Nina Alexander1, Franziska Rosenlöcher1, Lucia Dettenborn1, Tobias Stalder1, Julia Linke1, Wolfgang Distler1, Joachim Morgner1, Robert Miller1, Matthias Kliegel1, Clemens Kirschbaum1. 1. Department of Psychology (N.A.), Faculty of Human Sciences, Medical School Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany; Department of Psychology (N.A., F.R., T.S., R.M., C.K.), Faculty of Science, Technische Universität Dresden, Germany; Department of Medical Psychology (L.D.), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany; Department of Neuropsychology and Clinical Psychology (J.L.), Psychological Institute, Johannes-Gutenberg University of Mainz, Germany; Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics (W.D.), Medical Center, Technische Universität Dresden, Germany; Dresden Neustadt Hospital (J.M.), Germany; Department of Psychology (M.K.), Cognitive Aging Lab, University of Geneva, Switzerland.
Abstract
CONTEXT: Women at risk of preterm delivery are routinely treated with synthetic glucocorticoids (sGCs). Although this therapy substantially reduces neonatal morbidity, concerns remain whether sGC excess may disrupt neurodevelopmental trajectories underlying cognitive functioning. OBJECTIVE: The present study is the first to disentangle direct effects of antenatal sGC treatment on possible long-term cognitive disadvantages from those of pregnancy complications and prematurity. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This cross-sectional study included a mixed-sex cohort of 222 term-born children (aged 6-11 years) consisting of three groups: children of mothers admitted to hospital for threatening preterm delivery who had been treated (n = 97) or untreated (n = 36) with sGCs, and controls without pregnancy complications (n = 89). INTERVENTION: Antenatal sGC treatment consisted of single courses with dexamethasone or betamethasone. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Psychometric intelligence was assessed using a German adaption of Cattell's Culture Fair Test. RESULTS: Children born to mothers at risk for preterm delivery scored, on average, 6-7 IQ points below children of mothers without pregnancy complications, irrespective of antenatal sGC treatment. Compared to females, boys were found to be more susceptible to cognitive disadvantages associated with maternal risk for preterm delivery. CONCLUSIONS: Our data indicate that conditions related to a threatening preterm delivery rather than antenatal sGC treatment per se are associated with long-term decreases in the child's intelligence. Although these findings imply that a single course of sGC therapy does not aggravate long-term cognitive deficits, they highlight the need for interventions to reduce the detrimental consequences of distress induced by a threatening preterm delivery.
CONTEXT: Women at risk of preterm delivery are routinely treated with synthetic glucocorticoids (sGCs). Although this therapy substantially reduces neonatal morbidity, concerns remain whether sGC excess may disrupt neurodevelopmental trajectories underlying cognitive functioning. OBJECTIVE: The present study is the first to disentangle direct effects of antenatal sGC treatment on possible long-term cognitive disadvantages from those of pregnancy complications and prematurity. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This cross-sectional study included a mixed-sex cohort of 222 term-born children (aged 6-11 years) consisting of three groups: children of mothers admitted to hospital for threatening preterm delivery who had been treated (n = 97) or untreated (n = 36) with sGCs, and controls without pregnancy complications (n = 89). INTERVENTION: Antenatal sGC treatment consisted of single courses with dexamethasone or betamethasone. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Psychometric intelligence was assessed using a German adaption of Cattell's Culture Fair Test. RESULTS:Children born to mothers at risk for preterm delivery scored, on average, 6-7 IQ points below children of mothers without pregnancy complications, irrespective of antenatal sGC treatment. Compared to females, boys were found to be more susceptible to cognitive disadvantages associated with maternal risk for preterm delivery. CONCLUSIONS: Our data indicate that conditions related to a threatening preterm delivery rather than antenatal sGC treatment per se are associated with long-term decreases in the child's intelligence. Although these findings imply that a single course of sGC therapy does not aggravate long-term cognitive deficits, they highlight the need for interventions to reduce the detrimental consequences of distress induced by a threatening preterm delivery.
Authors: Anna Gieras; Christina Gehbauer; David Perna-Barrull; Jan Broder Engler; Ines Diepenbruck; Laura Glau; Simon A Joosse; Nora Kersten; Stefanie Klinge; Hans-Willi Mittrücker; Manuel A Friese; Marta Vives-Pi; Eva Tolosa Journal: Front Immunol Date: 2017-11-13 Impact factor: 7.561
Authors: David Perna-Barrull; Anna Gieras; Silvia Rodriguez-Fernandez; Eva Tolosa; Marta Vives-Pi Journal: Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) Date: 2020-08-11 Impact factor: 5.555