Prenatal betamethasone exposure results in pituitary-adrenal hyporesponsiveness in adult sheep

Fetal exposure to synthetic glucocorticoids in sheep results in increased fetal hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) activity persisting to one year of age. We aimed to determine the effects of single or repeated maternal or fetal betamethasone injections on offspring HPA activity at 2 and 3 yr of age and whether changes in adrenal mediators of steroidogenesis contribute to changes in pituitary-adrenal function. Pregnant ewes or their fetuses …