14 DAY TRIAL // Researchers from the Imperial College London (ICL), in the UK, and the University of Oulu, in Finland discovered in a new study that babies whose mothers were given steroid injections ahead of premature births are more likely to experience brain development impairment, as well as behavioral and emotional issues later on in life.
These injections, featuring glucocorticoids that mimic the actions of cortisol, are routinely given to mothers who are about to have a premature birth. These chemicals promote the development of the infant's lungs, ensuring that they will not have to spend too much time in incubators, PsychCentral reports.
However, high concentrations of glucocorticoids in infants may lead to symptoms pertaining to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) during childhood and early teen years. In the new study, children whose mothers received the shots showed poorer general mental health scores when analyzed at ages 8 and 16.
“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,” says ICL visiting professor and senior study author, Alina Rodriguez, PhD.