Work

Preliminary findings on the association between maternal salivary and hair cortisol and the mother-infant-interaction during the early postpartum period

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: ) was calculated using two saliva samples obtained after arrival and after the FFSF. Multiple block-wise hierarchical linear regression models were conducted to incorporate potential confounding factors (maternal age, parity, infant gestational age, infant sex) in a first step and, then, test for the association of hair and salivary cortisol with maternal and infant positive, negative and dyadic behavior in a second step. For both it was hypothesized that cortisol assessed in hair and saliva is negatively associated with positive and matched mother-infant-interaction, and positively associated with negative mother-infant-interaction. It could be shown that salivary but not hair cortisol as well as infant gestational age and infant sex related significantly to infant positive and negative affect as well as matched behavior during the reunion phase of the FFSF. Maternal positive affect was unrelated to any of the variables. The results are discussed in regard to the importance of maternal cortisol levels over a longer period of time and more acute situational levels for the mother-infant-interaction as well as the relevance of included confounding factors.

Source: Psychoneuroendocrinology

DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2024.107266