Prenatal Corticosteroids not Associated with Increased Risk of Death

A recent study looks at courses of prenatal corticosteroids and overall health in children. While previous studies had shown that this could cause an increased risk of death, new findings suggest the opposite.

Background information from the study shows that preterm birth is a significant health problem. This typically results when children are born at the 24 to 33 week mark instead of full term. Corticosteroid therapy is often recommended for women at risk of preterm birth. However, questions regarding whether additional courses of corticosteroids might be safe and beneficial has plagued many women going through the process with their pregnancy.

According to lead study author Elizabeth V. Asztalos, M.D., of the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center, Toronto, Canada, and colleagues, they examined the effects of single vs. multiple courses of corticosteroids on the risk of death and neurodevelopmental disability in children of mothers who participated in Multiple Courses of Antenatal Corticosteroids for Preterm Birth Study (MACS). The follow-up study included more than 1,700 mothers and their children.

The results show no difference in the risk of death or neurodevelopmental disability: 217 of 871 children (24.9 percent) in the multiple-courses group vs. 210 of the 848 children (24.8 percent) in the single-course group.

"Multiple courses, compared with a single course, of antenatal corticosteroid therapy did not increase or decrease the risk of death or disability at 5 years of age. Because of a lack of strong conclusive evidence of short-term or long-term benefits, it remains our opinion that multiple courses should not be recommended in women with ongoing risk of preterm birth," the study concludes, via a press release.

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More information regarding the study can be found via JAMA Pediatrics.