An
Pediatr
(Barc).
2014;
81(6)
:374---382
www.analesdepediatria.org
ORIGINAL
ARTICLE
Antenatal
corticosteroid
therapy
and
late
preterm
infant
morbidity
and
mortality
I.M.
Gázquez
Serrano
a
,
∗
,
A.
Arroyos
Plana
a
,
O.
Díaz
Morales
b
,
C.
Herráiz
Perea
a
,
A.
Holgueras
Bragado
a
a
Servicio
de
Neonatología,
Hospital
Virgen
de
la
Salud,
Toledo,
Spain
b
Servicio
de
Pediatría,
Hospital
de
Antequera,
Antequera,
Málaga,
Spain
Received
6
November
2013;
accepted
27
January
2014
Available
online
29
October
2014
KEYWORDS
Late
preterm
infants;
Antenatal
corticosteroids;
Premature
Abstract
Introduction:
Late
preterm
infants
(34---36
weeks
gestation)
have
a
morbidity
rate
significantly
higher
than
those
born
at
term.
However,
few
interventions
have
been
undertaken
to
reduce
this
increased
morbidity
and
mortality.
Antenatal
corticosteroid
administration
could
be
an
effective
preventive
measure.
Objective:
The
aim
of
this
study
was
to
describe
the
morbidity
associated
with
late
prematurity
in
our
institution,
and
determine
if
there
are
differences
between
those
who
received
antenatal
corticosteroids.
Patients
and
methods:
A
prospective
observational
study
was
conducted
on
late
preterm
infants
born
in
a
tertiary
hospital
from
October
2011
until
September
2012.
Two
groups
were
formed
according
to
whether
or
not
they
had
received
antenatal
steroids.
The
rates
of
morbidity
and
mortality
for
each
of
the
groups
were
analysed
and
compared.
Results:
There
was
a
total
of
4127
live
newborns
during
the
study
period,
of
whom
3795
were
term
and
332
were
preterm
(the
overall
prematurity
rate
was
8.04%).
There
were
247
late
preterm
deliveries,
representing
6%
of
live
born
infants,
and
74.4%
of
all
premature
infants.
Of
late
preterm
infants,
63.2%
were
admitted
to
the
Neonatal
Unit
and
29.6%
had
received
antenatal
steroids.
The
incidence
of
admission
to
the
Neonatal
Unit
and
Neonatal
Intensive
Care,
transient
tachypnea,
need
for
respiratory
support
in
the
form
of
continuous
positive
pressure
airway
and
oxygen
therapy,
incidence
of
hypoglycemia,
feeding
difficulty,
and
jaundice
requiring
phototherapy
were
significantly
higher
(
P
<
0.05)
in
the
late
preterm
group
that
did
not
receive
antenatal
steroids.
Please
cite
this
article
as:
Gázquez
Serrano
IM,
Arroyos
Plana
A,
Díaz
Morales
O,
Herráiz
Perea
C,
Holgueras
Bragado
A.
Corticoterapia
prenatal
y
morbimortalidad
del
prematuro
tardío:
estudio
prospectivo.
An
Pediatr
(Barc).
2014;81:374---382
∗
Corresponding
author.
E-mail
addresses:
isabelgazquezserrano@gmail.com
,
nebito82@hotmail.com
(I.M.
Gázquez
Serrano).
2341-2879/©
2013
Asociación
Espa
̃
nola
de
Pediatría.
Published
by
Elsevier
España,
S.L.U.
All
rights
reserved.