Observational studyActa obstetricia et gynecologica Scandinavica2022
Association between antenatal glucocorticoid exposure and the activity of the stress system, cognition, and behavior in 8- to 9-year-old children: A prospective observational study.
Observational study in Acta obstetricia et gynecologica Scandinavica, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers.
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Who cites it
12 citing papers in PubMed, 17 citations in OpenAlex.
- Antenatal Corticosteroids: Short-Term Gains, Long-Term Questions-A Meta-Analysis.Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- The timing of antenatal glucocorticoids determines the receptor sensitivity in preterm infants.The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism · 2026Article
- Fetal Cortisol Exposure and Offspring Socioemotional Development.Developmental psychobiology · 2026Article
- Multiple Sclerosis Relapse Treatment During Pregnancy and Offspring Functional and Structural Neurodevelopment: A Cross-Sectional Study.Neurology · 2025Observational
- Perinatal Treatment with Corticosteroids and Its Relation with Neurodevelopment in Premature Newborns: A Systematic Review of the Literature.Turkish archives of pediatrics · 2025Article
- Association between prenatal glucocorticoid exposure and adolescent neurodevelopment: An observational follow-up study.Acta obstetricia et gynecologica Scandinavica · 2024Observational
- Dissecting the networks underlying diverse brain disorders after prenatal glucocorticoid overexposure.Archives of toxicology · 2024Review
- Preterm birth: A neuroinflammatory origin for metabolic diseases?Brain, behavior, & immunity - health · 2024Review
- Impact of corticosteroid exposure on preterm labor in neonates eventually born at term.Journal of perinatology : official journal of the California Perinatal Association · 2024Article
- An update on the long-term outcomes of prenatal dexamethasone treatment in congenital adrenal hyperplasia.Endocrine connections · 2023Review
- Association between antenatal glucocorticoid exposure and the activity of the stress system, cognition, and behavior in 8- to 9-year-old children: A prospective observational study.Acta obstetricia et gynecologica Scandinavica · 2022Observational
- Protocol for a Cross-Sectional Study: Effects of a Multiple Sclerosis Relapse Therapy With Methylprednisolone on Offspring Neurocognitive Development and Behavior (MS-Children).Frontiers in neurology · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
12 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionGlucocorticoid (GC) -induced fetal programming of the activity of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPAA) and its associated cognitive and behavioral consequences in later life have been well characterized in several animal species. However, information on humans is scarce. In this study, we examined HPAA activity markers and associated outcomes at 8 to 9 years of age among children prenatally exposed to GC for suspected preterm birth. Our hypothesis was that antenatal exposure to the betamethasone (BM) is associated with exacerbation of HPAA activity in childhood. MATERIAL AND
methodsProspective observational study in 31 children whose mothers received single (n = 19) or multiple (n = 12) courses of BM for threatened preterm birth but born with normal weight appropriate for the gestational age (median 37+
resultsThere was no statistically significant difference in HPAA activity markers between antenatal BM exposed and unexposed groups. ANS activity in BM-exposed children shifted towards a higher parasympathetic tone reflected by a higher overall high-frequency band power of heart rate variability. IQ scores were within normal limits for both groups; however, BM-exposed children had lower IQ scores than the unexposed group. BM-exposed group had marginally more ADHD core symptoms and increased electrocortical activity in the occipital brain region compared with controls. A monotonic dose-response relation between BM exposure and activity of the ANS and IQ was estimated in post-hoc analyses.
conclusionsAntenatal exposure to BM in the context of threatened preterm birth was not associated with changes in HPAA activity in childhood. However, BM exposure may be associated with changes in ANS activity. Antenatal GC prophylaxis is a valuable and often life-saving therapy, but its prescription may warrant a well-balanced risk-benefit assessment.
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