The effect of antenatal corticosteroid therapy on fetal growth

Choi, Suk Joo; Yang, Soon Ha; Roh, Cheong Rae; Kim, Jong Hwa; Oh, Soo Young

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study is to determine the effects of antenatal corticosteroid therapy on fetal growth.
METHODS
We performed a retrospective analysis of 797 singleton-pregnant women with high risk of preterm delivery who admitted between 24 and 34 weeks' gestation. They were categorized into three groups; (1) no antenatal corticosteroid users (non-user group), (2) single course of corticosteroid users (single-course group), (3) multiple courses of corticosteroid users (multiple-course group). The birth weight, head circumference (HC), abdominal circumference (AC) and chest circumference (CC) of their neonates were measured. We surveyed if the neonates were small-for-gestational age (SGA) or not.
RESULTS
According to antenatal corticosteroid use, 295 patients were included in the non-user group, 409 patients in the single-course group and 93 patients in the multiple-course group, respectively. The birth weight, HC, AC, CC and the rate of SGA of the neonates did not differ between any of the three groups. After adjusting the gestational age at delivery, the birth weight, HC, AC, CC and the rate of SGA of the neonates still showed no difference between any of the three groups.
CONCLUSION
The antenatal corticosteroid administration to patients with risk of preterm delivery seems to have no effect on the birth weight and biometries of the neonates, and fetal growth does not seem to be associated with the number of courses of antenatal corticosteroid.