This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow P3Rs: Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when P3Rs are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow E-mail this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My File Cabinet
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via CrossRef
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Peng, C. T.
Right arrow Articles by Yeh, T. F.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Peng, C. T.
Right arrow Articles by Yeh, T. F.
Related Collections
Right arrow Blood

PEDIATRICS Vol. 104 No. 3 September 1999, pp. 476-481

Early Dexamethasone Therapy and Blood Cell Count in Preterm Infants

Received Oct 5, 1998; accepted Jan 21, 1999.

Ching T. Peng*, Hong C. Lin*, Yuh J. LinDagger , Chang H. Tsai*, and Tsu F. YehDagger

From the From the * Department of Pediatrics, China Medical College Hospital, Taichung; and the Dagger  Department of Pediatrics, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, Tainan, Taiwan, Republic of China.

Objective.  To assess the effects of early postnatal dexamethasone therapy on hematologic values in preterm infants.

Materials and Methods.  We reviewed the hematologic data of 179 preterm infants who participated in a double-blind clinical trial of early postnatal dexamethasone therapy (<12 hours after birth) for the prevention of chronic lung disease. One group (86 infants) received saline and the other group (93 infants) received dexamethasone. Dexamethasone was given intravenously every 12 hours in tapering doses: 0.25 mg/kg on days 1 to 7, 0.12 mg/kg on days 8 to 14, 0.05 mg/kg on days 15 to 21, and 0.02 mg/kg on days 21 to 28. Blood samples were obtained on days 0, 3, 7, 10, 14, 21, and 28. None of the infants received prenatal steroid therapy.

Results.  Multiple regression analysis revealed significant differences in the values versus time curves of the white blood cell, neutrophil, lymphocyte, basophil, and eosinophil counts between the two groups. The white blood cell count was significantly higher in the dexamethasone group on days 7 through 14, and this was associated with significantly higher numbers of segmented neutrophils and band forms and significantly lower numbers of lymphocytes and eosinophils. The hematocrit and platelet counts were similar in the two groups throughout most of the trial. Except for platelet count, steroid therapy did not alter the hematologic values for infants with bacteremia.

Conclusion.  Dexamethasone affects white blood cell, segmented neutrophil, lymphocyte, basophil, and eosinophil counts in neonates. This should be taken into consideration when evaluating preterm infants who are receiving dexamethasone.early dexamethasone therapy; neonatal blood count; preterm infant; respiratory distress syndrome. .