The effects of antenatal steroid use in premature rupture of membranes.

We sought to determine if antepartum steroid treatment offers any clinical benefits to patients with premature rupture of membranes. One hundred and forty-five maternal-neonatal pairs were studied. Forty-five maternal-neonatal pairs with premature, preterm rupture of membranes received steroids during 24-35 weeks' gestation. One hundred maternal-neonatal pairs received no antenatal steroids. The 2 groups were identical with regard to gestational age at rupture of membranes, gravity, parity, race, fetal gender, socioeconomic status, smoking, and preterm labour risk factors. Study of the data revealed that maternal chorioamnionitis was less frequent in the steroid group (p < 0.001). Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (oxygen dependent at discharge at term gestational age) was less frequent in the steroid group (p < 0.05). The remainder of the data revealed no statistically significant differences in preterm delivery rate, necrotizing enterocolitis, respiratory distress syndrome, intraventricular haemorrhage rate or severity of haemorrhage, hospital days, latency to delivery, or ventilator days. Antepartum steroid use in preterm rupture of membranes appears to offer clinical benefit in premature infants by lessening the rate of bronchopulmonary dysplasia in those infants receiving antepartum steroids.