception and first weeks of pregnancy. Further research is needed in this area to support our findings.

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The impact of preschool child and maternal attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms on mothers’ perceived chronic stress and hair cortisol

Journal of Neural Transmission ◽

10.1007/s00702-021-02377-1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Anna Szép ◽

Nadine Skoluda ◽

Susan Schloß ◽

Katja Becker ◽

Ursula Pauli-Pott ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Chronic Stress ◽

Perceived Stress ◽

Depressive Symptomatology ◽

Adhd Symptoms ◽

Hair Cortisol ◽

Hyperactivity Disorder ◽

Child Adhd ◽

Maternal Adhd

AbstractProviding care for a child with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is associated with parenting stress. Moreover, adults with elevated ADHD symptoms report increased perceived stress. Despite this, it has rarely been examined whether and how child and maternal ADHD symptoms may affect maternal perceived stress and the stress-sensitive hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis. This study therefore investigated the possible impact of child and maternal ADHD symptoms on mothers' perceived chronic stress and hair cortisol concentration (HCC), while simultaneously considering the effects of child oppositional defiant/conduct disorder (ODD/CD) and maternal depressive symptomatology. In total, 124 mothers (35.96 ± 5.21 years) of preschool children were included. Maternal perceived stress, ADHD and depressive symptoms were assessed using self-report measures. Child ADHD symptoms were assessed using an interview and questionnaires completed by mothers and teachers. Additionally, mothers provided information about their children’s ODD/CD symptoms. Hair samples were taken from mothers to assess HCC. Child and maternal ADHD, child ODD/CD, and maternal depressive symptoms accounted for 50% of the variance in perceived chronic stress (F(4, 119) = 30.24; p < 0.01), with only maternal ADHD (β = 0.52, p < 0.01) and depressive symptoms (β = 0.49, p < 0.01) being uniquely significant. Maternal ADHD symptoms did not moderate the relationship between child ADHD symptoms and maternal perceived chronic stress (b = − 0.01; SE b = 0.17; t(5, 118) = − 0.05; p = 0.96). Mother’s age became the only significant predictor of maternal HCC (β = 0.29; p < 0.01). Based on these findings, practitioners are advised to be aware of and take into account possible maternal ADHD and depressive symptomatology and perceived chronic stress when treating children diagnosed with ADHD.

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