Figure 2

Maternal Hg and psychosocial stress exposure interact to influence maternal diurnal Cortisol profiles during pregnancy: time-varying interaction beta. The graph of the time-varying interaction beta shows a significant, negative interaction between Hg and psychosocial stress exposure during the first two hours of the day. Early morning differences in cortisol (during the first two hours following waking) result in flatter slopes among women exposed to greater psychosocial stress and Hg levels compared to women exposed to greater psychosocial stress but lower levels of Hg.