Nursery World - A clue to fraught family relationships at the end of a nursery day

This week's columnist Robin Balbernie spots a clue to fraught family relationships at the end of a nursery day.

It is important for both workers in daycare settings and parents to know about cortisol.

Cortisol is a hormone that mobilises bodily resources in the face of immediate danger. There is a normal daily variation in cortisol, with high levels observed in the morning and low levels in the evening for young children. This may reflect the establishment of asleep and awake patterns.

It is normal for babies to get anxious and produce cortisol, especially in response to separation, but their ability to reduce the level before it causes problems varies. Over the first year of life children generally learn to dampen their cortisol response to stress, and this is linked to the quality of their care. Toddlers having an insecure relationship with their caregiver show elevated levels of cortisol when upset.

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