High maternal levels of the stress hormone cortisol during pregnancy increase anxious and depressive-like behaviors in female offspring at the age of 2, reports a new study in Biological Psychiatry.
Interestingly, male offspring of mothers with high cortisol during pregnancy did not demonstrate the stronger brain connectivity, or an association between maternal cortisol and mood symptoms.
"High maternal levels of cortisol during pregnancy appear to contribute to risk in females, but not males.".
"This study measured maternal cortisol during pregnancy in a more comprehensive manner than prior research," said first author Alice Graham, PhD, of Oregon Health & Science University.
Measurements taken from the 70 mothers included in the study reflected typical variation in maternal cortisol levels.
"Higher maternal cortisol during pregnancy was linked to alterations in the newborns' functional brain connectivity, affecting how different brain regions can communicate with each other," said Dr. Buss.
The study supports the idea that maternal stress may alter brain connectivity in the developing fetus, which would mean that vulnerability for developing a mood disorder is programmed from birth. »
