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Infant colic and HPA axis development across childhood

Bonnie E Brett1, Stefania Vacaru2, Roseriet Beijers3

  • 1Radboud University Medical Center, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.

Psychoneuroendocrinology
|March 17, 2024
PubMed

Insights

Infant colic impacts the developing stress response system, specifically the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis, throughout childhood. This effect was observed even in healthy children, regardless of attachment security.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Psychology
  • Neuroendocrinology
  • Pediatrics

Background:

  • Infant colic is a common yet poorly understood phenomenon.
  • Early life stress can impact the developing Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis.
  • The long-term effects of infant colic on stress system development require further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the long-term impact of infant colic on Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis development.
  • To investigate the moderating role of attachment security in this relationship.
  • To provide insights into early risk and protective factors for HPA axis development.

Main Methods:

  • Longitudinal study of 193 low-risk Dutch children.
  • Assessment of infant colic at 6 weeks.
  • Measurement of circadian cortisol concentrations at ages 1, 2.5, 6, and 10 years.
  • Assessment of attachment security at 1 year.

Main Results:

  • Infant colic was associated with steeper diurnal cortisol slopes.
  • Children with a history of colic showed slightly higher cortisol concentrations throughout childhood.
  • Attachment security did not moderate the association between infant colic and HPA axis development.

Conclusions:

  • Infant colic is linked to altered HPA axis development in healthy children beyond infancy.
  • These findings highlight infant colic as a potential early risk factor for stress system development.
  • Further research is needed to understand the mechanisms and implications of these findings.

Keywords:
Attachment securityCircadian rhythmCortisolDevelopmentHPA axisInfant colic

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