Letter to the editor March 09, 2022 March 09, 2022

Antenatal corticosteroids may contribute to illness in children in the future

DOI: 10.20945/2359-3997000000434

DEAR EDITOR,

Regarding recommendations for prenatal care for pregnant women at high risk of premature birth, the use of high betamethasone or dexamethasone doses has been recommended. The benefits to the fetus shortly after delivery are well defined, with reduction in neonatal mortality even in underdeveloped countries, without increasing maternal infection rates (). However, there is increasing evidence that high doses of these glucocorticoids can cause deleterious effects on the health of infants at other stages of life. The beneficial effects of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis on homeostasis of the fetus-mother interaction are well known but are not the scope of this letter.

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