A Controlled Trial of Antepartum Glucocorticoid Treatment for Prevention of the Respiratory Distress Syndrome in Premature Infants
Sarah D. McDonald
Abstract
Abstract This first randomized controlled trial of antenatal corticosteroids allocated 287 pregnant people between 24 to 36 weeks’ gestation to receive 2 doses, 24 hours apart, of either: 12 mg betamethasone or identical-appearing 6 mg cortisone acetate (<2% the potency) as the control. Five categories of pregnant patients were included, the majority being the preterm labor group (n = 213, 76%; with 226 infants), of whom approximately 23% delivered <24 hours after entry into the trial, and presumably did not receive the second dose. The primary outcome, respiratory distress syndrome was experienced by 12/143 (8.4%) in the betamethasone group and 31/120 (25.8%) in the control group; hence reported on in 263 infants among at least 295 infants in the trial (89%). Perinatal death occurred in 16/153 (10.4%) and 25/126 (19.8%) in the betamethasone and control groups, respectively. The authors noted their encouraging preliminary evidence warranted further study, including corticosteroid dose.