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Urinary excretion of cortisol after immunisation
J Westaway1, C M Atkinson, T Davies
1Department of Child Health, University of Leicester.
Insights
Infant immunizations can temporarily raise body temperature and stress hormone levels. A mature sleep-wake cycle in infants reduces this stress response to vaccinations.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric endocrinology
- Immunology
- Sleep science
Background:
- Infant immunizations are crucial for disease prevention.
- Understanding the physiological stress response in infants post-vaccination is important.
- The development of adult-like circadian rhythms influences infant physiology.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of infant immunizations on urinary cortisol levels and rectal temperature.
- To examine how the development of an adult-like body temperature pattern affects the stress response to vaccination.
Main Methods:
- Measured urinary cortisol excretion and rectal temperature in 66 infants.
- Data collected before and after immunization against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, and Haemophilus influenzae type b.
- Infants were grouped based on the presence or absence of an adult-like night time body temperature pattern.
Main Results:
- Immunization significantly increased rectal temperature the following night across all age groups.
- Infants lacking an adult-like temperature pattern showed increased urinary cortisol post-immunization.
- Development of an adult-like temperature pattern attenuated the cortisol response to immunization.
Conclusions:
- Infant immunization elicits a transient physiological stress response, indicated by increased temperature and cortisol.
- The maturation of circadian body temperature regulation in infants mitigates the neuroendocrine stress response to vaccination.
- This suggests that circadian rhythm development plays a role in modulating the infant's response to common medical procedures.
Abstract:
Urinary cortisol excretion and rectal temperature were measured in 66 infants before and after immunisation against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, and Haemophilus influenzae type b. Immunisation produced a significant increase of rectal temperature the next night at all ages. Infants without an adult-like night time body temperature pattern had a significant increase in urinary cortisol excretion night and morning after immunisation. Once an adult-like night time body temperature pattern developed immunisation no longer significantly raised urinary cortisol output.