Overnight deep body temperature and urinary cortisol excretion in infants from economically deprived areas

  1. M. P. Wailoo1,*,
  2. J. A. Westaway1,
  3. D. Joseph2,
  4. S. A. Petersen3,
  5. T. Davies2,
  6. J. R. Thompson4

Article first published online: 30 OCT 2003

DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-2214.2003.00367.x

Issue

Child: Care, Health and Development

Child: Care, Health and Development

Volume 29, Issue 6, pages 473–480, November 2003

Additional Information

How to Cite

Wailoo, M. P., Westaway, J. A., Joseph, D., Petersen, S. A., Davies, T. and Thompson, J. R. (2003), Overnight deep body temperature and urinary cortisol excretion in infants from economically deprived areas. Child: Care, Health and Development, 29: 473–480. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-2214.2003.00367.x

Author Information

  1. 1

    Department of Child Health, University of Leicester,

  2. 2

    Leicester Royal Infirmary,

  3. 3

    Department of Medical Education, University of Leicester,

  4. 4

    Department of Ophthalmology, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK

*Dr Michael P Wailoo, Department of Child Health, University of Leicester, Faculty of Medicine and Biological Sciences, Leicester Royal Infirmary, PO Box 65, Leicester LE2 7LX, UK E-mail: mw33@le.ac.uk

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 30 OCT 2003
  2. Article first published online: 30 OCT 2003
  3. Accepted for publication 23 July 2003

SEARCH

SEARCH BY CITATION

ARTICLE TOOLS

View Full Article (HTML) Get PDF (175K)

Keywords:

  • deprived infants;
  • physiological development;
  • sleeping body temperature

Abstract

Objectives  To assess the pattern of postnatal physiological maturation in economically deprived infants by measuring the age-related changes in deep body temperature during night-time sleep.

Setting  Inner city Leicester, UK.

Participants  Forty-eight infants aged 6–21 weeks from economically deprived areas and 87 control infants from more affluent areas.

Outcome measures  Average deep body temperature between 2 and 4 h after bedtime, overnight and early morning urinary cortisol excretion.

Results  Both groups showed a decline in overnight deep body temperature with age that averaged 0.030°C per week (SE = 0.003). Over the age range studied, the average age-adjusted overnight temperature in the infants from deprived homes was 0.090°C (SE = 0.028) higher than that for the affluent group (P = 0.001). Deprived infants had on average 51% higher overnight urinary cortisol and 80% higher morning cortisol. The differences remained when the effects of room temperature, clothing, smoking, birthweight and gestational age were taken into account.

Conclusion  These indicators of postnatal physiological maturation suggest that infants from economically deprived homes mature less quickly. This might increase their vulnerability to illness.

View Full Article (HTML) Get PDF (175K)