New research suggests steroid shots used to ward of preterm birth could put the baby at a higher risk of struggling with ADHD.
Mothers in danger of giving birth preterm are generally injected with glucocorticoids, which "mimics" the hormone cortisol, an Imperial College London news release reported.
Cortisol is essential in the baby's lung development late-term, the shot is used to help combat lung problems in preemies; but they could be putting the baby at risk for behavioral disorders.
In the past, researchers found a link between stress during pregnancy and behavioral problems in offspring down the road. The scientists believe this could be a result of increased cortisol production (which is released in times of stress).
"Synthetic glucocorticoids mimic the biological reaction when the mother is stressed, so we wanted to see if babies who were exposed to this treatment are affected similarly in terms of mental health outcomes," Alina Rodriguez, the senior author of the study, Visiting Professor at the School of Public Health at Imperial College London, said
The researcher looked at 37 children whose mothers had been treated with synthetic glucocorticoids before birth. They also examined 185 children who had been born early. The team included data from a study of 6079 children.
They found the children whose mothers had been treated with glucocorticoids had poorer scores on mental health tests between the ages of eight and 16 and were more likely to struggle with ADHD.
"This study suggests there may also be long-term risks for the child's mental health. Although this is the largest study so far to look at these risks, the number of children in our group who were exposed to glucocorticoids was still relatively small. More studies will be needed to confirm the findings," Rodriguez said.
"We would like to reassure parents that in light of all available evidence to date, the benefits of steroid treatment on immediate infant health and survival are well-established and outweigh any possible risk of long-term [behavioral] or emotional difficulties. Parents who are concerned that their child may be affected by [behavioral] or emotional difficulties should in the first instance contact their GP for advice," she said.
