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Overnight deep body temperature and urinary cortisol excretion in infants from economically deprived areas
M P Wailoo1, J A Westaway, D Joseph
1Department of Child Health, University of Leicester, Leicester Royal Infirmary, UK. mw33@le.ac.uk
Insights
Infants from economically deprived homes show delayed physiological maturation, indicated by higher body temperatures and cortisol levels during sleep. This slower development may increase their susceptibility to illness.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Developmental Biology
- Socioeconomic Health Disparities
Background:
- Postnatal physiological maturation is crucial for infant health.
- Socioeconomic factors can significantly impact child development.
- Understanding maturation patterns in vulnerable populations is essential for targeted interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate postnatal physiological maturation in infants from economically deprived backgrounds.
- To compare the age-related changes in deep body temperature and cortisol excretion between deprived and affluent infants.
- To assess if economic deprivation is associated with delayed physiological maturation.
Main Methods:
- Study conducted in inner-city Leicester, UK.
- Participants included 48 infants from deprived areas and 87 controls (6-21 weeks old).
- Measured deep body temperature (2-4h post-bedtime, overnight) and overnight/morning urinary cortisol excretion.
Main Results:
- Both groups exhibited a decline in overnight deep body temperature with age.
- Infants from deprived homes had significantly higher age-adjusted overnight temperatures (0.090°C higher).
- Deprived infants showed substantially higher overnight (51%) and morning (80%) urinary cortisol levels, even after controlling for confounding factors.
Conclusions:
- Economic deprivation is linked to slower postnatal physiological maturation in infants.
- Indicators suggest delayed maturation in deprived infants, including altered thermoregulation and stress response.
- This delayed maturation may heighten vulnerability to illness in economically disadvantaged infants.
Objectives:
To assess the pattern of postnatal physiological maturation in economically deprived infants by measuring the age-related changes in deep body temperature during night-time sleep.
Setting:
Inner city Leicester, UK.
Participants:
Forty-eight infants aged 6-21 weeks from economically deprived areas and 87 control infants from more affluent areas.
Outcome Measures:
Average deep body temperature between 2 and 4 h after bedtime, overnight and early morning urinary cortisol excretion.
Results:
Both groups showed a decline in overnight deep body temperature with age that averaged 0.030 degrees C per week (SE = 0.003). Over the age range studied, the average age-adjusted overnight temperature in the infants from deprived homes was 0.090 degrees C (SE = 0.028) higher than that for the affluent group (P = 0.001). Deprived infants had on average 51% higher overnight urinary cortisol and 80% higher morning cortisol. The differences remained when the effects of room temperature, clothing, smoking, birthweight and gestational age were taken into account.
Conclusion:
These indicators of postnatal physiological maturation suggest that infants from economically deprived homes mature less quickly. This might increase their vulnerability to illness.
