Summary of characteristics for the participants and the children's demographics by treatment group
| N | Control | Betamethasone | Test statistic | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 190 | 217 | |||
| Age of mother recorded at randomization | ||||
| Range | 18.4–46.4 | 19.3–43.1 | ||
| Mean (SD) | 31.5 (5.0) | 32.3 (4.7) | t (405)=1.68 | 0.09 |
| Median (IQR) | 31.4 (28.2–34.5) | 32.3 (29.7–35.1) | ||
| Mother has asthma during pregnancy n (%) | 22 (12) | 17 (8) | χ2(1)=1.64 | 0.20 |
| Mother is a smoker n (%) | 37 (20) | 30 (14) | χ2(1)=2.35 | 0.13 |
| Emergency caesarean section n (%) | 9 (5) | 16 (7) | χ2(1)=1.22 | 0.27 |
| Gestational age (weeks) | ||||
| Range | 35.9–42.0 | 35.7–41.0 | ||
| Mean (SD) | 38.4 (1.0) | 38.5 (0.9) | t (405)=0.99 | 0.32 |
| Median (IQR) | 38.4 (38.0–39.0) | 38.6 (38.0–39.0) | ||
| Birth weight (kg) | ||||
| Range | 2.06–4.66 | 1.62–4.58 | ||
| Mean (SD) | 3.34 (0.49) | 3.27 (0.46) | t (403)=−1.55 | 0.12 |
| Median (IQR) | 3.38 (3.02–3.66) | 3.22 (2.99–3.58) | ||
| Gender of child n (%) | ||||
| Female | 100 (53) | 112 (52) | ||
| Male | 90 (47) | 105 (48) | χ2(1)=0.04 | 0.84 |
| Baby admitted to SCBU n (%) | 21 (11) | 8 (4) | χ2(1)=8.30 | <0.01* |
| Admitted to SCBU with respiratory distress n (%) | 17 (9) | 5 (2) | χ2(1)=8.74 | <0.01* |
| Centre n (%) | ||||
| Bradford | 65 (34) | 69 (32) | ||
| Glan Clwyd | 46 (24) | 55 (25) | ||
| Ipswich | 45 (24) | 57 (26) | ||
| Southmead | 34 (18) | 36 (17) | χ2(3)=0.60 | 0.90 |