Prenatal exposure to prednisone in humans and animals retards intrauterine growth.
Prednisone treatment for infertility and subsequent pregnancy maintenance in humans resulted in a significant decrease in the birth weight of full-term infants and a marked increase in the percentage of newborn infants weighing 2500 grams or less, that is, "light for dates" in comparison to control offspring. A parallel experiment with mice indicated that the reduction of birth weight was caused by exposure to corticosteroids rather than to maternal disease or malfunction.
D000818:Animals; D001724:Birth Weight / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D011241:Prednisone / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000187:drug effects*
D011241:Prednisone