Programming of the Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis by Very Preterm Birth
- Finken, Martijn J.J.
- Van Der Voorn, Bibian
- Hollanders, Jonneke J.
- Ruys, Charlotte A.
- De Waard, Marita
- Van Goudoever, Johannes B.
- Rotteveel, Joost
DOIAbstract
Background: Many very preterm (i.e., <32 weeks of gestation) newborns fail to mount an adequate adrenocortical response to stress or illness, termed relative adrenal insufficiency. Conversely, later in life these infants show features of increased glucocorticoid bioactivity, such as abdominal adiposity, insulin resistance, raised blood pressure, shorter stature and internalizing problem behavior. Summary: Studies suggested that very preterm newborns have impairments along multiple levels of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Among the impairment were defects in: (1) the pituitary responsiveness to exogenous corticotropin-releasing hormone, (2) 11β-hydroxylase activity, and (3) the interconversion between cortisol and inert corti...
Add to ORKG