Controversies in the use of antenatal steroids for fetal maturation

After decades of caution and reticence, by the early 1990s, the use of antenatal corticosteroids was accepted as a pharmacologic intervention to reduce neonatal morbidity and mortality associated with prematurity. Many prospective studies yielded robust evidence to support the use of corticosteroids for fetal maturation. Their use is no longer disputed. Nevertheless, many unanswered questions remain regarding issues such as the ideal dose, drug form, regimen, or timing of treatment. This article explores many of the unanswered questions associated with antenatal corticosteroid use.