Clinical characteristics of very low birthweight infants, one group of which received corticosteroid (n=19) and the other group did not (n=30)
| Corticosteroid group (n=19) | Non-treatment group (n=30) | |
|---|---|---|
| Where applicable, results are median (interquartile range). | ||
| *p<0.05, **p<0.001 compared with corticosteroid group. | ||
| Gestational age (weeks) | 27.8 (26.7–29.2) | 29.6 (29.1–31.1)** |
| Birth weight (g) | 1038 (884–1192) | 1146 (998–1364) |
| Male to female ratio (n) | 12 (63%) : 7 (37%) | 16 (53%) : 14 (47%) |
| Antenatal dexamethasone (doses) | 2 (2–4) | 2 (2–4) |
| Duration between the last dose of antenatal dexamethasone and delivery (h) | 55 (15–115) | 29 (9–68) |
| Mode of delivery: | ||
| Caesarean section : instrumental : normal | 9 (47%) : 0 (0%) : 10 (53%) | 23 (77%) : 1 (3%) : 6 (20%)* |
| Apgar scores | ||
| 1 min | 5.8 (4.0–7.3) | 6.5 (3.9–8.0) |
| 5 min | 9.0 (8.0–9.0) | 9.0 (7.0–10.0) |
| Age at start of postnatal dexamethasone treatment (days) | 25 (17–37) | – |
| Age at start of multivitaman preparation—Vimax (days) | 35 (25–53) | 37 (27–50) |
| Age at start of oral phosphate supplement (days) | 33 (25–54) | 35 (27–47) |
| Age at which full enteral feeding achieved (days) | 33 (25–53) | 38 (27–56) |
| Duration of mechanical ventilation (days) | 28 (13–59) | 7 (2–16)** |
| Duration of oxygen dependency (days) | 37 (22–63) | 8 (2 –24)** |
| Duration of hospital stay (days) | 103 (84–118) | 71 (58–100)** |
| Outcome | ||
| Alive : dead | 19 (100%) : 0 (0%) | 29 (97%) : 1 (3%) |