Antenatal Corticosteroids to Asian Women Prior to Elective Cesarean Section at Early Term and Effects on Neonatal Respiratory Outcomes.

Unlabelled: This exploratory study aimed to evaluate the effects of antenatal corticosteroids in singleton pregnancies of Asian women prior to elective cesarean section (CS) at early term on neonatal respiratory outcomes.

Methods: This is a pilot and pragmatic randomized trial conducted at a university hospital in Malaysia. Women with singleton pregnancies planned for elective CS between 37 and 38 weeks gestation were randomly allocated into the intervention group, where they received two doses of IM dexamethasone 12 mg of 12 h apart, 24 h prior to surgery OR into the standard care, control group, and both groups received the normal routine antenatal care.