"On the other hand," Tam says, "we did find that when hydrocortisone and dexamethasone were given after the child was born, this was associated with decreased growth of cerebellum. So by term age, the cerebellum was 10 percent smaller that it should have been."
The findings present doctors with a real quandary. The steroids are given because they help preemies’ breathing and blood circulation, which are obviously important. But the reduced cerebellum size was seen even in babies given very small doses of the glucocorticoids.
"Low doses of these drugs are not without risks. And when considering the different drug options, they should look at other options first."
Tam says her team plans to continue the study of these premature babies to see if those with smaller cerebellums are more likely to have any developmental issues as they grow up.
最新
2013-11-27
2013-11-27
2013-11-27
2013-11-27
2013-11-27
2013-11-27