Development of Salivary Cortisol Circadian Rhythm and Reference Intervals in Full-Term Infants.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Cortisol concentrations in plasma display a circadian rhythm in adults and children older than one year. Earlier studies report divergent results regarding when cortisol circadian rhythm is established. The present study aims to investigate at what age infants develop a circadian rhythm, as well as the possible influences of behavioral regularity and daily life trauma on when the rhythm is established. Furthermore, we determine age-related reference intervals for cortisol concentrations in saliva during the first year of life.

Methods

130 healthy full-term infants were included in a prospective, longitudinal study with saliva sampling on two consecutive days, in the morning (07:30-09:30), noon (10:00-12:00) and evening (19:30-21:30), each month from birth until th

SUBMITTER: Ivars K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4472813 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature