Effects of prenatal alcohol and cocaine exposure on infant cortisol levels

Abstract

Elevated corticosterone levels to stress have been found in adult rats exposed prenatally toalcohol, but little is known about the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on the cortisol responsein humans. To date, one study has found that crack/cocaine was related to depressed newborncortisol levels following a heel prick. In the present study saliva samples were obtained beforeand after a blood draw from 83 inner-city African American 13-month-old infants exposedprenatally to alcohol, cocaine, and other illicit drugs. Post-blood draw cortisol levels did notdiffer from basal levels in many of the infants, confirming recent studies indicating adaptation ofthe adrenocortical response to this type of stress at this age. Maternal depression and emergenceof teeth were positively related to cortisol levels. Alcohol exposure was related to elevated basallevels, cocaine to lower basal levels. As predicted from animal findings, heavy alcohol exposurewas related to elevated poststress cortisol levels.