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Published on: December 18, 2013
Parent-child salivary cortisol synchrony in early childhood: A systematic review
Maitri Jain1, Emily Sokol2, Elizabeth Freehling1
1Department of Psychology, Eastern Michigan University, 900 Oakwood Street, Ypsilanti, MI 48197, USA.
Insights
Family risk and protective factors influence parent-child cortisol synchrony, crucial for socio-emotional development. More research is needed to understand these influences and improve interventions for parent-child synchrony.
Area of Science:
- Developmental psychology
- Endocrinology
- Family studies
Background:
- Parent-child cortisol synchrony is vital for socio-emotional development.
- Current research on factors affecting this synchrony is unclear, hindering intervention development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review and characterize the existing literature on parent-child cortisol synchrony.
- To investigate the association between family-related risks and protective factors and parent-child cortisol synchrony.
Main Methods:
- Searched four major databases (CINAHL, PsycINFO, PubMed, Web of Science) and conducted citation searches.
- Included peer-reviewed studies assessing diurnal cortisol or cortisol reactivity in children (6 months-8 years) and parents.
- Analyzed 33 observational studies (7 longitudinal) using the Quality Assessment with Diverse Studies Tool.
Main Results:
- Limited literature suggests positive parent-child cortisol synchrony in low-risk families.
- Synchrony appears reduced or absent in families with risk factors.
- Protective factors, such as parental sensitivity, are associated with more adaptive synchrony.
Conclusions:
- Existing research indicates family risk and protective factors impact parent-child cortisol synchrony.
- The current body of evidence is too scarce to draw definitive conclusions.
- Further research is essential for developing effective interventions to enhance parent-child synchrony.
Importance:
Although parent-child cortisol synchrony is essential for the development of children's socio-emotional development, the research findings on what affects this synchrony are unclear. This lack of clarity makes it difficult to pinpoint the best areas to target when creating interventions to help improve synchrony between parents and their children.
Objective:
We aimed to characterize the literature on parent-child cortisol synchrony and how various family-related risks and protective factors were associated with parent-child cortisol synchrony.
Evidence Review:
We searched 4 databases (CINAHL, PsycINFO, PubMed, and Web of Science) on August 25th, 2025. Backward and forward citation searching was also conducted. Eligible articles a) were peer-reviewed articles/theses/dissertations published in the English language, b) assessed children between 6 months and 8 years for diurnal cortisol, and between 0 months and 8 years for cortisol reactivity, c) included majority of children free of neurological, genetic, or major psychiatric disorders and born full-term, d) included parents with a mean age above 18 years, where the majority were free of neurological or genetic disorders, e) collected at least 2 salivary cortisol samples from both parent and child, in either home or lab, f) for cortisol reactivity, collected at least one saliva sample each before and after a challenging task, g) collected 2 saliva samples on the same day for diurnal cortisol, and h) reported any statistical association between parent and child cortisol. We used the Quality Assessment with Diverse Studies Tool for quality analysis.
Findings:
We identified 33 unique studies, including a total of 5206 participants. All studies were observational, with 7 longitudinal studies. The scarce literature suggested positive child-to-parent synchrony in families without risk factors, but synchrony was absent or reduced in families with risk factors. Protective factors (e.g., parental sensitivity) led to more adaptive synchrony in parent-child dyads.
Conclusions And Relevance:
While the existing research suggested that parent-child cortisol synchrony is affected by both family risk and protective factors, too few studies existed to draw strong conclusions. More research is essential to develop better interventions for improving parent-child synchrony.
