Abstract
Objective: Determine the association between prenatal cocaine exposure and postnatal environmental adversity on salivary cortisol stress reactivity in school-aged children. Study design: Subjects included 743 11-year-old children (n = 320 cocaine-exposed; 423 comparison) followed since birth in a longitudinal prospective multisite study. Saliva samples were collected to measure cortisol at baseline and after a standardized procedure to induce psychological stress. Children were divided into those who showed an increase in cortisol from baseline to post stress and those who showed a decrease or blunted cortisol response. Covariates measured included site, birthweight, maternal pre and postnatal use of alcohol, tobacco or marijuana, social class, changes in caretakers, maternal depression and psychological symptoms, domestic and community violence, child abuse, and quality of the home. Results: With adjustment for confounding variables, cortisol reactivity to stress was more likely to be blunted in children with prenatal cocaine exposure. Children exposed to cocaine and who experienced domestic violence showed the strongest effects. Conclusions: The combination of prenatal cocaine exposure and an adverse postnatal environment could downregulate the hypothalamic-pituitary- adrenal axis resulting in the blunted cortisol response to stress possibly increasing risk for later psychopathology and adult disease.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Journal | Journal of Pediatrics |
| Volume | 157 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Apr 16 2010 |
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ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Pediatrics, Perinatology, and Child Health
- Medicine(all)
Cite this
Prenatal cocaine exposure related to cortisol stress reactivity in 11-year-old children. / Lester, Barry M.; Lagasse, Linda L.; Shankaran, Seetha; Bada, Henrietta S.; Bauer, Charles R; Lin, Richard; Das, Abhik; Higgins, Rosemary.
In: Journal of Pediatrics, Vol. 157, No. 2, 16.04.2010.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Prenatal cocaine exposure related to cortisol stress reactivity in 11-year-old children
AU - Lester, Barry M.
AU - Lagasse, Linda L.
AU - Shankaran, Seetha
AU - Bada, Henrietta S.
AU - Bauer, Charles R
AU - Lin, Richard
AU - Das, Abhik
AU - Higgins, Rosemary
PY - 2010/4/16
Y1 - 2010/4/16
N2 - Objective: Determine the association between prenatal cocaine exposure and postnatal environmental adversity on salivary cortisol stress reactivity in school-aged children. Study design: Subjects included 743 11-year-old children (n = 320 cocaine-exposed; 423 comparison) followed since birth in a longitudinal prospective multisite study. Saliva samples were collected to measure cortisol at baseline and after a standardized procedure to induce psychological stress. Children were divided into those who showed an increase in cortisol from baseline to post stress and those who showed a decrease or blunted cortisol response. Covariates measured included site, birthweight, maternal pre and postnatal use of alcohol, tobacco or marijuana, social class, changes in caretakers, maternal depression and psychological symptoms, domestic and community violence, child abuse, and quality of the home. Results: With adjustment for confounding variables, cortisol reactivity to stress was more likely to be blunted in children with prenatal cocaine exposure. Children exposed to cocaine and who experienced domestic violence showed the strongest effects. Conclusions: The combination of prenatal cocaine exposure and an adverse postnatal environment could downregulate the hypothalamic-pituitary- adrenal axis resulting in the blunted cortisol response to stress possibly increasing risk for later psychopathology and adult disease.
AB - Objective: Determine the association between prenatal cocaine exposure and postnatal environmental adversity on salivary cortisol stress reactivity in school-aged children. Study design: Subjects included 743 11-year-old children (n = 320 cocaine-exposed; 423 comparison) followed since birth in a longitudinal prospective multisite study. Saliva samples were collected to measure cortisol at baseline and after a standardized procedure to induce psychological stress. Children were divided into those who showed an increase in cortisol from baseline to post stress and those who showed a decrease or blunted cortisol response. Covariates measured included site, birthweight, maternal pre and postnatal use of alcohol, tobacco or marijuana, social class, changes in caretakers, maternal depression and psychological symptoms, domestic and community violence, child abuse, and quality of the home. Results: With adjustment for confounding variables, cortisol reactivity to stress was more likely to be blunted in children with prenatal cocaine exposure. Children exposed to cocaine and who experienced domestic violence showed the strongest effects. Conclusions: The combination of prenatal cocaine exposure and an adverse postnatal environment could downregulate the hypothalamic-pituitary- adrenal axis resulting in the blunted cortisol response to stress possibly increasing risk for later psychopathology and adult disease.
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UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=77955302113&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.jpeds.2010.02.039
DO - 10.1016/j.jpeds.2010.02.039
M3 - Article
C2 - 20400094
AN - SCOPUS:77955302113
VL - 157
JO - Journal of Pediatrics
JF - Journal of Pediatrics
SN - 0022-3476
IS - 2
ER -