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The effects of SES on infant and maternal diurnal salivary cortisol output

Melissa W Clearfield1, Ariel Carter-Rodriguez1, Al-Rahim Merali1

  • 1Whitman College, United States.

Infant Behavior & Development
|May 13, 2014
PubMed

The present study directly compared diurnal salivary cortisol output and maternal-infant synchrony in low and high socio-economic status (SES) mother-infant dyads. Saliva cortisol samples were collected from 32 6-12-month-old infants and their mothers on the same day in the morning, afternoon and evening, and assayed for free cortisol concentration. Low-SES infants and mothers exhibited higher average salivary cortisol output, without dysregulation, compared to high-SES infants. Low-SES infants and mothers also showed reduced synchrony in cortisol output compared to high-SES infants and mothers. Results are discussed with respect to maternal sensitivity and early stress reduction interventions.

Keywords:
Circadian rhythmCortisolHPA-axisInfancyMother–child relationsSESStress

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