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. 2016 Apr;35(2):118-122.
doi: 10.1515/jomb-2015-0015. Epub 2016 May 9.

Salivary Cortisol as a Biomarker of Stress in Mothers and their Low Birth Weight Infants and Sample Collecting Challenges

Milica Ranković Janevski  1 , Ana Đorđević Vujičić  1 , Svjetlana Maglajić Đukić  2
Affiliations

Salivary Cortisol as a Biomarker of Stress in Mothers and their Low Birth Weight Infants and Sample Collecting Challenges

Milica Ranković Janevski et al. J Med Biochem. 2016 Apr.

Abstract
in English, Serbian

Background: Salivary cortisol measurement is a non-invasive method suitable for use in neonatal research. Mother-infant separation after birth represents stress and skin-to-skin contact (SSC) has numerous benefits. The aim of the study was to measure salivary cortisol in mothers and newborns before and after SSC in order to assess the effect of SSC on mothers' and infants' stress and to estimate the efficacy of collecting small saliva samples in newborns.

Methods: Salivary cortisol was measured in 35 mother-infant pairs before and after the first and the fifth SSC in small saliva samples (50 μL) using the high sensitivity Quantitative ELISA-Kit (0.0828 nmol/L) for low cortisol levels detection. Samples were collected with eye sponge during 3 to 5 minutes.

Results: Cortisol level in mothers decreased after SSC: the highest levels were measured before and the lowest after SSC and the differences in values were significant during both the first (p<0.001) and the fifth SSC (p<0.001). During the first SSC the cortisol level decrease was detected in 14 (40%) and an increase in 21 (60%) newborns, and during the fifth SSC a decrease was detected in 16 (45.7%) and an increase in 19 (54.3%) newborns, without confirmed significance of the difference. Saliva sampling efficacy using eye sponge was 75%.

Conclusions: Cortisol level decrease in mothers proves the stress reduction during SSC, while variable cortisol levels in infants do not indicate stress reduction and imply the need for further research. The used sampling method appeared to be one of the most optimal considering the sample volume, sampling time and efficacy.

Uvod: Određivanje salivarnog kortizola je, kao neinvazivna metoda, pogodno za primenu u neonatologiji. Separacija majke i novorođenčeta predstavlja stres, a metoda »kontakt koža na kožu« (KKK) ima brojne pozitivne efekte. Cilj studije je da se određivanjem nivoa salivarnog kortizola pre i nakon primene KKK proceni efekat na stres majke i novorođenčeta i da se proceni uspešnost uzimanja malih uzoraka salive kod novorođenčeta.

Metode: Kortizol je određivan kod 35 parova majki i novorođenčadi pre i nakon 1. i pre i nakon 5. KKK, iz malog uzorka salive, 50 μL, kvantitativnim ELISA testom visoke osetljivosti (0,0828 nmol/L), za merenje niskih koncentracija kortizola. Uzimanje uzoraka je vršeno pomoću eye sponge, tokom 3 do 5 minuta.

Rezultati: Kortizol kod majki opada nakon KKK: najviše vrednosti su izmerene pre, a najniže posle primene KKK metode, i razlike u vrednostima su značajne i tokom 1. (p<0,001) i tokom 5. KKK (p<0,001). Kod novorođenčadi je tokom 1. KKK detektovan pad kortizola kod 14 (40%), a porast kod 21 novorođenčeta (60%), a tokom 5. KKK pad kod 16 (45,7%), a porast kod 19 novorođenčadi (54,3%), bez potvrđene značajnosti razlike. Sakupljanje uzoraka salive pomoću eye sponge je pokazalo uspešnost od 75%.

Zaključak: Pad vrednosti kortizola dokazuje redukciju stresa kod majki pri primeni KKK, dok varijabilne vrednosti kortizola kod novorođenčadi ne upućuju na redukciju stresa i ukazuju na potrebu za daljim istraživanjima. Primenjena metoda uzorkovanja salive se pokazala jednom od najoptimalnijih u odnosu na veličinu uzorka, trajanje uzimanja uzorka i uspešnost.

Keywords: low birth weight; salivary cortisol; skin-to-skin care.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors stated that they have no conflicts of interest regarding the publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Salivary cortisol changes in mothers during SSC. SSC 1 – first SSC, SSC 5 – fifth SSC, o – outliers, * – extreme values
Figure 2
Figure 2
Salivary cortisol changes in infants during SSC. SSC 1 – first SSC, SSC 5 – fifth SSC, o – outliers, * – extreme values
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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