Steroids that induce lung maturation acutely affect higher cortical function: a fetal magnetoencephalography study.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate whether steroids that induce lung maturation have acute effects on higher cortical function in the human fetus.


METHODS
Cortical auditory-evoked responses (CAERs) were recorded from 10 singleton fetuses between 29 and 34 gestational weeks by fetal magnetoencephalography (fMEG) using transabdominal auditory stimulation prior to and within 3 hours after administering 2 × 12 mg of betamethasone, at an interval of 18 and 24 hours.


RESULTS
The components of the CAER complex were categorized according to their latency: P2pm (186 + 20 ms, 90%), N2pm (260 + 34 ms, 50%), P3pm (474 + 36, 50%). In almost all of these cases the peak latencies of the fetal P2pm (P = .042) and P3pm (P = .043) were delayed after exposure to betamethasone (Wilcoxon rank test). The trend was also observable in N2pm (P = .08).


CONCLUSIONS
Administration of betamethasone to expectant mothers was associated with acute change in higher cortical functions in the exposed fetuses. Implications regarding functional brain development need further evaluation.
Schneider
Uwe
U
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital, Friedrich Schiller University of Jena, Germany. Uwe.Schneider@med.uni-jena.de
Arnscheidt
Christian
C
Schwab
Matthias
M
Haueisen
Jens
J
Seewald
Hans Joachim
HJ
Schleussner
Ekkehard
E
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001623:Betamethasone / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000196:embryology* / Q000502:physiology; D000075202:Contraindications; D005072:Evoked Potentials, Auditory; D005260:Female; D005325:Fetal Organ Maturity; D005865:Gestational Age; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000196:embryology; D015225:Magnetoencephalography; D008297:Male; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange; D007752:Obstetric Labor, Premature; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome
D005938:Glucocorticoids; D001623:Betamethasone