Maternal cortisol levels are significantly (r=.60) correlated with fetal levels, although
the fetal concentrations are lower (Gitau,Cameron, Fisk, & Glover, 1998). A report based on a small sample (n=17) found that higher maternal cortisol levels late in gestation corresponded to observational measures of child fussiness and negativity in the first months of life (deWeerth, van Hees,& Buitelaar, 2003).