ArticlePediatric research2019
Adrenal function links to early postnatal growth and blood pressure at age 6 in children born extremely preterm.
Article in Pediatric research, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 14 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Who cites it
14 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 22 citations in OpenAlex.
- Kidney health outcomes in children born very prematurely compared to full-term counterparts: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Pediatric nephrology (Berlin, Germany) · 2026Pooled it
- Cortisol awakening response and developmental outcomes at 6-7 years in children born extremely preterm.Pediatric research · 2023Trial
- Early detection of kidney impairment in school-aged children born very preterm: a parallel use of traditional and modern biomarkers.Pediatric nephrology (Berlin, Germany) · 2026Article
- Differences in cortisol levels between preterm and term infants: a systematic review and meta-analysis combined with Mendelian randomization study.Frontiers in pediatrics · 2026Review
- A Cross-Lagged Panel Analysis of Cortisol Levels and Internalizing Behaviors in Children Born Very Preterm Across Early Childhood: Associations Differ for Boys and Girls at Age 1.5 Years.Developmental psychobiology · 2025Article
- The cortisol awakening response in very preterm born adults compared to term born adults.Journal of neuroendocrinology · 2025Article
- Preterm birth: A neuroinflammatory origin for metabolic diseases?Brain, behavior, & immunity - health · 2024Review
- Impact of postnatal steroids on peripheral avascular retina and severity of retinopathy of prematurity.Pediatric research · 2023Article
- Cortisol levels are related to neonatal pain exposure in children born very preterm at age 18 months in two independent cohorts.Paediatric & neonatal pain · 2023Article
- Overview of the neonatal research network: History, contributions, challenges, and future.Seminars in perinatology · 2022Review
- Early neurodevelopmental follow-up in the NICHD neonatal research network: Advancing neonatal care and outcomes, opportunities for the future.Seminars in perinatology · 2022Article
- The critical importance of follow-up to school age: Contributions of the NICHD Neonatal Research Network.Seminars in perinatology · 2022Article
- Saliva cortisol diurnal variation and stress responses in term and preterm infants.Archives of disease in childhood. Fetal and neonatal edition · 2022Article
- Adrenal Steroid Metabolism and Blood Pressure in 5- to 7-Year-Old Children Born Preterm as Compared to Peers Born at Term.Frontiers in pediatrics · 2021Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
14 authors at 9 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundLow birth weight in term-born individuals correlates with adverse cardiometabolic outcomes; excess glucocorticoid exposure has been linked to these relationships. We hypothesized that cortisol and adrenal androgens would correlate inversely with birthweight and directly with markers of cardiometabolic risk in school-aged children born extremely preterm; further, preterm-born would have increased cortisol and adrenal androgens compared to term-born children.
methodsSaliva samples were obtained at age 6 from 219 preterm-born children followed since birth and 40 term-born children and analyzed for dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and cortisol. Cortisol was also measured at home (awakening, 30' later, evening).
resultsFor preterm-born children, cortisol and DHEA correlated inversely with weight and length Z-scores at 36 weeks PMA and positively with systolic BP. DHEA was higher in preterm-born than term-born children (boys p < 0.01; girls p = 0.04). Cortisol was similar between preterm-born and term-born at study visit; however, preterm-born children showed a blunted morning cortisol. In term-born children, DHEA correlated with BMI (p = 0.04), subscapular, and abdominal skinfold thicknesses (both p < 0.01).
conclusionCortisol and DHEA correlated inversely with early postnatal growth and directly with systolic BP in extremely preterm-born children, suggesting perinatal programming. Blunted morning cortisol may reflect NICU stress, as seen after other adverse childhood experiences (ACEs).
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.