Águeda Castro-Quintas, Elisenda Eixarch, Nerea San Martin-Gonzalez, Maria Daura-Corral, Laia Marques-Feixa, Helena Palma-Gudiel, Mireia Rocavert-Barranco, Alba Miguel-Valero, Jose Luis Monteserín-García, Lorena de la Fuente-Tomás, Fátima Crispi, Barbara Arias, María Paz García-Portilla, Lourdes Fañanás
BACKGROUND: Depression during pregnancy is a common complication that can negatively affect fetal health and birth outcomes. Cortisol is believed to be a key mediator of this association. Although pregnancy entails a natural increase in cortisol levels, preclinical depression could alter its circadian rhythm, producing excessively high overall diurnal cortisol levels that might be harmful for the fetus and future offspring development. OBJECTIVES: Using a prospective longitudinal design, we aimed to study (i) trimestral cortisol circadian rhythm and its overall levels throughout pregnancy in healthy women, (ii) the extent to which maternal depressive symptoms influence both cortisol rhythmicity and overall levels, and (iii) the possible adverse consequences of elevated maternal cortisol on the offspring's weight and gestational age at birth...
December 19, 2023: Psychoneuroendocrinology