Comparison of single and double courses of antenatal corticosteroid administration on neonatal mortality and morbidity.

Objective: We aimed to evaluate the effects of single and double courses of antenatal corticosteroid administration on neonatal mortality and morbidity.

Materials And Methods: 232 preterm babies delivered between 01. April 2007 and 31. March 2008 with gestational ages of 26-34 weeks were evaluated prospectively. Infants were divided into three groups. The first group did not receive any antenatal betamethasone therapy. The second group received single (two doses of 12 mg betamethasone administered at 24 hour intervals) and the third group received double (repeated course after one week) courses of betamethasone therapy.

Results: 156 (67.2%) infants received at least one dose of corticosteroid treatment whereas 76 (37.8%) did not. Of 156 infants who had received antenatal betamethasone, 36 (23.1%) developed respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), while the incidence of RDS was 35.5% in 76 preterms who received no antenatal betamethasone (27/76) (p<0.05). When single and double courses of bethamethasone administration were compared, 20 (24.7%) infants with single course and 16 (21.3%) infants with two course developed RDS (p>0.05).

Conclusion: When single and two courses of antenatal steroid therapy were compared, there was no statistically significant difference between groups regarding the incidence of RDS and mechanical ventilator treatment.