Early life stress and mental disorder: the impact of early maternal deprivation at children development and stress response system

• Grant number: 05/00006-2
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: December 01, 2005
• End date: December 31, 2008
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine - Psychiatry
• Principal Investigator: Marcelo Feijó de Mello
• Grantee: Marcelo Feijó de Mello
• Host Institution: Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM). Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Campus São Paulo. São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

In this project we will try to reproduce findings from pre-clinical studies that had found alterations of HPA axis, and worse adaptation to stressful situations in adult animals which were separated from their mothers after birth. Also, from the preclinical studies that showed the opposite results when they had nurturing and good maternal care early in their lives. We use as paradigm the premature birth, when the children are separate from their mother to receive support from life. We will compare these children with those pre terms who had been treated by kangaroo's method, when they remain in next contact with its mother or substitute mother. We will evaluate neuropsychological measures, the quality of the relation mother-child, measures of health and development and measures of salivary cortisol of both groups The preterm children, 1 to 2-years old, treated with kangaroo's method will be selected at the department of neonatology of the Hospital of the Servidor Público Estadual, and premature children, treated with the traditional method, will be selected at the department of neonatology of the Santa Casa SP. They will be submitted to 3 interviews for evaluation. Salivary Cortisol will be analyzed at department of psychobiology from Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). (AU)