Sundararajan A, Vora K, Saiyed S, et al. - Pregnant women with highest circulatory-dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate (DHEA-S) levels and lowest salivary cortisol/DHEA-S ratio were consistently identified to be at increased risk of adverse birth outcomes (ABO).

• For normal pregnancy, cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate (DHEA-S) are indispensable hormones .

• Pregnant women with ABO show higher circulatory-DHEA-S levels than women with normal birth outcome (NBO).

• Significant increase in circulatory-DHEA-S levels was only observed among cases with stillbirth.

• Women with stillbirth and ABO outcome showed lower circulatory and salivary cortisol/DHEA-S ratio, respectively.

• Pregnant women with highest circulatory-DHEA-S levels and lowest circulatory cortisol/DHEA-S ratio were at increased risk of stillbirth outcome.