| Intervention group (n = 68) | Control group (n = 74) | |
| No of babies | 68 | 74 |
| No of male infants | 39 | 40 |
| Mean gestation, weeks (SD) | 26 (1.5) | 26.2 (1.5) |
| Mean birth weight, g (SD) | 911 (224) | 914 (219) |
| Mean OFC at birth, cm (SD) | 24.5 (1.9) | 24.3 (1.9) |
| No of SGA babies | 11 | 13 |
| No of non-caesarean deliveries | 45 | 37 |
| No of singletons | 48 | 48 |
| Median CRIB II score | 10 | 10 |
| No who received antenatal steroids | 58 | 62 |
CRIB, clinical risk index for babies; OFC, occipitofrontal circumference; SGA, small for gestational age.