Skip to main content

Antenatal Corticosteroids Do Not Negatively Impact Offspring

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on April 26, 2024.

By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter

FRIDAY, April 26, 2024 -- Administration of antenatal corticosteroids to persons at risk for late preterm delivery is not associated with adverse childhood neurodevelopmental outcomes at age 6 years or older, according to a study published online April 24 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Cynthia Gyamfi-Bannerman, M.D., from the University of California, San Diego, and colleagues evaluated whether administration of late preterm (34 to 36 completed weeks) corticosteroids (12 mg of intramuscular betamethasone administered twice 24 hours apart) to persons at risk for late preterm delivery affected childhood neurodevelopmental outcomes. The analysis included 949 children aged 6 years and older followed from birth as part of the Maternal-Fetal Medicine Units Network cycle.

The researchers found no differences in the primary outcome of a general conceptual ability score <85, which occurred in 17.1 percent of the betamethasone group versus 18.5 percent of the placebo group (adjusted relative risk, 0.94; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.73 to 1.22). Similarly, there no differences in secondary outcomes of gross motor skills, social responsiveness, or behavior.

"In this follow-up study of a randomized clinical trial, antenatal corticosteroids in persons at risk of late preterm delivery were not associated with adverse effects on childhood neurodevelopmental outcomes at age 6 years or older," the authors write. "These data provide reassurance with regard to the administration of antenatal corticosteroids in the late preterm period."

One author disclosed ties to the pharmaceutical industry.

Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)

Editorial (subscription or payment may be required)

Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Posted April 2024

Read this next

COVID-19 Vaccination Not Tied to Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes

TUESDAY, June 25, 2024 -- mRNA COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy is not associated with an increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes, according to a study published in the...

NT-proBNP, IL-1RL Can Identify High-Risk Congenital Heart Disease in Neonates

MONDAY, June 24, 2024 -- Automated quantitative tests for NT-proBNP and interleukin 1 receptor-like 1 (IL-1 RL1) can identify high-risk congenital heart disease (CHD) in newborns...

Maternal Distress Tied to Changes in Brain Growth of Offspring

FRIDAY, June 21, 2024 -- Regional neonatal brain volumes are associated with elevated maternal psychological distress, according to a study published online June 20 in JAMA...

More news resources

Subscribe to our newsletter

Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.