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BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth
Published in: BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth 1/2002

Open Access 01-12-2002 | Research article

Pregnant women become insensitive to cold stress

Authors: Martin Kammerer, Diana Adams, Brida von Castelberg, Vivette Glover

Published in: BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth | Issue 1/2002

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Abstract

Background

The function of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is known to be altered during pregnancy, but it has not been tested with a natural stressor.

Methods

A group of pregnant women (n = 10) were tested towards the end of pregnancy (mean 36.8 ± 2.5 weeks gestation) and about 8 weeks postpartum (mean 7.8 ± 1.5 weeks), together with a matched control group, with a one minute cold hand stressor test. Saliva samples were collected before and 10 and 20 minutes after the test, and stored for later radioimmunoassay of cortisol.

Results

The control group showed a highly significant response to the test. The pregnant group showed no response, and the postpartum group a variable but non significant one

Conclusions

This shows that the HPA axis becomes hypofunctional to a natural stressor at the end of pregnancy. It is suggested that one possible evolutionary function for this is to protect the fetus from the stress responses of the mother.
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Metadata
Title
Pregnant women become insensitive to cold stress
Authors
Martin Kammerer
Diana Adams
Brida von Castelberg
Vivette Glover
Publication date
01-12-2002
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth / Issue 1/2002
Electronic ISSN: 1471-2393
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2393-2-8

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