Lower cortisol levels in children with asthma exposed to recurrent maternal distress from birth.

Background: Existing evidence supports associations between exposure to maternal distress and the development of childhood asthma, between exposure to maternal distress and an increased cortisol response in children, and between childhood asthma and an attenuated cortisol response.

Objective: To investigate the association between children's cortisol levels and the combined predictors of exposure to maternal distress and childhood asthma.

Methods: Serum cortisol levels were examined at age 7 to 10 years in relation to asthma status and exposure to maternal distress in a representative sample of children (n = 503) born in 1995.