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Associations Between Hormonal Biomarkers and Cognitive, Motor, and Language Developmental Status in Very Low Birth
June Cho1, Diane Holditch-Davis, Xiaogang Su
1June Cho, PhD, RN, was Assistant Professor, School of Nursing, University of Alabama at Birmingham, at the time this research was completed. She is now Associate Professor, School of Nursing, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina. Diane Holditch-Davis, PhD, RN, FAAN, is Professor Emerita, School of Nursing, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina. Xiaogang Su, PhD, is Associate Professor, Department of Mathematical Sciences, University of Texas at El Paso. Vivien Phillips, BSN, RN, is Research Nurse Coordinator, Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham. Fred Biasini, PhD, is Associate Professor, Director of Alabama UCEDD and LEND, Director of Civitan/Sparks Clinics, and Director of UAB Early Head Start, Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham. Waldemar A. Carlo, MD, is Professor, Director of Division of Neonatology, and Director of Newborn Nurseries, Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Insights
Hormone levels, specifically testosterone in males and cortisol in females, are linked to infant development. These steroid hormones may be more critical than gender or mother-infant interactions for assessing development in very low birth weight infants.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal development
- Endocrinology
- Pediatric neurology
Background:
- Male infants face higher risks for health issues and developmental delays compared to females.
- The study investigates potential gender-based differences in infant development.
- Theories on gender differences in brain development and social relationships inform the research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the association between testosterone and cortisol levels and infant development in very low birth weight (VLBW) infants.
- To control for confounding factors such as mother-infant interactions, maternal and infant characteristics, and days since birth.
- To examine cognitive, motor, and language development in VLBW infants.
Main Methods:
- Recruited 62 mother-VLBW infant pairs from a tertiary medical center's NICU.
- Collected data via medical records, biochemical measurements, mother-infant interaction observations, and questionnaires.
- Assessed infant development at 6 months corrected age (CA) and observed mother-infant interactions at 3 and 6 months CA.
Main Results:
- High testosterone levels positively correlated with language development in male infants.
- High cortisol levels negatively correlated with motor development in female infants.
- Analyses controlled for mother-infant interactions and other covariates.
Conclusions:
- Steroid hormone levels may be more fundamental to infant development than gender or mother-infant interactions at 6 months corrected age.
- Findings suggest a hormonal basis for sex differences in infant development.
- Further research into hormonal influences on VLBW infant development is warranted.
Background:
Male infants are more prone to health problems and developmental delays than female infants.
Objectives:
On the basis of theories of gender differences in brain development and social relationships, we explored associations between testosterone and cortisol levels with infant cognitive, motor, and language development ("infant development") in very low birth weight (VLBW) infants, controlling for mother-infant interactions, characteristics of mothers and infants, and days of saliva collection after birth.
Methods:
A total of 62 mother-VLBW infant pairs were recruited from the newborn intensive care unit of a tertiary medical center in the Southeast United States. Data were collected through infant medical record review, biochemical measurement, observation of mother-infant interactions, and standard questionnaires. Infant development was assessed at 6 months corrected age (CA), and mother-infant interactions were observed at 3 and 6 months CA.
Results:
General linear regression with separate analyses for each infant gender showed that high testosterone levels were positively associated with language development of male infants after controlling for mother-infant interactions and other covariates, whereas high cortisol levels were negatively associated with motor development of female infants after controlling for mother-infant interactions.
Conclusions:
Steroid hormonal levels may well be more fundamental factors for assessing infant development than infant gender or mother-infant interactions at 6 months CA.
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