Maternal Prenatal Diurnal Cortisol and Associated Early Neurocognitive Measures in Offspring

• In Event: Poster Session 13
  In Poster Session: PS 13 Topic - Biological Processes: Psychophysiology

Abstract

Background
Maternal prenatal stress has been linked to child neurodevelopment in numerous studies (Davis & Sandman, 2010; Finegood et al., 2017; Walsh et al., 2019), however the mechanisms remain unclear. Maternal prenatal stress physiology, indexed by HPA axis activity and its downstream element cortisol, is a natural target for human research because of a substantial evidence base from experimental animal studies. In this presentation we leverage data from a prospective longitudinal design that characterizes maternal prenatal cortisol at each trimester and child cognitive development at multiple time points in infancy; we test the hypothesis that increased levels of prenatal cortisol predicts poorer cognitive development in infancy.

Methods
Understanding Pregnancy Signals and Infant Development (UPSIDE) is a longitudinal pregnancy cohort study in Rochester, NY with 326 mothers recruited in their first trimester of pregnancy and followed until child age 4. 294 mothers (90%) have been retained through birth. UPSIDE is well positioned to examine prenatal impacts on child development with repeated biological and psychosocial measures collected from early gestation and carried into early childhood.

Prenatal diurnal salivary cortisol samples were collected at each trimester following standard passive drool protocols at wake, 45 minutes post-wake, 2.5 hours, 8 hours, and 12 hours post-wake (MacArthur Research Network, 2000). Samples are analyzed in duplicate using a high-sensitivity enzyme immunoassay. Cortisol parameters were derived from diurnal slope, cortisol awakening response, and area under the curve.

The Bayley Scales of Infant Development III (BSID-III) (Bayley, 2006) is well-validated and widely used to assess motor and mental development in early childhood. The BSID-III is administered when the child is 6, 12, and 24 months of age. The Cognitive Scale as well as the receptive and expressive subtests of the Language Scale are administered.

Cortisol metrics will be adjusted for gestation and time of collection and key covariates, including sleep quality and interfering medications. Analyses of cortisol associations with BSID-III data will adjust for relevant covariates including socio-economic status, race/ethnicity, sex, perinatal outcomes, and breastfeeding.

Feasibility
Collection of prenatal diurnal cortisol data is complete, as is data on pre- and perinatal covariates. BSID-III data collection is ongoing; to date, we have collected data on 206 children at 6 months and 160 children at 12 months. Analyses of data has begun and will be complete by early spring.

Authors

• Hannah R. Murphy, University of Rochester Medical Center
  Presenting Author

• Allison Avrich Ciesla, University of Rochester Medical Center
  Non-Presenting Author

• Amber Kautz, University of Rochester Medical Center
  Non-Presenting Author

• Thomas G O'Connor, University of Rochester Medical Center
  Non-Presenting Author

• Emily Barrett, Rutgers University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Richard Miller, UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AND DENTISTRY
  Non-Presenting Author