Dataset Information

Prenatal exposure to glucocorticoids and the prevalence of overweight or obesity in childhood.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

Prenatal exposure to excess cortisol can affect postnatal metabolic health by epigenetic mechanisms. We aimed to investigate if prenatal exposure to pharmacological glucocorticoids increases the risk of overweight/obesity in childhood.

Design

A nationwide population registry-based cohort study.

Methods

We identified 383 877 children born in Denmark (2007-2012), who underwent routine anthropometric evaluation at 5-8 years of age. Prenatal exposure to glucocorticoids was divided into systemic and topical glucocorticoids, cumulative systemic dose, and use by trimester. The comparison cohort included children without exposure, born to maternal never-users. Negative control exposures were used to investigate confounding from an underlying disease or unmeasured characteristics. Such exposures included children without glucocorticoid exposure born to maternal users of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or immunotherapy during pregnancy, maternal former users of glucocorticoids, or paternal users of glucocorticoids during the pregnancy of their partner. We estimated sex-stratified adjusted prevalence ratios (aPR) of overweight/obesity at 5-8 years of age, as epigenetic modifications have shown to be sex-specific.

Results

In the study, 21 246 (11%) boys and 27 851 (15%) girls were overweight/obese at 5-8 years of age. Overall, neither systemic nor topical glucocorticoids were associated with overweight/obesity. In boys, high-dose systemic glucocorticoids was associated with higher prevalence of overweight/obesity vs the comparison cohort (aPR: 1.41 (95% CI: 1.07-1.86), prevalence: 16% vs 11%). Negative control exposures indicated robustness to confounding.

Conclusion

Overweight/obesity might be an adverse effect of prenatal exposure to high-dose systemic glucocorticoids in boys. We found no association for neither prenatal exposure to lower doses of systemic nor topical glucocorticoids. These results merit clinical attention.

SUBMITTER: Laugesen K

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8942335 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Prenatal exposure to glucocorticoids and the prevalence of overweight or obesity in childhood.

Laugesen Kristina K Sørensen Henrik Toft HT Jorgensen Jens Otto L JOL Petersen Irene I

European journal of endocrinology 20220222 4

<h4>Objective</h4>Prenatal exposure to excess cortisol can affect postnatal metabolic health by epigenetic mechanisms. We aimed to investigate if prenatal exposure to pharmacological glucocorticoids increases the risk of overweight/obesity in childhood.<h4>Design</h4>A nationwide population registry-based cohort study.<h4>Methods</h4>We identified 383 877 children born in Denmark (2007-2012), who underwent routine anthropometric evaluation at 5-8 years of age. Prenatal exposure to glucocorticoid ...[more]

PMID: 35104239

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Dataset Information

Prenatal exposure to glucocorticoids and the prevalence of overweight or obesity in childhood.

Objective

Design

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Publications

Prenatal exposure to glucocorticoids and the prevalence of overweight or obesity in childhood.

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