Determinants of maternal hair cortisol concentrations at delivery reflecting the last trimester of pregnancy
Abstract
Hair cortisol concentrations (HCC) are emerging as a promising marker of chronic psychosocial stress. However, limited information on relevant correlates of this biomarker in late pregnancy is available. In the Ulm SPATZ Health Study mothers were recruited between 04/2012 and 05/2013 shortly after delivery in the University Medical Center Ulm, Germany. Cortisol concentrations of N=768 participants were determined by HPLC-MS/MS in the scalp-near 3cm of maternal hair reflecting stress exposure over the preceding three months. Sociodemographic characteristics, pregnancy-related variables and comorbidities were assessed. We conducted bivariate and multiple linear regression analyses using log transformed HCC. In bivariate analyses, significantly higher cortisol concentrations were found in obese compared to normal weight (b=0.32, p<0.001) and smoking as opposed to non-smoking mothers (b=0.34, p=0.002). Conversely, primary C-section was associated with lower HCC compared to spontaneous delivery. Besides, a strong impact of season of delivery with significantly higher HCC in summer and autumn as opposed to winter (both bs=0.58, p<0.001) was found. Further determinants of HCC were maternal education, number of persons in the household, premature delivery and hair characteristics. In a mutually adjusted model, all but education, multiple jobholding, hair characteristics and premature delivery remained statistically significant. Maternal hair cortisol in the last trimester of pregnancy is determined by many factors. Delivery mode, body mass index and season of delivery should be considered when investigating the association between HCC and further outcomes in mothers shortly after delivery.
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Existing literature does not clearly demonstrate season effects that could explain the early rise in hair cortisol seen here.
“However, existing literature does not clearly demonstrate season effects that could explain the early rise in hair cortisol seen here.”
From Chronic Stress, Hair Cortisol and Depression: A Prospective and Longitudinal Study of Medical Internship (2018) · cites this paper as Braig et al., 2015
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Self-citation
- Authors
- Braig, S., Grabher, F., Ntomchukwu, C., Reister, F., Stalder, T., Kirschbaum, C., Genuneit, J., & Rothenbacher, D.
- Affiliations
- Universität Ulm (DE)
- University Hospital Ulm (DE)
- Technische Universität Dresden (DE)
- Corresponding author
- Braig, Stefanie
- Venue
- Psychoneuroendocrinology
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2015-02
- Volume
- 52
- Pages
- 289-296
- ISSN
- 0306-4530 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W1969393683
- Cited by
- 105
- References
- 29
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 8 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 8 · 2022: 9 · 2021: 7 · 2020: 12 · 2019: 8 · 2018: 12 · 2017: 10 · 2016: 17 · 2015: 4
- FWCI
- 5.07
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Psychoneuroendocrinology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- 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 › Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism › Adrenal Hormones and Disorders
- Keywords
- hair cortisol, maternal psychosocial stress, late pregnancy, maternal obesity, maternal smoking, cesarean section, body mass index, hair characteristics, postpartum women
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Female, Germany, Hair, Humans, Hydrocortisone, Obesity, Pregnancy, Pregnancy Complications, Pregnancy Outcome, Pregnancy Trimester, Third, Smoking, Cohort Studies, Young Adult
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