Early Stress Exposure and Later Cortisol Regulation: Impact of Early Intervention on Mother-Infant Relationship in Preterm Infants

Preterm birth represents an acute stress for infants considering their physical immaturity and painful care procedures they are submitted to, potentially leading to altered cortisol regulation. It also represents a traumatic event for parents, sometimes leading to psychological diseases with repercussions on mother-infant relationships. Thirty preterm infants were submitted to an intervention on the mother-child relationships and were compared with 30 preterm infants without intervention and with 30 full-term infants. Salivary diurnal cortisol levels were assessed at 6 and 12 months. Diurnal cortisol levels at 6 months were lower in preterm infants without intervention as compared with other groups. At 12 months, such a difference was not found. The results of this study highlight a possible delay in the reorganization of the neuroendocrine system during the 1st year of life in preterm infants without intervention.