Stress Response Systems in Mothers and Preterm Infants

  • Research type

    Research Study

  • Full title

    Stress Response Systems in Mothers and Preterm Infants

  • IRAS ID

    237905

  • Contact name

    Rebecca Reynolds

  • Contact email

    R.Reynolds@ed.ac.uk

  • Sponsor organisation

    University of Edinburgh

  • Duration of Study in the UK

    3 years, 0 months, 0 days

  • Research summary

    Why the research is needed?
    Globally 15 million infants are born preterm every year. These individuals have an increased risk of adverse neurodevelopmental and metabolic health, and the mechanisms underlying this association are unknown.
    The hypothalamic pituitary-adrenal-axis (HPAA) regulates the body’s response to physical and mental ‘stress’. Glucocorticoids, the end point of the HPAA influence fetal development and adult health. However, to date there has been limited study of maternal and infant HPAA.

    The aim of the research
    This study is designed to test 3 hypotheses.
    1) There are differences in the HPAA, between infants born preterm and term.
    2) The preterm infant HPAA is ‘programmed’ by the prenatal environment.
    3) Excess glucocorticoid exposure during the perinatal period is associated with structural changes in the developing brain.

    How we plan to do this research?
    We plan to study 100 mother infant dyads (including 50 term and 50 preterm infants) allowing comparison of maternal, placental and infant characteristics.

    Maternal characterisation: Mothers' medical history and demographics. Hair glucocorticoids (a marker of HPAA over the previous 3 months)
    Placental Characterisation: Glucocorticoids measured via cord blood at delivery, and protein expression of genes regulating glucocorticoid transfer across the placenta.
    Infant Characterisation: Hair glucocorticoids. MRI brain. Salivary glucocorticoids to test both the HPAA daily rhythm and response to stressor during the newborn period, and at 4 and 12 months.

    What we hope to achieve?
    Highlighting differences in HPAA between term and preterm infants would identify a potential biological mechanism linking preterm birth with adverse adult health.
    Identifying perinatal factors that influence infant glucocorticoid exposure or subsequent HPAA would help direct future attempts at modifying stress response systems.
    Identifying differences in MRI between infants with the greatest and lowest levels of glucocorticoid exposure would identify areas of the developing brain susceptible to excess perinatal glucocorticoid exposure.

  • REC name

    South East Scotland REC 01

  • REC reference

    18/SS/0006

  • Date of REC Opinion

    22 Feb 2018

  • REC opinion

    Further Information Favourable Opinion