Single course of antenatal steroids did not alter cortisol in preterm infants up to 18 months

To determine whether a single course of antenatal dexamethasone alters resting cortisol at 3, 8 and 18 months corrected age in preterm infants.

Declining cognitive development from 8 to 18 months in preterm children predicts persisting higher parenting stress

Higher parenting stress in mothers of children born very preterm may be in part a response to poorer neurobehavioral development, reflecting realistic concerns in addition to adaptation to the trauma of preterm delivery. To our knowledge, there are few longitudinal studies of parenting stress that have addressed child cognitive competence.

Cortisol levels in relation to maternal interaction and child internalizing behavior in preterm and full-term children at 18 months corrected age

Cortisol levels were compared in children born preterm at extremely low gestational age (ELGA; 24-28 weeks), very low gestational age (VGLA; 29-32 weeks), and full-term in response to cognitive assessment at 18 months corrected age (CA). Further, we investigated the relationship between maternal interactive behaviors and child internalizing behaviors (rated by the mother) in relation to child cortisol levels. EGLA children had higher "pretest" cortisol levels and a different pattern of cortisol response to cognitive assessment compared to VGLA and full-terms. Higher cortisol levels in ELGA, but not full-term, children were associated with less optimal mother interactive behavior. Moreover, the pattern of cortisol change was related to internalizing behaviors among ELGA, and to a lesser degree VLGA children. In conclusion, our findings suggest altered programming of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis in preterm children, as well as their greater sensitivity to environmental context such as maternal interactive behavior.