PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - O M Peltoniemi
AU  - M A Kari
AU  - A Lano
AU  - A Yliherva
AU  - R Puosi
AU  - L Lehtonen
AU  - O Tammela
AU  - M Hallman
TI  - Two-year follow-up of a randomised trial with repeated antenatal betamethasone
AID  - 10.1136/adc.2008.150250
DP  - 2009 Nov 01
TA  - Archives of Disease in Childhood - Fetal and Neonatal Edition
PG  - F402--F406
VI  - 94
IP  - 6
4099  - http://fn.bmj.com/content/94/6/F402.short
4100  - http://fn.bmj.com/content/94/6/F402.full
SO  - Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed2009 Nov 01; 94
AB  - Background: Weekly repeated antenatal corticosteroid treatment improves respiratory outcome but decreases fetal growth and may impair neurodevelopmental outcome. We have previously reported that a single repeat betamethasone (BM) dose neither decreased fetal growth nor improved the outcome of preterm infants during the first hospitalisation.Objective: To study prospectively whether a single repeat dose of BM influences neurodevelopment and growth within 2 years.Design: Women with imminent delivery before 34.0 gestational weeks were eligible if they remained undelivered for >7 days after a single course of antenatal BM. After stratification, a single repeat dose of BM (12 mg) or placebo was given. The children underwent neurological and psychometric examinations and a speech evaluation at a corrected age of 2 years.Setting: Prospective, blinded evaluation following the randomised multicentre trial.Patients: 259 (82%) surviving infants completed the 2-year follow-up, 120 in the BM group and 139 in the placebo group.Results: The rate of survival without severe neurodevelopmental impairment was similar in both groups (BM 98%, placebo 99%). The risk of cerebral palsy (BM 2%, placebo 1%), growth or re-hospitalisation rates (BM 60%, placebo 50%) did not differ between the groups.Conclusions: A single repeat dose of antenatal BM tended not to influence physical growth or neurodevelopment at 2 years of age.