Behavioural, educational and respiratory outcomes of antenatal betamethasone for term caesarean section (ASTECS trial).

Objectives: To determine whether antenatal betamethasone prior to elective term caesarean section (CS) affects long term behavioural, cognitive or developmental outcome, and whether the risk of asthma or atopic disease is reduced.

Design: A questionnaire based follow-up of a multicentre randomised controlled trial (Antenatal Steroids for Term Elective Caesarean Section, BMJ 2005).

Setting: Four UK study centres from the original trial.