Prenatal mother-father cortisol linkage predicts infant executive functions at 24 months.

ABSTRACT: The present study investigated associations between prenatal mother-father cortisol linkage and infant executive functions. Data come from an international sample (N = 358) of predominantly white and middle- to upper-class first-time parents. During late pregnancy, parents collected diurnal salivary cortisol samples and reported on levels of psychological stress. At 24 months, children completed a battery of executive function tasks. Parent cortisol linkage was operationalized as the time-dependent, within-dyad association between maternal and paternal diurnal cortisol. Results indicated that prenatal linkage was positively related to infant executive functions, suggesting that stronger mother-father cortisol linkage was associated with higher executive function scores. Additionally, this

SUBMITTER: Braren SH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9255423 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature