Stress response in neonates born small for gestational age

Introduction: In adults born small for gestational age (SGA), the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity as stress regulating system is altered and therefore is considered to be involved in the concept of fetal programming of diseases in later life. We analyzed cortisol and cortisone stress response patterns in SGA neonates (34 weeks of gestation were collected before and after the heel prick test at the 3rd day of life and analyzed for cortisol and cortisone levels. Results: In AGA children (n=34), cortisol and cortisone levels significantly increased 20 minutes after stress induction. In contrast, s…