Document Detail


Effects of antenatal steroid therapy on mortality and morbidity in very low birth weight infants.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  2418190     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
A cohort of 678 consecutive very low birth weight infants, liveborn in one tertiary institution during a 63-month period, was studied to investigate whether antenatal steroid therapy had any beneficial or harmful effects on mortality or morbidity over the first 2 years of life. Comparing the 244 babies who received treatment with the 434 controls, 195 (79.9%) and 265 (61.1%), respectively, were discharged home (P less than 0.001). Mortality in the treated group remained substantially lower and was almost halved after adjustment for birth weight, extreme immaturity, lethal malformations, and confounding obstetric variables (P = 0.001). Fatal cases of respiratory distress syndrome were less common in the treated group (P = 0.044). Of in-hospital survivors, those in the treated group required less positive pressure respiratory support (P = 0.003) and fewer days in oxygen (P = 0.018), and the incidences of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (P = 0.003) and patent ductus arteriosus (P = 0.002) were lower. Two-year survivors who had received treatment were heavier (P = 0.016) and had larger head circumferences (P = 0.029). These beneficial associations in the treated group were not at the expense of increased rates of infection or adverse neurologic outcome. We did not detect any adverse effects of antenatal steroid therapy on any relevant aspect of mortality or morbidity in infancy under circumstances in which the chances of finding substantial differences were high.
Authors:
L W Doyle; W H Kitchen; G W Ford; A L Rickards; J V Lissenden; M M Ryan
Publication Detail:
Type:  Clinical Trial; Comparative Study; Journal Article    
Journal Detail:
Title:  The Journal of pediatrics     Volume:  108     ISSN:  0022-3476     ISO Abbreviation:  J. Pediatr.     Publication Date:  1986 Feb 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  1986-03-14     Completed Date:  1986-03-14     Revised Date:  2007-11-15    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  0375410     Medline TA:  J Pediatr     Country:  UNITED STATES    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  287-92     Citation Subset:  AIM; IM    
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Betamethasone / therapeutic use*
Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia / prevention & control
Central Nervous System Diseases / epidemiology
Child, Preschool
Clinical Trials as Topic
Developmental Disabilities / epidemiology
Ductus Arteriosus, Patent / prevention & control
Female
Fetal Organ Maturity
Follow-Up Studies
Humans
Infant
Infant, Low Birth Weight*
Infant, Newborn
Lung / embryology
Male
Pregnancy
Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Newborn / mortality,  prevention & control*
Time Factors
Chemical
Reg. No./Substance:
378-44-9/Betamethasone

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


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