Hair cortisol levels in pregnancy as a possible determinant of fetal sex: a longitudinal study

Romero-González, Borja; Puertas-Gonzalez, José A.; González-Pérez, Raquel; Davila, Marta; Peralta-Ramírez, María Isabel

doi:10.1017/s2040174420001300

Cited by 9 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 46 publications

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“…For providing a methodological foundation for further investigations of HCC in pregnant samples, we investigated the bivariate influence of twenty-one pregnancy-related, sociodemographic, and hair-related covariates on HCC. The only covariates that showed a significant bivariate influence on HCC in at least two time points and in a consistent manner were maternal BMI, maternal education, difficulty accessing basic foods, and infant sex, which is partly consistent with previous studies 38 – 40 , 45 , 65 . For instance, we showed a significant difference in prenatal HCC by infant sex, whereby women giving birth to a female infant had significantly higher HCC preconception and in the first trimester, compared to women giving birth to a male infant.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

“…The vast majority of previous studies did not find such an effect 33 , 38 , 39 , 44 , 61 , 66 – 73 . However, Romero-Gonzalez et al 65 recently reported significant differences in prenatal HCC by infant sex. Similar to our findings, they found a higher first-trimester HCC in women carrying a female compared to a male baby 65 .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…However, Romero-Gonzalez et al 65 recently reported significant differences in prenatal HCC by infant sex. Similar to our findings, they found a higher first-trimester HCC in women carrying a female compared to a male baby 65 . These findings indicate that prenatal experiences of stress may influence the survival of the fetus and the secondary sex ratio distribution in the population; however, further results from Romero-Gonzalez et al 65 found no significant impact on infant sex by perceived stress.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

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Correlates of preconception and pregnancy hair cortisol concentrations

Juvinao-Quintero,

Künzel,

Larabure-Torrealva

et al. 2023

Preprint

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Assessing factors that influence chronic stress biomarkers like hair cortisol concentrations (HCCs) in pregnancy is critical to prevent adverse pregnancy outcomes. Thus, we aimed to identify correlates of HCC preconception and during pregnancy. 2,581 pregnant women participated in the study. HCC was available at four time periods: pre-pregnancy (0–3 months preconception, n = 1,023), and in the first (1–12 weeks, n = 1,734), second (13–24 weeks, n = 1,534), and third (25–36 weeks, n = 835) trimesters. HCC was assessed using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Sociodemographic, pregnancy- and hair-related characteristics, and measures of psychosocial stress, were interrogated as potential correlates of HCC. Spearman correlations, paired t-tests, and ANOVA were used to assess differences in log-transformed values of HCC (logHCC) across maternal characteristics. Multivariable linear regressions were used to identify the correlates of HCCs after adjusting for confounders. Mean logHCC values increased across the four prenatal periods (P < 0.001). In multivariable analyses, pre-pregnancy BMI was consistently associated with all HCCs, while gestational age, economic hardship, hair dyeing, and depression, showed time-specific associations with HCC. In conclusion, this study showed evidence of factors influencing HCC levels before and during pregnancy. The most consistent association was seen with pre-pregnancy BMI. Depression was also associated with HCC concentrations.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

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Correlates of preconception and pregnancy hair cortisol concentrations

Juvinao-Quintero,

Künzel,

Larabure-Torrealva

et al. 2023

Preprint

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“…Regarding the association between maternal and infant HCC, several studies have provided interesting and sometimes conflicting results. Studies have shown a positive association between perceived stress and HCC in pregnant women, increased HCC in assisted reproductive technology, and increased HCC in the first trimester when a girl is carried to term ( 17 – 19 ). Regarding the mother–child relationship, one study found increased HCC in mothers with prolonged stress during pregnancy, but decreased HCC in their newborns ( 20 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hair cortisol as outcome parameter for psychological and neuropsychiatric interventions—a literature review

