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Approaches to salivary cortisol collection and analysis in infants
Panagiota D Tryphonopoulos1, Nicole Letourneau2, Rima Azar3
1Interdisciplinary Studies, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton NB, Canada penny.tryph@unb.ca.
Insights
Measuring salivary cortisol in infants presents unique challenges. This guide compares collection methods and discusses factors influencing results for accurate stress biomarker research in early childhood.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Research
- Endocrinology
- Biomarker Analysis
Background:
- Salivary cortisol is an increasingly used biomarker for stress in research.
- Its application in infants (≤12 months) is less common due to specific challenges.
- Standardized protocols for infant salivary cortisol collection are needed.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide a comprehensive guide for researchers using salivary cortisol in infants.
- To compare various infant saliva collection methods for cortisol analysis.
- To discuss factors affecting cortisol variability and analytical considerations.
Main Methods:
- Review of cortisol secretion patterns in infancy, including diurnal rhythms and stress responses.
- Comparison of common infant salivary cortisol collection techniques (cotton rope, syringe, filter paper, microsponge, Salimetrics swab).
- Discussion of factors influencing cortisol variability and analytical assay issues.
Main Results:
- Detailed overview of infant cortisol physiology and stress reactivity.
- Comparative analysis highlighting pros and cons of different infant saliva sampling methods.
- Identification of key factors contributing to cortisol variability in infants.
Conclusions:
- Choosing the appropriate salivary cortisol collection method and lab is crucial for infant research.
- Understanding infant-specific cortisol patterns and variability aids accurate stress assessment.
- This article offers practical criteria for selecting optimal methods and analytical partners.
Abstract:
Salivary cortisol is becoming more commonly utilized as a biologic marker of stress in observational studies and intervention research. However, its use with infants (12 months of age or younger) is less widespread and poses some special challenges to researchers. In order to decide on the most suitable collection procedure for salivary cortisol in infants, a number of criteria should be considered. This article will aid investigators interested in integrating salivary cortisol measurement into their research studies by presenting (1) an overview of the patterns of cortisol secretion in infancy including the development of diurnal rhythm and response to stress; (2) a comparison of the most commonly used approaches for collecting salivary cortisol samples in infants including cotton rope, syringe aspiration technique, filter paper, hydrocellulose microsponge, and the Salimetrics children's swab; (3) a discussion of the factors contributing to heightened cortisol variability in infancy and how these can be limited; (4) analytical issues associated with cortisol measurement; and (5) examples of criteria to consider when choosing a saliva sampling method and lab for conducting assays.
