Table 2

Summary of randomised controlled trial data on the effects of corticosteroids on death and/or BPD (including selected complications)

Intervention: corticosteroids	Outcome	N studies	N patients	Events	Control group	RR	95% CI
Early dexamethasone vs placebo28	Death/BPD	15	2481	538/1248	615/1233	0.87	0.80 to 0.94
	BPD	15	2484	247/1249	350/1235	0.70	0.61 to 0.81
	Severe ROP	8	1507	90/762	115/745	0.77	0.60 to 0.99
	GI perforation	9	1936	70/968	40/968	1.73	1.20 to 2.51
	Hypertension	10	1943	211/978	115/965	1.84	1.53 to 2.21
	Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy	1	50	13/25	3/25	4.33	1.40 to 13.37
	Cerebral palsy	7	921	75/472	40/449	1.75	1.20 to 2.55
Early hydrocortisone vs placebo2	Survival w/o BPD	1	523	153/256	136/267	1.48*	1.02 to 2.16
	BPD	1	523	55/256	70/267	0.82*	0.58 to 1.16
Late dexamethasone vs placebo32	Death/BPD	9	535	159/272	204/263	0.76	0.68 to 0.85
	BPD	9	535	128/272	166/263	0.76	0.66 to 0.88
	Severe ROP	12	558	93/285	65/273	1.38	1.07 to 1.79
	Hypertension	14	1175	58/588	29/587	2.12	1.45 to 3.10
	Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy	4	238	23/119	8/119	2.76	1.33 to 5.74
	Cerebral palsy	14	631	60/322	53/309	1.05	0.75 to 1.47
Early inhaled steroids vs placebo35	Death/BPD	6	1285	227/649	256/636	0.86	0.75 to 0.99
	BPD	7	1168	149/581	192/587	0.77	0.65 to 0.91
Inhaled steroids (<2 weeks) vs placebo36	Death/BPD	6	1285	227/649	256/636	0.86	0.77 to 0.99
	BPD	5	429	31/212	33/217	0.97	0.62 to 1.52
Inhaled budesonide vs placebo1 38	Death/BPD	1	863	175/437	194/419	0.86	0.75 to 1.00
	BPD	1	863	101/363	138/363	0.74	0.60 to 0.91
	Death	1	863	74/437	57/419	1.37	1.01 to 1.86
	Neurodevelopmental disability	1	629	148/308	165/321	0.93	0.80 to 1.09
Intratracheal budesonide+SF vs SF39	Death/BPD	1	265	55/131	89/134	0.58	0.44 to 0.77

↵*OR.
BPD, bronchopulmonary dysplasia; chorio, chorioamnionitis; GI, gastrointestinal; PDA, patent ductus arteriosus; ROP, retinopathy of prematurity; SF, surfactant.