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Antenatal corticosteroid therapy: benefits and risks

O Baud1

  • 1Service de Médecine Néonatale and Laboratoire de neurobiologie du développement, INSERM E9935, University Hospital Robert Debré, France. o.baud@mageos.com

Acta Paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992). Supplement
|March 24, 2004
PubMed

Antenatal glucocorticoid therapy remains one the most striking successes in perinatal management of complicated pregnancies leading to premature birth. All women at risk of preterm delivery before 34 weeks gestation should be treated, given the anti-inflammatory and maturative properties of fluorocorticoids. Betamethasone is preferred to dexamethasone and no more than two courses, two weeks apart, should be given, until the evidence from further controlled trials on repeated doses becomes available.

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