The effect of multidose antenatal betamethasone on maternal and infant outcomes

Objective: This study was undertaken to determine whether prolonged betamethasone therapy is, as has been suggested, associated with adverse maternal or neonatal outcomes. Study Design: A secondary multivariate analysis of a randomized controlled trial was performed to determine whether duration of betamethasone therapy was associated with adverse maternal or neonatal outcomes. Results: There were 414 fetuses whose mothers were randomly assigned to trial groups. Final models included only valid cases without missing or averaged data (N = 367 to N = 412, depending on the model). Three or more sets of weekly betamethasone injections were given in 21.3% of cases and ≥4 sets were given in 12.3% of cases. Prolonged antenatal betamethasone therapy was not associated with increases in incidences of antenatal fever, chorioamnionitis, reduced birth weight, suppressed neonatal adrenal function, neonatal sepsis, or neonatal death. It was associated with larger birth weights (P< .05). Conclusion: Prolonged antenatal betamethasone therapy was not associated with higher risks of antenatal maternal fever, chorioamnionitis, reduced birth weight, neonatal adrenal suppression, neonatal sepsis, and neonatal death. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 2001;184:196-202.)