Abstract
The relationship between antenatally administered glucocorticoids and overall outcome at 5 years of age, applying stepwise logistic regression analyses with 14 confounding factors, was studied. Data were collected on 1338 liveborn infants (gestational age <32 wks and/or birthweight < 1500 g) born in 1983 in the Netherlands. Data were analyzed in a subset of 671 infants (gest. age ≥ 26 and <32 wks) of whom 642 had been assessed at 5 years of age (loss to follow-up 4.3%). Overall outcome expressed as impairment, disability or handicap (WHO, 1980) was based on: congenital malformation, neuromotor function, mental development, hearing, visual function, language and speech development, musculoskeletal system, respiratory tract. There was no higher risk of impairment at 5 years of age in children of treated mothers versus non-treated mothers. With disability or handicap as outcome variables there was a significant interaction of glucocorticoid treatment and tocolysis. In the presence of tocolysis (>24 hours) there was no higher risk on disability or handicap at 5 years of age. In 13 children whose mothers received no tocolysis or only < 24 hours, the antenatal administration of glucocorticoids was associated with a significantly higher risk on disability or handicap, probably a result of confounding by indication of the treatment.
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Veen, S., Schreuder, A., Ens-Dokkum, M. et al. 236 ANTENATAL GLUCOCORTICOID ADMINISTRATION IN A NATIONWIDE COHORT OF VERY PRETERM AND VERY LOW BIRTHWEIGHT INFANTS: FOLLOW-UP AT 5 YEARS OF AGE. Pediatr Res 36, 42 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-199407000-00236
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-199407000-00236