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Updated: Dec 24, 2025
Collecting Hair Samples for Hair Cortisol Analysis in African Americans
Published on: June 10, 2018
Protocol to Measure Hair Cortisol in Low Mass Samples From Very Preterm Infants
Marliese Dion Nist1, Brent A Sullenbarger, Tondi M Harrison
1Marliese Dion Nist, PhD, RNC-NIC, is PhD Presidential Postdoctoral Scholar, The Ohio State University College of Nursing, Columbus. Brent A. Sullenbarger, MA, is Research Lab Manager, The Ohio State University College of Nursing, Columbus. Tondi M. Harrison, PhD, RN, FAAN, is Associate Professor, The Ohio State University College of Nursing, Columbus. Rita H. Pickler, PhD, RN, FAAN, is the FloAnn Sours Easton Endowed Professor of Child and Adolescent Health and Director of the PhD and MS in Nursing Science Programs, The Ohio State University College of Nursing, Columbus.
Background:
Hair cortisol is a measure of chronic or repeated hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activation in response to physical or psychological stressors. Hair cortisol has been successfully used as a measure of chronic stress in adults and children; however, its use as a valid measure in preterm infants has been limited by challenges in measuring cortisol in the low mass samples collectable from these infants.
Objectives:
The purpose of this report is to present a novel protocol for the measurement of hair cortisol in very low mass hair samples.
Methods:
Small changes were made to previously published protocols. After washing and pulverizing the hair samples, a double methanol cortisol extraction was performed. Samples were spiked with a known quantity of cortisol and analyzed in duplicate using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.
Results:
Hair cortisol was detectable in samples weighing between 0.4 and 10.9 mg. The mean cortisol level was 23.74 pg/mg hair (SD = 26.38).
Discussion:
With small changes to previously published laboratory protocols, cortisol is quantifiable in low mass hair samples from preterm infants. This technical advance is an important step toward quantifying the stress experiences of hospitalized preterm infants.
