Short-Term Outcomes in Low Birth Weight Infants Following Antenatal Exposure to Betamethasone Versus Dexamethasone

Abstract

To assess the incidence of short-term outcomes of low birth weight infants ( 24 hours), and the number of women who had received tocolysis. No significant difference was found between the 2 groups with respect to intraventricular hemorrhage and cystic PVL frequencies. No significant differences were found in the incidence of short-term outcomes examined, despite the fact that the dexamethasone group was exposed to a statistically significantly greater number of courses than the betamethasone group.There seem to be no advantages to maternal antenatal treatment with betamethasone compared with dexamethasone in reducing the risk of PVL in low birth weight (</= 1,750 g) infants. Both drugs have the same effect on all short-term outcome parameters checked.