Table 1.   Effects of Prenatal Corticosteroids Given to Women at Risk of Imminent Premature Delivery (based on data of Roberts et al.23) and Imminent Late-premature (≥34 weeks’ gestation) Delivery (based on data of Saccone and Berghella24)

Outcomes RR [95% CI]
Women at risk of preterm birth23*
 Perinatal death 0.72 [0.58 to 0.89]
 Neonatal death 0.69 [0.59 to 0.81]
 Respiratory distress syndrome 0.66 [0.56 to 0.77]
 Intraventricular hemorrhage 0.55 [0.40 to 0.76]
 Necrotizing enterocolitis 0.50 [0.32 to 0.78]
 Need for mechanical ventilation 0.68 [0.56 to 0.84]
 Systemic infections first 48 hours of life 0.60 [0.41 to 0.88]
 Bronchopulmonary dysplasia 0.86 [0.42 to 1.79]
 Chorioamnionitis 0.83 [0.66 to 1.06]
Antenatal steroids use in infants ≥34 weeks24†
 Respiratory distress syndrome 0.74 [0.61 to 0.91]
 Transient tachypnea of newborn 0.56 [0.37 to 0.86]
 Use of mechanical ventilation 0.52 [0.36 to 0.76]
 Neonatal hypoglycemia 1.61 [1.38 to 1.87]
 Length of stay in neonatal intensive care unit −7.64 days [−7.65 to −7.64]
*Overall: 30 studies (7,774 women and 8,158 infants).
†Overall: 6 randomized control trials (5,698 singleton pregnancies).
RMMJ Rambam Maimonides Medical Journal Rambam Health Care Campus 2018 July; 9(3): e0023. ISSN: 2076-9172
Published online 2018 July 30. doi: 10.5041/RMMJ.10344
Copyright: © 2018 Kugelman et al.