Maternal life stress during pregnancy and infant cortisol

We examined whether specific maternal-perceived prenatal life stress predicted infant cortisol output at 2 or 6 months. Expectant mothers reported the occurrence and perceived impact of 47 potential prenatal life stressors. Infant cortisol was assessed across four salivary samples collected during a laboratory/home visit including stressful activities. Associations were examined between infant cortisol output and each potential life stressor, accumulation of stress within 7 distinct categories, and total stress accumulation. Although total stress was associated with higher infant cortisol output, only four specific perceived life stressors (i.e., serious accident/illness, mental health challenges, and trauma experience (self and partners')) within two categories (health/mental health and vicarious stress) predicted heightened infant cortisol output after adjusting for covariates and the false discovery rate. Findings suggest that more severe stressors related to health/mental health may be more salient for early development of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal system than less severe stressors (e.g., moving). Aggregating stressors regardless of severity may obscure meaningful effects.