Abstract
Objective We aimed to compare the rates of “surfactant treated respiratory disease” and other
neonatal morbidities among moderately preterm (MPT) infants exposed to no, partial,
or a complete course of antenatal corticosteroids (ANS).
Study Design This observational cohort study evaluated MPT infants (290/7–336/7 weeks' gestational age), born between January 2012 and November 2013 and enrolled
in the “MPT Registry” of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
Neonatal Research Network.
Results Data were available for 5,886 infants, including 676 with no exposure, 1225 with
partial, and 3,985 with a complete course of ANS. Among no, partial, and complete
ANS groups, respectively, there were significant differences in rates of delivery
room resuscitation (4.1, 1.4, and 1.2%), surfactant-treated respiratory disease (26.5,
26.3, and 20%), and severe intracranial hemorrhage (3, 2, and 0.8%). Complete ANS
course was associated with lower surfactant-treated respiratory disease, compared
with partial ANS (odds ratio [OR] 0.62; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.52–0.74), and
no ANS groups (OR 0.52; 95% CI 0.41–0.66) on adjusted analysis.
Conclusion In MPT infants, ANS exposure is associated with lower delivery room resuscitation,
surfactant-treated respiratory disease, and severe intracranial hemorrhage; with the
lowest frequency of morbidities associated with a complete course.
Keywords
antenatal steroids - surfactant - gestational age - intracranial hemorrhage - necrotizing
enterocolitis