Premium
Developmental Change in Infant Cortisol and Behavioral Response to Inoculation
Author(s) -
Ramsay Douglas S.,
Lewis Michael
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
child development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.103
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1467-8624
pISSN - 0009-3920
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-8624.1994.tb00831.x
Subject(s) - hydrocortisone , psychology , glucocorticoid , developmental psychology , medicine , endocrinology , physiology
Child Development, 1994, 65 , 1491–1502. Infant cortisol and behavioral responses to receiving 1 versus 2 inoculations on 1 pediatric office visit were observed at 2 and 6 months of age. Cortisol level (pre‐ plus postinoculation level) decreased with age, whereas cortisol response (post‐ minus preinoculation level) did not vary with age when the data were aggregated over infants showing a pre‐ to postinoculation cortisol increase and those showing a decrease. Nonetheless, for those infants who showed a cortisol increase, cortisol level and response decreased with age. Infants quieted faster at the older age. There was a moderate relation between quieting behavior and cortisol response, at least for infants who showed a pre‐ to postinoculation cortisol increase. These findings indicate a developmental trend for a decline over age in adrenocortical reactivity to inoculation for infants showing a cortisol release following the perturbation. Results were comparable whether infants received 1 or 2 inoculations.