The relationship between stress and hair cortisol in healthy pregnant women.

PURPOSE Stress has been shown to cause a large range of adverse fetal effects. This pilot study is the first attempt to examine cortisol level in the hair of pregnant women and assess its potential as a biomarker of gestational stress. PATIENTS AND METHODS Twenty-five healthy pregnant women, in whom hair cortisol levels and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) were measured and correlated. RESULTS Maternal hair cortisol levels, ranging between 0.06 and 0.23 nmol/g of hair correlated positively and significantly with measures of perceived stress (ranging between 2-22); (Rs=0.47) (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Our findings corroborate recent primate studies with induced stress, and suggest that hair cortisol is a potential biomarker of chronic stress in pregnancy. This new long term biological marker may have important implications in research and clinical practice.

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