Human milk cortisol is associated with infant temperament
Katherine R Grey1, Elysia Poggi Davis, Curt A Sandman
1Crean School of Health and Life Sciences, Chapman University, Orange, CA 92866, United States.
Psychoneuroendocrinology
|December 26, 2012
Summary
Human milk cortisol levels are linked to infant temperament. Higher milk cortisol in mothers was associated with increased negative affectivity in their three-month-old infants, particularly girls.
Area of Science:
- Endocrinology
- Developmental Psychology
- Human Lactation Studies
Background:
- Biologically active elements in breast milk significantly impact infant development, yet their full implications remain largely unknown.
- Animal models indicate that milk-borne glucocorticoids can alter offspring behavior and brain development.
- Understanding the role of milk cortisol in human infant development is crucial for pediatric health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between cortisol levels in human milk and the temperament of three-month-old breastfed infants.
- To determine if maternal milk cortisol is associated with specific dimensions of infant temperament, such as negative affectivity, surgency/extraversion, or orienting/regulation.
- To explore potential sex differences in the association between milk cortisol and infant temperament.
Main Methods:
- Fifty-two mother-infant pairs were recruited when infants were three months old.
- Milk cortisol levels were measured, and maternal temperament assessments were conducted using the Infant Behavior Questionnaire (IBQ).
- Statistical analyses, including partial correlations and regression, were used to examine associations, controlling for environmental factors.
Main Results:
- A significant positive association was found between human milk cortisol levels and the negative affectivity dimension of infant temperament (partial r=.37, p<.01).
- No significant correlations were observed between milk cortisol and the surgency/extraversion or orienting/regulation dimensions.
- The positive association between milk cortisol and negative affectivity was more pronounced in female infants, though the interaction was not statistically significant, warranting replication.
Conclusions:
- Elevated cortisol levels in human breast milk are associated with increased negative affectivity in infants.
- Maternal milk composition, specifically cortisol, may play a role in shaping infant temperament.
- These findings suggest mothers can influence offspring phenotype through the transmission of bioactive milk components.
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