Cardiovascular Pharmacology: Open Access

Long-term postnatal steroid effect in very low birth weight infants

15^th International Conference on Pediatrics and Pediatric Cardiology

February 19-20, 2018 | Paris, France

YoungAh Youn

Seoul St Mary′s Hospital-The Catholic University of Korea, Republic of Korea

Scientific Tracks Abstracts: Cardiovasc Pharm Open Access

Abstract:

Since corticosteroids are broadly administered, particularly on neurological outcomes, remain a concern. Hypotension and shock within the first week of life for VLBWI are the first indications of circulatory collapse that might require treatment with steroids. Postnatal administration of dexamethasone in preterm infants has been adopted with caution due to its adverse long-term outcomes. Since 2012, our unit has only used hydrocortisone as an alternative to dexamethasone in an attempt to minimize negative long-term neurological outcomes. We examined whether hydrocortisone exposure �?�1 week in very low birth weight infants (VLBWI) was associated with poor neurodevelopmental outcomes at corrected 18 months. Of a total of 191 VLBWI, 115 (60.2%) infants were exposed to early postnatal hydrocortisone �?�1 week of life in our NICU of Seoul St. Mary�??s Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea between December 2012 and December 2014. The morbidities were significantly higher in the group with early hydrocortisone exposure group. At corrected age of 18 months, 183 (95.8%) infants in the early hydrocortisone exposure group had significantly lower scores in all three (cognitive, language and motor) composites of Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development III. The multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that periventricular leukomalacia (PVL) is consistently associated with poor longterm outcomes. Our results suggest that early hydrocortisone exposure �?�1 week in VLBWI may not increase the risk for poor longterm outcomes compared to those not exposed. Only PVL is considered as a risk factor for poor long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes..

Biography :

YoungAh Youn has completed her PhD in Pediatrics at 2012 from the Catholic Medical College at Seoul, South Korea. As a Neonatologist, she is working at Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) in Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital. She has earned many medical experiences on the care of extremely low birth weight infants and working as an active Member of Korean Neonatal Society. She has published more than 20 papers in reputed journals and has been serving as a Vice Chief of NICU which holds 50 intensive care beds.