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TY - JOUR

T1 - Maternal serum cortisol levels during pregnancy differ by fetal sex

AU - Vrijkotte, T. G. M.

AU - de Rooij, S. R.

AU - Roseboom, T. J.

AU - Twickler, ThB

N1 - Funding Information: Financial support for the Amsterdam Born Children and their Development study was granted by the Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development (ZonMw), The Hague, the Public Health Service and Municipal Council of Amsterdam and the Academic Medical Centre. Dr ThB Twickler is financially supported by the Netherlands Association of Medical Science (NWO-ZonMW). Publisher Copyright: © 2022 The Authors

PY - 2023/3/1

Y1 - 2023/3/1

N2 - Background: Males and females have different patterns of fetal growth, resulting in different sizes at birth. Increased maternal cortisol levels in pregnancy negatively impact fetal growth. However, it is unknown whether sexual dimorphism displays differences in maternal cortisol levels already during early pregnancy and to what extent it explains sex differences in intra-uterine growth. The present cross-sectional study investigated whether fetal sex was associated with the level of maternal serum total cortisol in first half of pregnancy and its contribution to sex differences in fetal growth. Method: The study population comprised 3049 pregnant women from the Amsterdam Born Children and their Development (ABCD)–cohort). Total serum cortisol levels were determined during pregnancy. Multivariable linear regression was used to determine fetal sex differences in maternal cortisol levels and its association with sex differences in fetal growth measured as birth weight standardized for gestational age, parity and sex. Results: Maternal serum total cortisol increased during pregnancy from on average 390 ± 22 nmol/L (at 5th week) to 589 ± 15 nmol/L (at 20th week). Women carrying a female fetus had higher maternal total cortisol levels. This sex difference was not significant before the 11th week; at the 12th week the difference was 15 ± 7 nmol/L which increased to 45 ± 22 nmol/L at the 20th week (p-for-interaction=0.05). Maternal total cortisol levels were associated with birth weight (ß:−0.22;P < 0.001). However, sex differences in birth weight were not explained by related maternal total cortisol levels. Conclusion: The sexual dimorphic maternal serum total cortisol levels are apparent after the first trimester but do not explain the different patterns of fetal growth.

AB - Background: Males and females have different patterns of fetal growth, resulting in different sizes at birth. Increased maternal cortisol levels in pregnancy negatively impact fetal growth. However, it is unknown whether sexual dimorphism displays differences in maternal cortisol levels already during early pregnancy and to what extent it explains sex differences in intra-uterine growth. The present cross-sectional study investigated whether fetal sex was associated with the level of maternal serum total cortisol in first half of pregnancy and its contribution to sex differences in fetal growth. Method: The study population comprised 3049 pregnant women from the Amsterdam Born Children and their Development (ABCD)–cohort). Total serum cortisol levels were determined during pregnancy. Multivariable linear regression was used to determine fetal sex differences in maternal cortisol levels and its association with sex differences in fetal growth measured as birth weight standardized for gestational age, parity and sex. Results: Maternal serum total cortisol increased during pregnancy from on average 390 ± 22 nmol/L (at 5th week) to 589 ± 15 nmol/L (at 20th week). Women carrying a female fetus had higher maternal total cortisol levels. This sex difference was not significant before the 11th week; at the 12th week the difference was 15 ± 7 nmol/L which increased to 45 ± 22 nmol/L at the 20th week (p-for-interaction=0.05). Maternal total cortisol levels were associated with birth weight (ß:−0.22;P < 0.001). However, sex differences in birth weight were not explained by related maternal total cortisol levels. Conclusion: The sexual dimorphic maternal serum total cortisol levels are apparent after the first trimester but do not explain the different patterns of fetal growth.

KW - Birth weight

KW - Developmental programming

KW - Maternal cortisol

KW - Sex differences

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85144297624&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2022.105999

DO - 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2022.105999

M3 - Article

C2 - 36543024

VL - 149

JO - Psychoneuroendocrinology

JF - Psychoneuroendocrinology

SN - 0306-4530

M1 - 105999

ER -