Antenatal corticosteroid administration and neonatal outcome in very low birth weight infants: The NICHD neonatal research network

Steroid treatment before delivery appears to help protect premature infants against many complications of prematurity by assisting in fetal maturation. Researchers for the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Neonatal Research Network studied data from 1,910 infants exposed to antenatal steroids. Steroid treatment decreased the risk of these very low birthweight babies from neonatal death, intraventricular hemorrhage, respiratory distress syndrome, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, and early sepsis, but increased the risk of sepsis diagnosed late and necrotizing entercolitis. A full course of steroids is recommended before delivery.