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Updated: Jun 17, 2025
Extraction and Analysis of Cortisol from Human and Monkey Hair
Published on: January 24, 2014
Neonatal Hair Cortisol and Birth Outcomes: An Empirical Study and Meta-Analysis.
LillyBelle K Deer1, Catherine H Demers, Benjamin L Hankin
1From the Department of Psychology (Deer, Doom, Davis), University of Denver, Denver; Department of Psychiatry (Demers, Hoffman), University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado; Department of Psychology (Hankin), University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, Illinois; Department of Psychological Science (Shields), University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas; Division of Maternal and Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology (Hoffman), University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado; and Department of Pediatrics (Davis), University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California.
Higher fetal cortisol levels in the third trimester, measured via neonatal hair, are linked to longer gestation and increased birthweight. This suggests fetal cortisol plays a role in healthy fetal development and positive birth outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive biology
- Developmental psychology
- Endocrinology
Background:
- Prenatal stress is linked to birth outcomes, but research often focuses on maternal stress indicators.
- Fetal system hormones, particularly fetal cortisol, are less studied as predictors of birth outcomes.
- Neonatal hair analysis offers a method to assess third-trimester fetal cortisol exposure.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between third-trimester fetal cortisol, measured in neonatal hair, and birth outcomes (gestational age and birthweight).
- To synthesize findings from a longitudinal cohort study and a meta-analysis of existing literature.
Main Methods:
- Two studies were conducted: a longitudinal cohort study (Study 1) and a meta-analysis (Study 2).
- Neonatal hair samples were collected shortly after birth for cortisol analysis (k=9 studies included).
- Gestational age at birth and birthweight data were abstracted from medical records.
Main Results:
- Higher neonatal hair cortisol levels were significantly associated with longer gestation (r=0.28, p<.001) and higher birthweight (r=0.16, p=.040) in Study 1.
- The meta-analysis confirmed that higher neonatal hair cortisol predicted longer gestation (r=0.35, p<.001) and higher birthweight (r=0.18, p=.001).
- Neonatal sex did not moderate these associations in either study.
Conclusions:
- Third-trimester fetal cortisol exposure is implicated in normative fetal maturation.
- Elevated fetal cortisol levels, as indicated by neonatal hair cortisol, are associated with positive birth outcomes, including longer gestation and greater birthweight.
- These findings highlight the importance of fetal endocrine factors in regulating fetal development and birth parameters.
