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Fetal motor activity and maternal cortisol.
Janet A DiPietro1, Katie T Kivlighan, Kathleen A Costigan
1Department of Population, Family, and Reproductive Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA. jdipietr@jhsph.edu
Developmental Psychobiology
|July 25, 2009
Summary
Higher maternal cortisol levels correlate with increased fetal movement, particularly in male fetuses, during late pregnancy. This study explored the link between maternal stress hormones and fetal activity patterns.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive biology
- Maternal-fetal medicine
- Neuroendocrinology
Background:
- Maternal stress hormones, like cortisol, can influence fetal development.
- Fetal motor activity is a key indicator of well-being and development in utero.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between maternal salivary cortisol and fetal motor activity at 32 and 36 weeks gestation.
- To explore potential sex differences in this association.
Main Methods:
- Maternal salivary cortisol levels were measured.
- Fetal motor activity (amplitude, duration, intensity) was observed and quantified during a 50-minute period.
- Statistical analyses, including correlation and Mann-Whitney U tests, were employed.
Main Results:
- Higher maternal cortisol positively correlated with fetal motor activity amplitude and duration at 32 weeks.
- Increased maternal cortisol was linked to more frequent intense fetal movements.
- Associations between maternal cortisol and fetal movement were stronger in male fetuses compared to female fetuses.
Conclusions:
- Maternal cortisol is contemporaneous associated with fetal motor activity during late gestation.
- The relationship between maternal cortisol and fetal movement may be sex-specific, with stronger effects observed in males.
