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Do infants show a cortisol awakening response?
Author(s) -
Bright Melissa A.,
Granger Douglas A.,
Frick Janet E.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
developmental psychobiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.055
H-Index - 93
eISSN - 1098-2302
pISSN - 0012-1630
DOI - 10.1002/dev.20617
Subject(s) - nap , cortisol awakening response , psychology , circadian rhythm , endocrinology , medicine , saliva , sleep (system call) , suprachiasmatic nucleus , developmental psychology , hydrocortisone , neuroscience , computer science , operating system
Abstract Upon awakening from sleep, combined processes of deactivation of the hippocampus and activation of suprachiasmatic nucleus result in a marked increase in cortisol release from structures within the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis. This phenomenon, termed the cortisol awakening response (CAR), has been studied extensively in adults. In the current study, we examine this phenomenon for the first time in infancy. Saliva samples were collected by 32 mothers from themselves and their infants (13 males; 7.8–17.4 months of age) at the infant's AM waking (and 30 min later), and upon waking from the infant's first nap (and 30 min later). In contrast to what has been observed with the CAR in adults, cortisol levels declined from AM waking to 30 min post‐waking. Moreover, cortisol levels did not significantly rise or fall following naps. Consistent with prior research, both group‐level and dyadic‐level analyses showed that cortisol levels for mother–infant dyads were associated. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals,Inc. Dev Psychobiol 54: 736–743, 2012.