Prophylactic Interventions in Neonatology: How Do They Fare in Real Life?

Abstract

Objective This study aims to evaluate the association of prophylactic antenatal steroids, indomethacin, and phototherapy with extremely preterm infant outcomes in a pragmatic setting.

Study Design Retrospective study of infants born at < 28 weeks gestation and admitted to 26 Canadian Neonatal Network neonatal intensive care units between 2010 and 2012. Mortality, severe neurological injury, retinopathy, necrotizing enterocolitis, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, nosocomial infection, and patent ductus arteriosus ligation rates were compared between infants who received antenatal steroids, prophylactic indomethacin, and/or prophylactic phototherapy and those who did not.

Results Of 3,465 eligible infants, 2,900 (84%) received antenatal steroids, 269 (8%) prophylactic indomethacin, and 403 (12%) prophylactic phototherapy. Associations were observed between antenatal steroids and mortality (adjusted odds ration [aOR] 0.47 [0.33–0.66]) and severe neurological injury (aOR 0.60 [0.46–0.77]), indomethacin and ductus arteriosus ligations (aOR 0.52 [0.31–0.87]), but not severe neurological injury (aOR 1.12 [0.81–1.54]), but phototherapy was not associated with any of the neonatal outcomes despite reductions in bilirubin.

Conclusion Antenatal steroids were associated with reduced mortality and neurological injury, prophylactic indomethacin was not associated with reduction in neurological injury and phototherapy was not associated with any improvement in neonatal outcomes. In a pragmatic setting, outside randomized controlled trials, the effectiveness and safety of prophylactic interventions in extremely preterm neonates vary; ongoing monitoring is warranted.

Keywords

infant - premature - steroids - indomethacin - phototherapy - prophylaxis - outcome

Contributor's Statement

 • Asaph Rolnitsky designed the study, interpreted the data, drafted and revised the article, and approved the final article as submitted.

 • Shoo K Lee critically reviewed the data analysis, revised the article, and approved the final article as submitted.

 • Bruno Piedbouf and Adele Harrison evaluated the statistical analyses, and reviewed and revised the article, and approved the final article as submitted.

 • Prakesh S Shah conceptualized the study, designed and supervised the data collection, critically reviewed the article and the analyses, and approved the final article as submitted.

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