Impact of Antenatal Synthetic Glucocorticoid Exposure on Endocrine Stress Reactivity in Term-Born Children

Abstract

The present study provides the first evidence for long-lasting effects of antenatal synthetic GC exposure on HPA-axis reactivity in term-born children. These findings may bear important implications regarding the vulnerability for stress-related physical and psychiatric disorders, for which dysregulation of the HPA-axis has been discussed as a potential causal factor.