Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 30, 2025
Collecting Saliva and Measuring Salivary Cortisol and Alpha-amylase in Frail Community Residing Older Adults via Family Caregivers
Published on: December 18, 2013
Determination of reference values for salivary cortisol in healthy infants aged 0-12 months
Anouk Fastman1, Valeria Schmoll2, Christian Boggio Marzet3
1Task Force on Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition. anoukfastman@gmail.com.
Insights
This study established reference values for salivary cortisol in healthy Argentinian infants. Morning salivary cortisol levels in infants aged 0-12 months were measured to provide a baseline for stress assessment.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric endocrinology
- Biomarkers
- Stress physiology
Background:
- Salivary cortisol is a non-invasive biomarker for pediatric stress.
- Limited data exists on salivary cortisol use in children, especially reference values for healthy infants in Argentina.
- Establishing local reference values is crucial for accurate stress assessment in infants.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the reference values for morning salivary cortisol in healthy infants aged 0-12 months in Argentina.
- To provide a baseline for future pediatric stress studies using salivary cortisol.
- To validate salivary cortisol as a relevant objective tool for infant stress assessment.
Main Methods:
- A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted with 140 healthy infants aged 0-12 months.
- Morning saliva samples (8-9 a.m.) were collected from fasting infants between March 2017 and March 2018.
- Salivary cortisol levels were measured using electrochemiluminescence and reported as mean and standard deviation.
Main Results:
- A total of 96 samples were analyzed, yielding mean morning salivary cortisol levels of 5.46 nmol/L (SD: 2.15).
- No significant correlation was found between salivary cortisol levels and age, sex, gestational age, birth weight, delivery type, or feeding type.
- The established reference range did not require division by age groups.
Conclusions:
- The study reports the reference range for morning salivary cortisol in healthy infants aged 0-12 months in Argentina.
- These findings provide essential reference values for using salivary cortisol as a stress biomarker in this population.
- Salivary cortisol is confirmed as a valuable, non-invasive tool for assessing stress in infants.
Introduction:
Salivary cortisol is a useful tool as a biomarker of stress in pediatrics because it allows for non-invasive sampling. There is little information about its use in children, and no reference values for healthy infants have been reported in Argentina. Reference values should be established at each site as the basis for subsequent tests in infants, for whom salivary cortisol appears to be the most relevant objective tool to assess stress at present.
Objective:
To determine reference values for salivary cortisol in healthy infants aged 0-12 months.
Methods:
Descriptive, cross-sectional study that assessed morning salivary cortisol levels in healthy male and female infants aged 0-12 months that attended Hospital Pirovano for a health checkup between March 2017 and March 2018. Fasting saliva samples were collected between 8 and 9 a.m. and were processed using electrochemiluminescence. Results were reported as mean and standard deviation.
Results:
A total of 140 infants were included, and 96 samples were collected. Mean morning salivary cortisol levels were 5.46 nmol/L (95 % confidence interval: 4.66-6.38), standard deviation: 2.15. No correlation to age was observed, so it was not necessary to divide the reference range into age groups. No significant differences were observed in terms of sex, gestational age, birth weight, type of delivery or type of feeding.
Conclusion:
The reference range of morning salivary cortisol levels in healthy infants aged 0-12 months was reported.
