Antenatal corticosteroids (ACS) are an established therapy for pregnant women at risk of preterm birth. Researchers have found that babies given ACS had notably smaller volumes of two key brain regions, the bilateral amygdalae and caudate nuclei, which are essential for emotion processing and motor control, respectively.
Antenatal corticosteroids are an established therapy for pregnant women at risk of preterm birth. Researchers have found that babies given ACS had notably smaller volumes of two key brain regions, the bilateral amygdalae and caudate nuclei, which are essential for emotion processing and motor control, respectively. The findings suggest that doctors should adjust ACS use to reduce potential risks to brain development.
Dr. Kazuya Fuma and his team used clinical data of preterms at Nagoya University Hospital. Among the 59 babies studied, 46 were exposed to ACS before birth. They compared critical subcortical brain regions of those babies that had been exposed to ACS to those who had not. The brain regions included those important for emotions, memory, and motor control, such as the thalamus, hippocampus, amygdala, and caudate nucleus.
The study does not assert that ACS is harmful. Rather, its purpose is to better understand the effects of ACS. Though ACS aids preterm survival, it may subtly alter brain structure. Understanding this tradeoff is vital for balancing short- and long-term health. "In countries where ACS is well-established, the next challenge is optimization," Dr. Fuma said."We identified varying impacts of ACS on different neonatal complications, and it is likely that these effects depend on gestational age. Moving forward, we need to closely examine the risks and benefits of ACS administration at each gestational week, including long-term outcomes."
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