High stress during pregnancy linked to elevated cortisol in toddlers’ hair

Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis and Dartmouth College have discovered a connection between toddler hair cortisol levels—a long-term stress biomarker—and maternal prenatal depression. The findings, published in the American Journal of Human Biology, suggest that a child’s long-term stress physiology—or how the body responds to stress—may be influenced by conditions experienced in utero, according to study co-author Theresa Gildner, an assistant professor of biological anthropology in Arts & Sciences at WashU. The findings also highlight the potential for hair cortisol—a minimally invasive and easy-to-collect measure—to assess infant and toddler cortisol activity. “Hair cortisol tests are less invasive than Read More