THE IMPLICATIONS OF STRESS ON CORTISOL LEVELS OF BREASTFEEDING MOTHERS & INFANT TEMPERAMENT: A SYSTEMATIZED REVIEW

Abstract

Despite the numerous benefits of breastfeeding, implications of high stress (often influenced by socioeconomic factors, geographical location, access to resources, etc;) can heavily impact cortisol levels. Higher rates of cortisol can be passed from the mother to the infant through the breastmilk which may potentially lead to changes in infant temperament and development. To assess the effects of high rates of cortisol in breastfeeding mothers and its outcomes on infant temperament. PRISMA-guided systematized review was conducted in order to find linkages between high rates of cortisol in the breastmilk to negative infant behavior such as increased irritability, fussiness, etc; Subject headings and keywords used to search for synonyms of ‘cortisol’, ‘milk’, ‘human’, and ‘stress’ were found in all relevant articles from databases: PUBMED, ScienceDirect, and GoogleScholar were utilized. Eight studies met the criteria for inclusion. Each of the included studies revealed results that expressed a positive correlation between high levels of cortisol in the breastmilk, associated with negative infant sensitivity/temperament. A common pattern correlating high rates of stress in breastfeeding mothers to negative dispositions within the infants throughout the reviewed studies, reveals that there is an issue. More studies will need to be conducted in order to develop concise preventative measures in lowering cortisol levels in mothers, prior to/and while during the gestation period in order to minimize the long-term potential effects and implications that can occur.