Cited by 176Stress Responses and CortisolMaternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and PostpartumBirth, Development, and Health

Diurnal rhythm of cortisol during late pregnancy: Associations with maternal psychological well-being and fetal growth

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Kivlighan, Katie T., DiPietro, Janet A., Costigan, Kathleen A., Laudenslager, Mark L.·2008·Psychoneuroendocrinology

Abstract

Maternal psychological functioning during pregnancy affects both maternal and fetal well-being. The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis provides one mechanism through which maternal psychosocial factors may be transduced to the fetus. However, few studies have examined maternal psychological factors or birth outcomes in relation to the diurnal pattern of cortisol across the day. The current study examined maternal psychological well-being, parity status, and birth weight in relation to the maternal cortisol diurnal rhythm in a group of 98 low-risk pregnant women (51 primiparae). At 36 weeks gestation, participants completed both pregnancy-specific and general self-report measures of psychological functioning and provided saliva samples at 8:00, 12:00, and 16:00 h on 2 consecutive working days for the assay of cortisol. The expected diurnal decline in salivary cortisol was observed. Higher trait anxiety was associated with a flatter afternoon decline for all mothers. For primiparae, steeper morning cortisol declines were associated with lower infant birth weight. The findings suggest that regulation of the HPA axis may differ by parity status with downstream implications for fetal growth and development.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2008.06.008

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Authors
Kivlighan, K. T., DiPietro, J. A., Costigan, K. A., & Laudenslager, M. L.
Affiliations
  • Johns Hopkins University (US)
  • University of Colorado Denver (US)
Corresponding author
Kivlighan, Katie T.
Venue
Psychoneuroendocrinology
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2008-10
Volume
33
Issue
9
Pages
1225-1235
ISSN
0306-4530 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2089522544
Cited by
176
References
76
Citations by year
2026: 4 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 8 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 9 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 7 · 2018: 10 · 2017: 30 · 2016: 11 · 2015: 11 · 2014: 12 · 2013: 12 · 2012: 10
FWCI
3.87
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Psychoneuroendocrinology (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (AA-013973, R01AA013973)
  • Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (R01 HD 27592, F32HD055001, R01HD027592)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Behavioral Neuroscience › Stress Responses and Cortisol
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Maternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and Postpartum
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health › Birth, Development, and Health
Keywords
diurnal cortisol rhythm, late pregnancy, maternal psychological well-being, trait anxiety, parity status, primiparous women, birth weight, fetal growth, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, salivary cortisol
MeSH terms
Adult, Anxiety, Birth Weight, Circadian Rhythm, Female, Gestational Age, Humans, Hydrocortisone, Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System, Parity, Pituitary-Adrenal System, Pregnancy, Reference Values, Saliva, Self-Assessment, Fetal Development

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