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Antenatal corticosteroid administration is associated with decreased growth of the fetal thymus: a prospective cohort
Claire A Jones1,2, Rosane Nisenbaum3,4, Leanne R De Souza5
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Objective:
To examine the effect of antenatal corticosteroid administration (ACS) on fetal thymus growth in women who received ACS compared with gestational-age-matched controls.
Study Design:
Fetal thymus size and growth were measured in women at risk for preterm delivery who received ACS and compared with a matched cohort of women who were at low risk for preterm delivery and did not receive ACS. Fetal thymus perimeter and diameter were measured by 2-D ultrasound at baseline and every 2 weeks until delivery.
Results:
After adjusting for confounders, ACS exposure was associated with a significant reduction in thymus perimeter size (-0.70; 95% CI: -1.33, -0.07; P = 0.03). For every additional week of exposure, thymus growth trajectory was significantly decreased in ACS-exposed fetuses (P = 0.04).
Conclusion:
The association between ACS and reduced fetal thymus growth should be further examined to establish the impact of ACS on childhood thymus development and immune programming.
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