TLDR High-stress mothers had lower hair cortisol than low-stress mothers, and daughters' cortisol was linked to their stress response.
The study investigated hair cortisol concentrations (HCC) as a biomarker for chronic stress in 60 mother-daughter pairs, divided into high and low maternal stress groups. It found that high-stress mothers had lower HCC than low-stress mothers, and daughters' HCC was linked to their salivary cortisol reactivity. The similarity of HCC levels within dyads was influenced by negative parenting and children's internalizing symptoms. However, chronic stress and early caregiving did not mediate children's cortisol stability. Overall, the study suggested that HCC could be a useful marker for cortisol responses to chronic stress.
38 citations
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September 2013 in “Therapeutic Drug Monitoring” First Nation individuals had higher hair cortisol levels, indicating more chronic stress.
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October 2020 in “Infant behavior & development” Collecting hair for cortisol analysis is possible in low-income mother-toddler pairs.
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January 2017 in “Physiology & Behavior” New hair growth corticosterone levels are higher in diabetic mice, indicating long-term stress.