TLDR Discrimination during pregnancy affects newborn stress hormone levels.
The study investigates the impact of maternal discrimination during pregnancy on fetal cortisol levels, as measured in neonatal hair. It involved 65 pregnant individuals from two cohorts in different U.S. locations. The findings indicate that prenatal experiences of discrimination are linked to alterations in neonatal hair cortisol, which reflects both maternal and fetal cortisol. In the U.S. interior city cohort, higher perceived discrimination was associated with lower neonatal hair cortisol, while in the U.S. border town cohort, it was associated with higher cortisol levels. This study highlights the significance of maternal discrimination as a factor influencing fetal cortisol exposure, suggesting potential intergenerational health implications.
45 citations,
January 2010 in “Forensic science international” Neonatal hair can help determine drug exposure during pregnancy.
46 citations,
December 2003 in “Advances in neonatal care” Assessing newborn scalp hair can reveal important health information.
57 citations,
November 1987 in “Pediatric Dermatology” Children's hair grows in different types from before birth through puberty, with growth rates and characteristics varying by age, sex, and race.
7 citations,
October 2015 in “American Journal of Primatology” Monkeys with hair loss during pregnancy showed higher stress hormone levels and invested differently in their offspring.
June 2020 in “Authorea (Authorea)” First-time mothers had higher stress hormone levels in late pregnancy than mothers who had given birth before.
33 citations,
January 2017 in “Conservation physiology” Measuring reproductive hormones in brown bear hair could help identify their sex and reproductive state, but better collection methods or lab techniques are needed.
8 citations,
April 2020 in “European Journal of Nutrition” Newborns' hair shows how much caffeine their mothers drank during pregnancy.
2 citations,
November 2012 in “InTech eBooks” The document concludes that sex hormones are crucial for mammalian reproduction, health, and behavior, and require more research for therapeutic use.
