Hi Gagramma,
I found five articles that look at the effects of using betamethasone
antenatally (in the womb) - and most say there's little if any
negative effects. One of the three reports a possible increase in the
number of infections among small children. This drug is usually given
weekly during pregnancy if there's a question/ possibility of
respiratory distress syndrome, so the effect of giving it just once -
even to a healthy baby - will be even less. However, I'm not a
medical doctor and can't tell you for certain that this is the case.
Please see the Google Answer terms for clarification. Below are the
citations and abstracts to the five articles - note in the
conclusions/discussion section is where they report the results.
Pediatrics. 2000 Jun;105(6):E77. Related Articles, Links
Twenty-year follow-up of antenatal corticosteroid treatment.
Dessens AB, Haas HS, Koppe JG.
Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Department of
Neonatology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. arides@delta-pz.nl
OBJECTIVE: To study late side effects of antenatal corticosteroid
treatment on health and sexual development in subjects 20 to 22 years
old. METHODS: A follow-up study among young adults whose mothers had,
because of a threatening delivery, participated in a randomized,
double-blind, placebo- controlled trial of betamethasone to prevent
neonatal respiratory distress syndrome. Measurements were taken on
general health, growth, development in puberty, reproductivity,
genital or gynecological complaints, gender development, sexual
orientation, sex-specific cognitive functioning, and
psychoneuroticism. In addition, some measurements were performed on
family diseases, socioeconomic status, and education. RESULTS: No
differences were found between the corticosteroid-treated and placebo
groups as to medical or psychological variables. In general, the
subjects were healthy and had normal intellectual capacities. Groups
did not differ on gender development, sexual orientation, sex-specific
cognitive functioning, and psychoneuroticism. Systolic blood pressure
was significantly lower in the corticosteroid group, but the groups
did not differ as to diastolic blood pressure. CONCLUSIONS: Our
20-year follow-up study indicates that 1 course of antenatally
administered corticosteroid to prevent respiratory distress syndrome
does not have adverse effects up to adulthood.
Publication Types:
Clinical Trial
Controlled Clinical Trial
PMID: 10835090 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2: J Clin Ultrasound. 2000 Jun;28(5):224-6. Related Articles, Links
Effect of antenatal steroid administration on the fetal biophysical profile.
Kelly MK, Schneider EP, Petrikovsky BM, Lesser ML.
North Shore University Hospital, 300 Community Drive, Manhasset, New
York 11030, USA.
PURPOSE: Our objective was to determine whether antenatal steroid
administration affects the biophysical profile score in fetuses.
METHODS: A prospective study was conducted in 84 fetuses between 28
and 34 weeks' menstrual age at risk of preterm delivery. Two
intramuscular injections of 12 mg of betamethasone were given to the
mother 24 hours apart. All fetuses underwent biophysical profile
testing prior to and between 24 and 48 hours after steroid
administration. Biophysical profiles (including nonstress tests) were
evaluated by two maternal-fetal medicine specialists blinded to the
timing of steroid administration. Neonatal outcome, including Apgar
score, menstrual age at delivery, admission to and length of stay in
the neonatal intensive care unit, and mortality, was analyzed in all
subjects. RESULTS: In 31 (37%; 95 confidence interval, 26.6-47.2%) of
84 cases, the biophysical profile score decreased at least 2 points
after steroid administration. The most commonly affected variables
were fetal breathing and the nonstress test. There was no significant
difference in the neonatal outcome between the fetuses whose
biophysical profile decreased and those whose did not. CONCLUSIONS:
Biophysical profile scores were decreased in more than one third of
fetuses within 48 hours of antenatal steroid administration, but
neonatal outcome was not affected. Knowledge of this occurrence could
avoid incorrect decision making regarding fetal well-being. Copyright
2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Publication Types:
Clinical Trial
PMID: 10800000 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3: Pediatrics. 1990 Jul;86(1):65-70. Related Articles, Links
Physical development and medical history of children who were treated
antenatally with corticosteroids to prevent respiratory distress
syndrome: a 10- to 12-year follow-up.
Smolders-de Haas H, Neuvel J, Schmand B, Treffers PE, Koppe JG, Hoeks J.
Department of Obstetrics, Academic Medical Centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Potential side effects of antenatal administration of corticosteroids
to prevent neonatal respiratory distress syndrome were studied in 10-
to 12-year-old children whose mothers had participated in a
randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of betamethasone.
The children had a general physical examination; parents were
interviewed about the medical history of their child with special
attention to infectious diseases; growth data were collected; and a
developmental neurological examination, an ophthalmological
examination, and a lung function test were conducted. In the
corticosteroid group significantly more hospital admissions because of
infectious diseases during the first years of life were reported. On
the other variables no differences between the corticoid and the
placebo groups were found.
Publication Types:
Clinical Trial
Randomized Controlled Trial
PMID: 2193304 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4: Pediatrics. 1990 Jul;86(1):58-64. Related Articles, Links
Psychological development of children who were treated antenatally
with corticosteroids to prevent respiratory distress syndrome.
Schmand B, Neuvel J, Smolders-de Haas H, Hoeks J, Treffers PE, Koppe JG.
Department of Neonatology, Academic Medical Centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Potential side effects of antenatal administration of corticosteroids
to prevent neonatal respiratory distress syndrome were studied in 10-
to 12-year-old children whose mothers had participated in a
randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of betamethasone.
Aspects of the children's intellectual and motor development, school
achievement, and social-emotional functioning were investigated. There
were no differences between the corticoid group and the placebo group
on these variables, nor were there more children with learning
difficulties and behavioral disturbances in either of the groups.
Publication Types:
Clinical Trial
Randomized Controlled Trial
PMID: 2193303 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5: Pediatrics. 1979 Jan;63(1):73-9. Related Articles, Links
The antenatal use of betamethasone in the prevention of respiratory
distress syndrome: a controlled double-blind study.
Papageorgiou AN, Desgranges MF, Masson M, Colle E, Shatz R, Gelfand MM.
One hundred forty-six pregnant women were enrolled in a prospective
double-blind study to assess the effectiveness and side-effects of
antenatal administration of betamethasone in the prevention of
respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) in potentially premature infants.
On admission to the study, the women were given, at random, either 12
mg of betamethasone or placebo. The same dose was repeated 24 hours
later and then weekly up to 34 weeks of gestation. Gestational age of
the infants ranged from 25 to 34 weeks, and birth weights ranged
between 730 and 2,650 gm. Statistically significant differences in
favor of the infants in the betamethasone group were found in the
incidence of RDS, 20.7% in the betamethasone group compared with 59.5%
in the control group (P less than .005); in the severity of RDS (P
less than .05); and in the death rate (P less than .05). A higher
incidence of hypoglycemia was found among infants in the betamethasone
group (P less than .05). Prolonged rupture of the membranes played no
protective role against RDS, and the incidence of infection was
similar in both groups.
These articles come from PubMed MEDLINE, the primary source for
scholarly journal articles in medicine. I searched using the
following string: ""Betamethasone/adverse effects"[MeSH] AND Clinical
Trial[ptyp] AND "infant"[MeSH Terms]"
Librariankt |
