Antenatal betamethasone treatment has a persisting influence on infant HPA axis regulation.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the consequences of antenatal betamethasone (AB) exposure on postnatal stress regulation.


METHODS
Fourteen AB exposed infants born at 28-30 weeks' gestation were assessed in the NICU during postnatal week 1 and at 34 weeks postconception. Nine infants born at 34 weeks gestation without AB treatment were evaluated as a postconceptional age comparison group. Salivary cortisol, heart rate, and behavior were measured at baseline and in response to a heelstick blood draw.


RESULTS
Repeated measures ANOVAs revealed that both groups displayed an increase in heart rate and behavioral distress in response to the stressor. The cortisol response, however, was blunted in AB-treated infants at both assessments.


CONCLUSIONS
AB treatment has consequences for hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis regulation that persist for at least four to six weeks after birth, indicating that studies of long-term effects are warranted.
Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California, Irvine, CA 92868, USA. edavis@uci.edu
E P
EP
Davis
E L
EL
Townsend
M R
MR
Gunnar
S F
SF
Guiang
R C
RC
Lussky
R F
RF
Cifuentes
M K
MK
Georgieff
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001034:Apgar Score; D001623:Betamethasone / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005865:Gestational Age; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000378:metabolism; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal; D008297:Male; D010912:Pituitary-Adrenal Function Tests; D010913:Pituitary-Adrenal System / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D012016:Reference Values; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D013997:Time Factors
D001623:Betamethasone; D006854:Hydrocortisone