Dose completion of antenatal corticosteroids and neonatal outcomes in non-small-for-gestational age or small-for-gestational age very-low-birthweight infants: a Korean population-based cohort study

The protective effect of antenatal corticosteroids (ACS) in preterm infants has been well established but it remains unclear in growth-restricted fetuses. Furthermore, a substantial number of pregnant women receive only incomplete ACS treatment because of late presentation or imminent delivery at arrival to the delivery site. How this affects neonatal outcomes in small for gestational age (SGA) infants is not rigorously described. We evaluated the influence of ACS completion on in-hospital neonatal outcomes in very low birthweight (VLBW) infants, depending on appropriately or inappropriately grown singletons.Electronic data were retrieved from the Korean Neonatal Network database between 2013 and 2017. We assessed perinatal and neonatal characteristics and neonatal mortality and morbidities. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to evaluate neonatal outcome variables influenced by an incomplete as compared to a complete course of ACS in non-SGA and SGA infants.In total, 4441 VLBW infants were included in the study. Complete ACS treatment significantly reduced the risk for death before 28 days of life [odds ratio (OR) = 0.525, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.414-0.666], death before neonatal intensive care unit discharge (OR = 0.606, 95% CI = 0.489-0.750), respiratory distress syndrome (OR = 0.634, 95% CI = 0.507-0.793), severe intraventricular hemorrhage (OR = 0.539, 95% CI = 0.424-0.684)], and necrotizing enterocolitis (OR = 0.720, 95% CI = 0.561-0.924) in non-SGA infants. ACS completion did not change the risk for neonatal outcomes in SGA infants.This study suggests that a complete course of ACS has a favorable effect on several neonatal outcomes in non-SGA VLBW infants. There were no significant differences between the complete exposure and incomplete exposure group in SGA infants.