Early Inhaled Beclomethasone Does Not Alter the Course of Lung Disease in Very Low Birth Weight Infants (VLBW) at Risk for Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia (BPD)

Abstract 1289

Early steroid therapy reduces inflammation and improves pulmonary mechanics in VLBW infants that are ventilator dependant. Inhaled beclomethasone has been used to achieve direct effect on the target organ and minimise side effects. OBJECTIVE: We conducted a randomized, double blind, placebo controlled trial to determine if inhaled beclomethasone started between 6-14 days of life (1). improved pulmonary function tests measured by BICORE CP-100, (2). minimized the for IV steroids, (3) is associated with systemic side effects. METHODS: 22 preterm infants (700-125gms) received either beclomethasone (BEC) 42 mcg TID, N=12 or placebo (PLC), N=10 via meter dose inhaler. The groups were comparable in gestational maturity, clinical characteristics, initial lung disease and severity of illness measured by Snap scores.

RESULTS: (Table) Incidence of documented sepsis (2 in each group, p=1.0), number of days on the ventilator (36BECvs21PLC,p=0.6) and number of infants on O2 at 36 weeks postconceptual age (6/12BECvs7/10PLC, p=0.41),were similar in both groups.

Table 1 No caption

CONCLUSION: Inhaled beclomethasone at a dose of 42mcg TID did not show beneficial effect on pulmonary function tests after one week of treatment and progression to BPD. We did not observe any side effects.