The National Institutes of Health 1994 recommendation is to give a full course of corticosteroids to all pregnant women between 24 weeks and 34 weeks of gestation who are at risk of preterm delivery. Repeated corticosteroid courses should not be used routinely, because clinical trials show decreased brain size, decreased birth weight, and adrenal insufficiency in newborns exposed to repeated doses. Treatment should consist of two doses of 12 mg of betamethasone given intramuscularly 24 hours apart or four doses of 6 mg dexamethasone given intramuscularly every 12 hours. A full course of antenatal corticosteroids should be administered to women with premature rupture of membranes (PROM) before 32 weeks of gestation to reduce the risks of respiratory distress syndrome, prenatal mortality, and other morbidities. The efficacy of corticosteroid use at 32-34 completed weeks of gestation is unclear based on available evidence, but treatment may be beneficial, particularly if pulmonary immaturity is documented (Lockwood & Lemons, 2007).

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  • ElectiveDelivery
  • Cesarean Section
  • Health Care-Associated Bloodstream Infections in Newborns
  • Exclusive Breast Milk Feeding

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