Effect of antenatal dexamethasone on neonatal leukocyte count

The leukocyte count and differential white blood cell count during the first hour of life was determined in 164 neonates born of mothers receiving antenatal steroids and compared to 171 neonates of mothers randomly assigned to a placebo group. A leukemoid reaction (greater than 40,000 WBC/mm3) was seen only once each in the neonates born of placebo or steroid treated mothers. In addition, maternal steroid treatment had no general effect, except in a small subgroup of neonates born 3 to 7 days after the mother had been treated with 20 mg dexamethasone, where the total leukocyte and the absolute neutrophil counts were higher than the placebo group and other subgroups.