Stress physiology in neonates after nicotine exposure during pregnancy

Introduction: There is evidence that fetal nicotine exposure during pregnancy may have an influence on the development of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. We analyzed cortisol and cortisone stress response patterns in neonates from smoking mothers and controls. Methods: Saliva samples of 16 healthy nicotine exposed (5–30 cigarettes / day during the whole pregnancy) neonates >34 weeks of gestation were collected before and after a painful stress event at the 3rd day of life and analyzed for cortisol and cortisone levels. 40 healthy infants of non-smoking mothers served as controls. Results: Infant bi…