Published online September 1, 2004
PEDIATRICS Vol. 114 No. 3 September 2004, pp. e373-e377 (doi:10.1542/peds.2004-0196)
This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters 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 arrowRequest Permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via CrossRef
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Dalziel, S. R.
Right arrow Articles by Harding, J. E.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Dalziel, S. R.
Right arrow Articles by Harding, J. E.
Related Collections
Right arrow Premature & Newborn
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us   Add to Digg   Add to Facebook   Add to Reddit   Add to Technorati   Add to Twitter  
What's this?

ELECTRONIC ARTICLE

Blood Pressure at 6 Years of Age After Prenatal Exposure to Betamethasone: Follow-up Results of a Randomized, Controlled Trial

Stuart R. Dalziel, MBChB*,{ddagger}, Allen Liang, FRACP§, Varsha Parag, MSc*, Anthony Rodgers, PhD* and Jane E. Harding, FRACP, DPhil{ddagger}

* Clinical Trials Research Unit
{ddagger} Liggins Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
§ Starship Children's Hospital, Auckland, New Zealand

Objective. To determine whether prenatal exposure to betamethasone for the prevention of neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) alters blood pressure in childhood.

Design. Prospective follow-up study of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Setting. National Women's Hospital (Auckland, New Zealand).

Participants. Two hundred twenty-three 6-year-old children of mothers who presented with unplanned premature labor and took part in a randomized, controlled trial of prenatal betamethasone therapy for the prevention of neonatal RDS.

Intervention. Mothers received 2 doses of betamethasone (12 mg) or placebo, administered through intramuscular injection, 24 hours apart.

Main Outcome Measures. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure at 6 years of age.

Results. Children exposed prenatally to betamethasone (n = 121) did not differ in systolic or diastolic blood pressure from children exposed to placebo (n = 102) (mean difference: systolic: –1.6 mm Hg; 95% confidence interval: –4.1 to 0.8 mm Hg; diastolic: –0.3 mm Hg; 95% confidence interval: –2.5 to 1.8 mm Hg).

Conclusion. Prenatal exposure to betamethasone for prevention of neonatal RDS does not alter blood pressure at 6 years of age.

Key Words: prenatal glucocorticoids • respiratory distress syndrome • blood pressure • long-term follow-up

Abbreviations: RDS, respiratory distress syndrome • CI, confidence interval • RCT, randomized, controlled trial

Accepted Apr 26, 2004.


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us   Add to Digg Digg   Add to Facebook Facebook   Add to Reddit Reddit   Add to Technorati Technorati   Add to Twitter Twitter    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Reproductive SciencesHome page
J. L. Morrison and S. Orgeig
Review: Antenatal Glucocorticoid Treatment of The Growth-restricted Fetus: Benefit or Cost?
Reproductive Sciences, June 1, 2009; 16(6): 527 - 538.
[Abstract] [PDF]

Home page
 NEJMHome page
C. A. Crowther, L. W. Doyle, R. R. Haslam, J. E. Hiller, J. E. Harding, J. S. Robinson, and the ACTORDS Study Group
Outcomes at 2 Years of Age after Repeat Doses of Antenatal Corticosteroids
N. Engl. J. Med., September 20, 2007; 357(12): 1179 - 1189.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Int J EpidemiolHome page
S. R Dalziel, V. Parag, A. Rodgers, and J. E Harding
Cardiovascular risk factors at age 30 following pre-term birth
Int. J. Epidemiol., August 1, 2007; 36(4): 907 - 915.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 NeoReviewsHome page
A. H. Jobe
Prenatal Corticosteroids: A Neonatologist's Perspective
NeoReviews, May 1, 2006; 7(5): e259 - e267.
[Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 BMJHome page
P R Stutchfield and R Whitaker
Giving steroids before elective caesarean section: Authors respond to editorial
BMJ, December 17, 2005; 331(7530): 1475 - 1475.
[Full Text]