The relationship between parental mental health and preschoolers’ stress hormone and development

BACKGROUND: Hair cortisol concentration (HCC) has been identified as a biomarker that reflects chronic physiological stress. However, research on the association between mental health and HCC has been limited and yielded inconsistent results. This study thus aims to investigate the relationship between parental mental health and HCC and explore the relationship between parental mental health and HCC in preschoolers and their development. METHODS: Data from the ongoing project of Longitudinal Examination Across Prenatal and Postpartum Health in Taiwan (LEAPP-HIT) conducted in Taipei between 2017 and 2022 was utilized. A total of 131 families completed a self-reported questionnaire and provided hair samples from early pregnancy to four years postpartum. Of these families, 68 were followed up until the postpartum years and provided information on their preschoolers’ developmental outcomes. Multiple regression was utilized for analyses. RESULTS: We found that paternal eudaimonia was significantly negatively associated with paternal HCC (r= -0.49, p < 0.05) and maternal anxiety (r = 0.21, p < 0.05) and perceived stress (r = 0.39, p < 0.05) were significantly positively associated with maternal HCC. Furthermore, maternal higher HCC was associated with preschoolers’ higher HCC (β = 0.34, 95%CI=0.05-0.53) and higher risks of preschoolers’ suspected developmental delay (odds ratio (OR)=3.25; 95%CI=1.02-10.3). CONCLUSIONS: Poorer mental health was associated with elevated cortisol levels in mothers and fathers. Maternal higher HCC was positively associated with preschoolers’ HCC and their higher risks of suspected developmental delay. We thus highlight the importance of early screening and health education programs during pregnancy for both mothers and fathers to reduce parental stress and the following risks of developmental delay in preschool-aged children. KEY MESSAGES: • Parental Hair cortisol may effectively reflect the association between mental health and physical stress. • Maternal higher HCC was associated with preschoolers’ higher HCC and higher risks of preschoolers’ suspected developmental delay.