Antenatal Betamethasone: A Prolonged Time Interval from Administration to Delivery Is Associated with an Increased Incidence of Severe Intraventricular Hemorrhage in Infants Born before 28 Weeks Gestation

Abstract

To examine the effects of antenatal steroids on severe intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) in infants born during the IVH vulnerable period (<28 weeks gestational age) and to evaluate rates of IVH correlated with the time interval between treatment or retreatment and birth. A total of 429 infants (<28 weeks gestation), who delivered ≥24 hours after the first betamethasone (BMZ) course (2 doses), were divided into groups based on the interval between the first course of BMZ and delivery: <10 days or ≥10 days. The primary outcome was severe IVH. Multiple regression analyses were performed to adjust for potential confounders. Three hundred ninety-two infants delivered after a single BMZ course (312 delivered <10 days; 80 ≥10 days). The incidence of severe IVH was 17% for infants delivered ≥10 days and 7% for those delivered <10 days after a single BMZ course (aOR 4.16; 95% CI 1.59-10.87, P = .004); 37 infants (born ≥10 days from the first BMZ course) received a second/rescue BMZ course. The incidence of severe IVH among infants receiving a second/rescue course was 8%, which was similar to the incidence among infants born <10 days (aOR 1.7; 95% CI 0.41-6.6, P = .48). In infants born before 28 weeks gestation, delivery ≥10 days from the first BMZ course is associated with a higher incidence of severe IVH; a second/rescue course may reverse this effect.