A newly published study has demonstrated that giving steroids to pregnant women at risk for preterm birth may boost an infant’s chance of survival and reduce the risk of serious developmental issues
The study, published in the Dec. 7 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, shows that the current guidelines, which suggest prenatal steroids be administered to women who are at risk for delivering between the 24th and 34th week of pregnancy, can be expanded to the 23rd week.
The steroids help the infants with lung development, which increases the odds of survival and reduces the risk of brain injury.
Dr. Wally Carlo, director of the division of neonatology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, authored the newly published study.
“When given as early as 23 weeks, prenatal or antenatal steroids reduce an infant’s risk of death and important developmental issues,” said Dr. Carlo.
Currently there is an absence of clear guidelines directing the use of prenatal steroids. According to the study, about 40 percent of women who showed signs of preterm labor at 23 weeks were not treated with steroids.
“There is a huge potential to increase the use of prenatal steroids,” said Dr. Carlo. “Mothers need to know that there is a lot that physicians can do to improve the outcome for these babies.”
Cappolino Dodd Krebs LLP – birth injury attorneys
