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The window of improved neonatal respiratory compliance after rescue antenatal steroids

Abstract

Objective

To evaluate whether premature infants delivered ≤7 days after rescue antenatal steroid treatment (ideal treatment) have increased passive respiratory compliance compared to those delivered >7 days after treatment (remote treatment).

Methods

Secondary analysis of a randomized trial of rescue antenatal steroids on respiratory compliance. Infants in the treatment group were stratified by the interval between rescue antenatal steroids and delivery. We then compared the respiratory compliance in the ideal vs. remote groups.

Results

Forty-four women (56 infants) received rescue antenatal steroids. Forty-nine infants had evaluable respiratory compliance measurements, with 27 (GA 30.1 weeks, BW 1362 g) “ideally” treated, and 22 (GA 33.8 weeks, BW 2248 g) “remotely” treated. Respiratory compliance was significantly higher for the ideal compared to the remote group (1.32 vs. 1.06 mL/cm H2O/kg; p = 0.037).

Conclusion

Infants treated with rescue antenatal steroids have a significantly higher respiratory compliance if delivery occurs within 7 days after treatment.

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Funding

This work was supported by National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences of the National Institutes of Health under award number UL1TR000128. NIH, National Heart Lung Blood Institute, K23 HL080231 and R01 HL105447 with co-funding from the Office of Dietary Supplement; and American Lung Association (CTM). The funders had no role in study design, data collection, analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Brian K. Jordan MD PhD.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Jordan, B.K., Schilling, D. & McEvoy, C.T. The window of improved neonatal respiratory compliance after rescue antenatal steroids. J Perinatol 38, 828–833 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41372-018-0124-9

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