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Longitudinal examination of infant baseline and reactivity cortisol from ages 7 to 16 months

Cecilia Martinez-Torteya1, Maria Muzik, Ellen W McGinnis

  • 1Department of Psychology, DePaul University, Chicago, IL.

Developmental Psychobiology
|March 19, 2015
PubMed

Insights

Infant stress response (HPA axis) develops between 7 and 16 months. Maternal overcontrolling behaviors and infant sex influence this stress reactivity, highlighting early development

Area of Science:

  • Developmental psychology
  • Neuroendocrinology
  • Child development

Background:

  • The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is crucial for stress response.
  • Early life experiences, including maternal maltreatment history, can impact HPA axis development.
  • Understanding longitudinal HPA axis functioning in infancy is vital for identifying developmental trajectories.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To characterize the longitudinal development of HPA axis functioning from 7 to 16 months of age.
  • To identify individual and environmental factors influencing changes in HPA axis functioning over time.
  • To examine the impact of maternal history of childhood maltreatment on infant HPA axis development.

Main Methods:

  • Longitudinal study of 167 mother-infant dyads.
  • Salivary cortisol levels measured before and after psychosocial stressors at 7 and 16 months.
  • Maternal parenting and infant/environmental characteristics assessed at 7 months as predictors.

Main Results:

  • Infants showed no cortisol reactivity at 7 months, but reactivity emerged by 16 months.
  • Cortisol baseline and reactivity were associated with infant sex and maternal overcontrolling behaviors.
  • Early HPA axis functioning is malleable and influenced by social factors.

Conclusions:

  • Infant HPA axis functioning demonstrates significant development and plasticity between 7 and 16 months.
  • Maternal behaviors and infant sex are key moderators of early stress system development.
  • Findings support targeted interventions to promote healthy stress regulation in infancy.

Keywords:
HPA axisinfantmother-infant relationsstress

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