Antenatal Corticosteroid Prophylaxis at Late Preterm Gestation: Clinical Guidelines Versus Clinical Practice

Abstract

ObjectiveWe investigated how the Antenatal Late Preterm Steroids (ALPS) trial findings have been translated into clinical practice in Canada and the United States (U.S.). MethodsThe study included all live births in Nova Scotia, Canada, and the U.S. from 2007 to 2020. Antenatal corticosteroids (ACS) administration within specific categories of gestational age was assessed by calculating rates per 100 live births, and temporal changes were quantified using odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Temporal trends in optimal and suboptimal ACS use were also assessed. ResultsIn Nova Scotia, the rate of any ACS administration increased significantly among women delivering at 350 to 366 weeks, from 15.2% in 2007–2016 to 19.6% in 2017–2020 (OR 1.36, 95% CI 1.14–1.62). Overall, the U.S. rates were lower than the rates in Nova Scotia. In the U.S., rates of any ACS administration increased significantly across all gestational age categories: among live births at 350 to 366 weeks gestation, any ACS use increased from 4.1% in 2007–2016 to 18.5% in 2017–2020 (OR 5.33, 95% CI 5.28–5.38). Among infants between 240 and 346 weeks gestation in Nova Scotia, 32% received optimally timed ACS, while 47% received ACS with suboptimal timing. Of the women who received ACS in 2020, 34% in Canada and 20% in the U.S. delivered at ≥37 weeks. ConclusionPublication of the ALPS trial resulted in increased ACS administration at late preterm gestation in Nova Scotia, Canada, and the U.S. However, a significant fraction of women receiving ACS prophylaxis delivered at term gestation.