Differences in hormonal responses to preoperative emotional stress between preschool and school children

Background: The behavior of children under emotional stress differs according to whether they are of preschool or school age. Methods: To examine the effect of age on hormonal responses to preoperative emotional stress, we measured the concentrations of catecholamines (adrenaline and noradrenaline) and cortisol in 56 healthy boys before surgery. Results: Among preschool boys (3-5 years old), those showing anxious behavior showed significantly higher cortisol, adrenaline, and noradrenaline concentrations in the blood circulation than those not showing such behavior (P<0.0001, P<0.0001 and P<0.005, respectively). However, among the schoolboys (6-11 years old), anxiety was associated only with the cortisol concentration (P<0.01) Conclusion: Hormonal responses to preoperative emotional stress in preschool boys differ from those in schoolboys. (C) Acta Anaesthesiologica Scandinavica 41 (1997).