Glucocorticoids and fetal programming part 1: outcomes

Glucocorticoids are necessary for normal development and are particularly important for maturation of the fetal brain, lungs and kidneysExposure of the fetus to excess glucocorticoids leads to long-term programming of the function of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis and the behaviour of the organismA number of similarities exist between outcomes identified in animal models and those emerging from human studiesProgramming of the HPA axis by glucocorticoids is dynamic and changes as a function of age; the effects are sex-specific and dependent on the stage of development at exposureThe effects of synthetic glucocorticoid exposure or maternal stress can manifest in offspring for multiple generations