Balancing Act: Excess steroids during pregnancy may pose risks for offspring
By Nathan Seppa
A baby born prematurely risks having underdeveloped lungs that leave the newborn vulnerable to serious health problems. For that reason, a pregnant woman who shows signs of delivering very early often receives steroid hormones, which speed her fetus’ lung maturation. Physicians have debated the appropriate dose of the steroid medication.
Now, researchers working with monkeys report that large doses of one of the steroids often given to pregnant women can have deleterious effects on offspring.