Neonatal morbidity and growth in very low birth-weight infants after multiple courses of antenatal steroids.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the neonatal morbidity and the growth in very low birth-weight (VLBW) infants after exposure to multiple courses of antenatal steroids.

STUDY

DESIGN

A total of 319 VLBW infants were placed in one of the two groups based on exposure to antenatal steroids: Group 1: less than two complete courses; Group 2: two complete courses or more. Anthropometric measurements at birth and discharge and neonatal morbidity were recorded. Composite morbidity was defined as presence of any of the following: death, chronic lung disease, major intraventricular hemorrhage and periventricular leukomalacia.

RESULTS

The composite morbidity was not significantly different between the two groups (p=0.26). A significantly higher percentage of infants born after multiple courses of antenatal steroids had head circumference below 10th percentile at discharge (23 vs 9%, adjusted OR, 3.25, (95% CI, 1.4, 7.3); p=0.015).

CONCLUSIONS

Multiple courses of antenatal steroids may predispose VLBW infants to impairment of postnatal somatic growth without providing any additional benefit for immediate neonatal outcome.