Botschek,

Hußlein,

Peters

et al. 2023

Front. Psychiatry

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BackgroundStudies measuring hair cortisol concentration (HCC) have been increasingly conducted to document stress-related, endocrine changes aggregated over time. Previous studies have shown that HCC reflects abnormalities in the hypothalamic–pituitary-adrenocortical axis (HPA axis) in the context of somatic diseases, such as Cushing’s syndrome. HCC variations also reveal a corresponding alteration in HPA-axis-function in mental disorders, highlighting its potential role as a biomarker for interventions targeting mental health problems.AimsThe aim of this study was to investigate the role of HCC in various psychological and neuropsychiatric interventions and to explore the extent to which HCC can serve as a predictive or outcome parameter in such interventions by conducting a PRISMA-compliant review of the literature.MethodsFrom May to July 2022, the databases Web of Science, Google Scholar, PsychINFO, and ResearchGate were systematically searched using different combinations of relevant keywords. Studies of different types that examined HCC in the context of a wide range of psychological and neuropsychiatric interventions were included. Studies in languages other than English or German and animal studies were excluded. The MMAT tool was used, to assesses the Risk of bias.ResultsThe initial search identified 334 studies. After applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 14 publications with a total number of 1,916 participants were identified. An association between HCC and PTSD, depressive disorders, and ongoing social and family stress can be documented. The effect of relaxation techniques, mental training, CBT, or PTSD therapy on HCC has been studied with equivocal results. Some studies found decreased HCC after treatment, while others did not show a clear effect. Baseline HCC appears to be of particular importance. In some studies, higher baseline HCC was associated with increased treatment response, providing a predictive value for HCC.DiscussionHCC is increasingly being used as a biomarker for the mapping of psychological and neuropsychiatric interventions. However, due to the wide range of study populations and interventions, results are still heterogeneous. Nevertheless, HCC seems to be an encouraging biological parameter to describe the trajectory of different interventions aimed at improving mental health.

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“…Pregnancy stage modifies the association between stress and birth sex‐ratio. Higher levels of maternal cortisol (measured in hair) at conception or during the first trimester are associated with relatively more female births (Romero‐Gonzalez et al, 2021 ). Male embryos of mothers stressed in the first week of pregnancy have an increased probability of chromosomal abnormalities associated with morbidity and mortality (Orzack et al, 2015 ; Ritchie & Roser, 2019 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Severe cyclones and sex‐specific birth outcomes in Queensland, Australia: An interrupted time‐series analysis

Parayiwa

Harley

Behie

2022

American J Hum Biol

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Objectives A male is less adaptable to biological stressors than a female fetus with consequent higher morbidity and mortality. Adverse birth outcomes increase and male livebirths decrease after environmental disasters, economic crises, and terrorist events. We hypothesized the ratio of male to female livebirths would decrease in areas affected by severe tropical cyclones (TCs) in Queensland, Australia. Additionally, in male livebirths, there would be an increase in preterm and low birthweight births. Lastly, we hypothesized that the pregnancy stage at which exposure occurred would modify the association between TC exposure and observed outcomes. Methods Interrupted time series analysis was used to analyze Queensland administrative birth records from July 2007 to June 2018 for significant changes in the sex ratio at birth, measured as the proportion of male livebirths. Adjusted generalized linear models were fitted to births in areas affected by two category five TCs: cyclones Yasi (February 2011) and Marcia (February 2015). To explore male mortality and morbidity risk, additional analysis was conducted on the proportion of male stillborn, low birthweight, and preterm births. The association between estimated pregnancy stage during the TC and the proportion of male births was also analyzed. Results Contrary to our hypothesis, increases in the proportion of male livebirths were observed following early‐pregnancy exposure to cyclone Yasi and mid‐pregnancy exposure to Marcia, although the latter was not statistically significant. No significant changes were observed in proportions of male stillborn, low birthweight, and preterm births. Conclusions This study found a significant association between severe TCs and sex ratio at birth. The stage of pregnancy at which maternal stressors were experienced modified this association. Among people exposed in early to mid‐pregnancy, the proportion of male births was higher. This may be because of differential loss of females in utero. Studying sex differences in birth outcomes provides insight into in utero vulnerabilities associated with environmental stressors. Climate change is increasing the intensity and frequency of natural disasters. Understanding fetal vulnerability to environmental stressors will provide crucial information supporting early life health interventions that mitigate the immediate and long‐term effects.

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Hair cortisol levels in pregnancy as a possible determinant of fetal sex: a longitudinal study

Cited by 9 publications

References 46 publications

Correlates of preconception and pregnancy hair cortisol concentrations

Correlates of preconception and pregnancy hair cortisol concentrations

Hair cortisol as outcome parameter for psychological and neuropsychiatric interventions—a literature review

Severe cyclones and sex‐specific birth outcomes in Queensland, Australia: An interrupted time‐series analysis

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