Biomarkers of Early Stress Experiences in Cerebrospinal Fluid of Pregnant Women at the Time of Delivery

Biomarkers of Early Stress Experiences in Cerebrospinal Fluid of Pregnant Women at the Time of Delivery - CeBELS

Status

Active, not recruiting

Phases

Unknown

Study type

Observational

Source

DRKS

Registry ID

DRKS00038735

Enrollment

Registered

2025-12-19

Start date

2025-12-19

Completion date

Unknown

Last updated

2026-01-12

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

The study may already provide initial evidence of neurobiological mechanisms in the maternal brain that may underlie the intergenerational effects of early life stress experiences.

Interventions

Group 1: 1. General procedure This is a feasibility study in a population-based sample of 50 pregnant women with a planned delivery by cesarean section (primary cesarean) due to minor complications (

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

Female

Age

18 Years to No maximum

Inclusion criteria

Inclusion criteria: Inclusion criteria: a) Planned cesarean section (primary cesarean) due to personal preference or minor complications, i.e., cesarean section in a previous pregnancy, breech presentation, uncomplicated placenta previa b) Age = 18 years c) Sufficient proficiency in the German language d) Singleton pregnancy e) Gestational age = 37 weeks at delivery

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion criteria: Exclusion criteria: a) Current medication that markedly dysregulates the production or function of the measured parameters (e.g., steroids, non-steroidal analgesics/NSAIDs, tocolytics, antidepressants) b) Current diagnosed depressive episode c) Alcohol and substance abuse d) Diagnosed fetal anomalies or severe illness of the newborn

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame
Hypothesis: Early life stress experiences are associated with lower central (and peripheral) concentrations of oxytocin (OT) and higher concentrations of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and interleukin-8 (IL-8). Primary outcome parameters: • Concentrations of endocrine and immunological parameters (CRH, OT, IL-6, IL-8) at the time of delivery.	—

Secondary

Measure	Time frame
Secondary outcome parameters: • Depressive symptoms at the time of study enrollment and three months postpartum, measured using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) (Cox et al., 2014). • Maternal bonding quality at the time of study enrollment and three months postpartum, assessed using the Maternal Antenatal Attachment Scale (MAAS) and the Maternal Postnatal Attachment Scale (MPAS) (Condon, 1993; Condon & Corkindale, 1998; Wittich et al., 2009, 2010).	—

Measure

Time frame

Secondary outcome parameters: • Depressive symptoms at the time of study enrollment and three months postpartum, measured using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) (Cox et al., 2014). • Maternal bonding quality at the time of study enrollment and three months postpartum, assessed using the Maternal Antenatal Attachment Scale (MAAS) and the Maternal Postnatal Attachment Scale (MPAS) (Condon, 1993; Condon & Corkindale, 1998; Wittich et al., 2009, 2010).

—

Countries

Germany

Contacts

Public ContactClaudia Buß

Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin Institut für Medizinische Psychologie

claudia.buss@charite.de+49 30 450 529 224

Outcome results

None listed

Source: DRKS (via WHO ICTRP) · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026