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. 2009 Jul;34(6):795-804.
doi: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2009.02.001. Epub 2009 Mar 5.

Developmental differences in infant salivary alpha-amylase and cortisol responses to stress

Elysia Poggi Davis  1 , Douglas A Granger
Affiliations

Developmental differences in infant salivary alpha-amylase and cortisol responses to stress

Elysia Poggi Davis et al. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2009 Jul.

Abstract

This study examined developmental differences in infants' salivary alpha-amylase (sAA) and cortisol levels and responses to the well-baby exam/inoculation stress protocol at 2, 6, 12, and 24 months of age. Mother-infant pairs (n=85; 45 girls) were assessed during well-baby visits and saliva was sampled before the well-baby exam/inoculation procedure (pre-test) and at 5, 10, and 20 min post-inoculation stress. Older infants (24 months) had higher levels of sAA than younger infants (2, 6 and 12 months). Stress-related sAA increases were evident at 6 and 12 months, but not at 2 or 24 months of age. Stress-related cortisol increases were present at 2 and 6 months, but not at older ages. Mothers had higher sAA levels than their infants, but did not show sAA or cortisol increases to their infants' inoculation. Pre-test, maternal and infant sAA levels were positively correlated (rs .47 to .65) at 6, 12, and 24 months of age, but not at 2 months. These findings suggest that the association between the sympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system and the secretion of sAA develops between 2 and 6 months of age, when levels of sAA are responsive to exposure to a painful stressor.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest

Dr. Davis has no conflict of interest regarding this manuscript.

Dr. Granger is the founder and CEO of Salimetrics LLC which performed the sAA assays for this manuscript.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Infant and maternal sAA responses to infant inoculation
Figure 2
Figure 2
Infant and maternal cortisol responses to infant inoculation
Figure 3
Figure 3
Sex differences in infant cortisol response to inoculation
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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