Chronic stress and hair cortisol concentration in mothers: A two-study investigation.

ABSTRACT: Dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is one mechanism through which chronic stress during pregnancy and parenthood may affect parental, child, and family health. Hair cortisol concentration (HCC) may be well-suited to elucidate associations between chronic stress and HPA axis regulation because HCC reflects cortisol output over several months. However, most previous studies that examine chronic stress in conjunction with cortisol in pregnant individuals or mothers use measures that reflect HPA axis output over a relatively limited time. We report findings from two longitudinal studies that tested associations between chronic stress and HCC in women during the perinatal period (Study 1; n = 144) and mothers of young children (Study 2; n = 102). Both studies measure

SUBMITTER: Rinne GR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11636436 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature