Dose-related cardiac outcomes in response to postnatal dexamethasone treatment in premature lambs.

Background: Postnatal corticosteroids are used in the critical care of preterm infants for the prevention and treatment of bronchopulmonary dysplasia. We aimed to investigate the effects of early postnatal dexamethasone therapy and dose on cardiac maturation and morphology in preterm lambs.

Methods: Lambs were delivered prematurely at ~128 days of gestational age and managed postnatally according to best clinical practice.