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Early deprivation and home basal cortisol levels: A study of internationally adopted children

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 April 2008

Darlene A. Kertes ,
Megan R. Gunnar ,
Nicole J. Madsen  and
Jeffrey D. Long
Darlene A. Kertes
Affiliation:
University of Minnesota
Megan R. Gunnar*
Affiliation:
University of Minnesota
Nicole J. Madsen
Affiliation:
University of Minnesota
Jeffrey D. Long
Affiliation:
University of Minnesota
*
Address correspondence and reprint requests to: Megan R. Gunnar, Institute of Child Development, 51 East River Road, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455; E-mail: [email protected].
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Abstract

Animal studies reveal that early deprivation impairs regulation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenocortical (HPA) axis, potentially increasing vulnerability to stressors throughout life. To examine early deprivation effects on basal HPA axis activity in humans, basal cortisol levels were examined in 164 internationally adopted children who had experienced varying degrees of preadoption deprivation. Duration of institutional care, age at adoption, and parent ratings of preadoption neglect indexed a latent factor of Deprived Care. Adoption measures of height and weight standardized to World Health Organisation norms indexed a latent factor of Growth Delay that was viewed as another reflection of deprivation. Cortisol samples were collected 3.3–11.6 years postadoption (Md = 7.3 years) at home on 3 days approximately 30 min after wakeup and before bedtime. Both early a.m. levels and the decrease in cortisol across the day were examined. A structural equation model revealed that preadoption Deprived Care predicted Growth Delay at adoption and Growth Delay predicted higher morning cortisol levels and a larger diurnal cortisol decrease.

Type
Research Article
Information
Development and Psychopathology , Volume 20 , Issue 2 , Spring 2008 , pp. 473 - 491
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2008

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Footnotes

This research was supported by a National Institute of Mental Health Grant (MH59848-03S1), a National Institute of Mental Health Senior Scientist Award MH66208 to Megan Gunnar, and a National Science Foundation Fellowship to Darlene Kertes. The authors thank the families who participated in this research. We also thank Margaret Bale and Elizabeth Steele for help in conducting the study, Maria Kroupina for guidance in calculating anthropometrics, Andrea Gierens for assaying cortisol, and members of the Minnesota International Adoption Project Team (D. Johnson, H. Grotevant, W. Hellerstedt, R. Lee, S. Iverson, and K. Dole) for their support of this work.

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