Scientists at Odense University Hospital have found that high levels of the stress hormone cortisol during the third trimester of pregnancy can improve speech and language skills in a child’s first 3 years of life. The study was presented at the 25th European Congress of Endocrinologists in Istanbul.
Cortisol is a steroid hormone that helps the body respond to stress. In the womb, it also regulates the growth of the fetus and affects the development of its brain.
In the new study, researchers analyzed data on cortisol levels in 1,093 Danish women during the third trimester of pregnancy and the speech and language skills of their children aged 12 to 37 months. They found that boys exposed to high levels of cortisol in the womb were able to say more words between 12 and 37 months, while girls understood more words between 12 and 21 months.
The scientists now plan to assess whether children exposed to high levels of cortisol in the womb have higher intelligence quotient (IQ) scores at age 7.