Measurement of Salivary Cortisol as a Marker of Stress in Newborns in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

Aims: The study was designed to evaluate the newborn (NB) stress response during the inpatient time in the neonatal intensive care unit. Methods: A quantitative, prospective, observational study was conducted with two NB groups. The first group consisted of 12 NB patients in the neonatal intensive care unit as the experimental group (EG), and the second included 43 NBs who were sent to their own homes and were considered the control group (CG). The EG's salivary cortisol concentration was measured on the 2nd day (D2) and 9th day (D9) of life. The CG's salivary cortisol concentration was measured on the 14th day of life at the child's own home. Results: The salivary cortisol concentration levels for the EG on D2 and D9 and for the CG were 4.3151 +/- 2.6492, 1.826 +/- 1.2252, and 1.0166 +/- 0.8300 ng/dl, respectively. These findings indicated the presence of an adrenal response to stress during the first inpatient days. Conclusions: The salivary cortisol concentration is an accurate method to indicate neonatal stress. The glucocorticoids frequently used in the prenatal period suppress the adrenal glands and interfere with the stress response. Copyright (C) 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel