Skip to main content

Antenatal Corticosteroids Do Not Negatively Impact Offspring

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on April 26, 2024.

By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter

FRIDAY, April 26, 2024 -- Administration of antenatal corticosteroids to persons at risk for late preterm delivery is not associated with adverse childhood neurodevelopmental outcomes at age 6 years or older, according to a study published online April 24 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Cynthia Gyamfi-Bannerman, M.D., from the University of California, San Diego, and colleagues evaluated whether administration of late preterm (34 to 36 completed weeks) corticosteroids (12 mg of intramuscular betamethasone administered twice 24 hours apart) to persons at risk for late preterm delivery affected childhood neurodevelopmental outcomes. The analysis included 949 children aged 6 years and older followed from birth as part of the Maternal-Fetal Medicine Units Network cycle.

The researchers found no differences in the primary outcome of a general conceptual ability score <85, which occurred in 17.1 percent of the betamethasone group versus 18.5 percent of the placebo group (adjusted relative risk, 0.94; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.73 to 1.22). Similarly, there no differences in secondary outcomes of gross motor skills, social responsiveness, or behavior.

"In this follow-up study of a randomized clinical trial, antenatal corticosteroids in persons at risk of late preterm delivery were not associated with adverse effects on childhood neurodevelopmental outcomes at age 6 years or older," the authors write. "These data provide reassurance with regard to the administration of antenatal corticosteroids in the late preterm period."

One author disclosed ties to the pharmaceutical industry.

Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)

Editorial (subscription or payment may be required)

Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Read this next

Recommendations Developed for People With HIV Wanting to Breastfeed

MONDAY, May 20, 2024 -- In an American Academy of Pediatrics clinical report published online May 20 in Pediatrics, recommendations are presented for breastfeeding among people...

AAN Issues Guideline for Use of Antiseizure Meds in People of Childbearing Potential

FRIDAY, May 17, 2024 -- In a practice guideline issued by the American Academy of Neurology, along with the American Epilepsy Society and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine...

High Level of Approval Observed for Polygenic Embryo Screening

FRIDAY, May 17, 2024 -- There is a high level of approval for use of polygenic embryo screening, according to a study published online May 14 in JAMA Network Open. Rémy A...

More news resources

Subscribe to our newsletter

Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.