Are fetal glucocorticoid-regulated pathways affected by inhaled corticosteroid use for asthma during pregnancy?
Maternal glucocorticoid-regulated systems appeared susceptible to ICS only when pregnant with a female. Fetal adrenal function appeared unaffected by ICS in pregnancies of both males and females. This provides clinically important information suggesting that ICS do not exert effects on glucocorticoid-regulated pathways in the fetus, and therefore are unlikely to contribute to adverse effects on fetal growth and development.
The present results suggest that pro-hepcidin is not associated with maternal or newborn iron homeostasis at term and birth, but may act in concert with the placenta, as evidenced by the correlation between maternal and fetal pro-hepcidin levels and their slight correlation with placental weight.