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OBJECTIVE: To estimate whether antenatal corticoste- with 9.8%, adjusted OR 0.11, 95% CI 0.01 0.92) com-
roids given after fetal lung immaturity in pregnancies at pared with corticosteroid-exposed newborns.
34 weeks of gestation or more would improve neonatal CONCLUSION: Administration of antenatal corticoste-
outcomes and, in particular, respiratory outcomes. roids after immature fetal lung indices did not reduce
METHODS: We compared outcomes of 362 neonates respiratory morbidity in neonates born at 34 weeks of
born at 34 weeks of gestation or more after fetal lung gestation or more. Our study supports prolonging gesta-
maturity testing: 102 with immature fetal lung indices tion until delivery is otherwise indicated.
were treated with antenatal corticosteroids followed by (Obstet Gynecol 2012;119:90916)
planned delivery within 1 week; 76 with immature fetal DOI: 10.1097/AOG.0b013e31824ea4b2
lung indices were managed expectantly; and 184 were LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: II
delivered after mature amniocentesis. Primary outcomes
were composites of neonatal and respiratory morbidity.
RESULTS: Compared with corticosteroid-exposed neo-
nates those born after mature amniocentesis had lower
A lthough the administration of antenatal cortico-
steroids for the prevention of respiratory distress
syndrome (RDS) in fetuses at less than 34 weeks of
rates of adverse neonatal (26.5% compared with 14.1%,
adjusted odds ratio [OR] 0.51, 95% confidence interval
gestation is widely supported and practiced since the
[CI] 0.27 0.96) and adverse respiratory outcomes (9.8% National Institutes of Health Consensus statement in
compared with 3.3%, adjusted OR 0.33, 95% CI 0.11 1994,1,2 little information exists on the use of antenatal
0.98); newborns born after expectant management had steroids to promote fetal lung maturation in women at
significantly less respiratory morbidity (1.3% compared risk of preterm birth beyond 34 weeks of gestation.3
The current recommendation of the American
From Neonatology and Pulmonary Biology, Cincinnati Childrens Hospital College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists is that
Medical Center, Maternal-Fetal Medicine, University of Cincinnati School of elective delivery before 39 weeks of gestation should
Medicine, and Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Tri-Health, Cincinnati, Ohio.
not be performed without documentation of fetal lung
Dr. Kamath-Rayne is funded by an NIH BIRCWH K12HD051953. maturity.4 The majority of these elective deliveries
The authors thank Sherri Sterwerf and John Vidas from Good Samaritan occur in the late preterm (34 0/7 to 36 6/7 weeks of
Hospital Medical Records and Eric Hall, PhD, for bioinformatics support. Study
data were collected and managed using REDCap (Research Electronic Data
gestation) and early term (37 0/7 to 38 6/7 weeks of
Capture), hosted at Cincinnati Childrens Hospital Medical Center under the gestation) periods, times during gestation with limited
Center for Clinical and Translational Science and Training grant support data to support a potential benefit of administration of
(UL1-RR026314-01 National Center for Research Resources/National Insti-
tutes of Health).
antenatal corticosteroids. Still, with some evidence
Presented at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine 32nd Annual Meeting,
that steroid treatment after 34 weeks of gestation
February 6 11, 2012, Dallas, Texas. enhances fetal lung maturity profiles,5 some obstetri-
Corresponding author: Beena D. Kamath-Rayne, MD, MPH, Assistant Profes- cians give antenatal corticosteroids after fetal lung
sor of Pediatrics, Neonatology and Pulmonary Biology, Cincinnati Childrens testing is immature in an effort to induce overall fetal
Hospital Medical Center, MLC 7009, 3333 Burnet Avenue, Cincinnati, OH maturation and prevent neonatal morbidity with im-
45229; e-mail: beena.kamath-rayne@cchmc.org.
minent delivery of the fetus.
Financial Disclosure
The authors did not report any potential conflicts of interest.
When the obstetrician must make decisions based
on immature fetal lung indices, three clinical path-
2012 by The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Published
by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. ways could be taken: 1) treat with antenatal cortico-
ISSN: 0029-7844/12 steroids for planned imminent delivery; 2) await
910 Kamath-Rayne et al Antenatal Steroids After Fetal Lung Immaturity OBSTETRICS & GYNECOLOGY
Amniocenteses performed during Screened but not reviewed: n=495
study period Neonates born before 34 weeks of
N=982 gestation: 93
Stillbirths: 2
Neonates with congenital anomalies: 36
Multifetal gestation: 88
Charts reviewed Neonates with missing charts: 8
n=487 Neonates born at outside hospital: 268
Study group: neonates born after Reference group 1: neonates Reference group 2: neonates born
immature fetal lung indices followed born after positive fetal after immature fetal lung indices;
by corticosteroid administration lung maturity testing mother managed expectantly
n=102 n=184 n=76
delivery, and presence of labor before delivery. Preg- criteria and had been treated with antenatal cortico-
nancy complications included hypertensive disease steroids after immature fetal lung indices (Fig. 1). One
(chronic, gestational or preeclampsia), diabetes (pre- hundred women (98%) received betamethasone and
existing or gestational), premature rupture of mem- two received dexamethasone. One hundred one
branes, oligohydramnios, preterm labor, or antenatal (99%) received a complete course of antenatal ste-
hospitalization for pregnancy complications. roids; only one woman received one of a planned
The data were analyzed using SAS 9.2. Differ- two-dose course of betamethasone. A mean period of
ences were tested using 2 or Fishers exact test where 3.42.8 days lapsed between the last dose of antena-
necessary for categorical variables and Kruskal-Wallis tal corticosteroids and delivery. Seventy-six women
or analysis of variance for continuous variables. Mul- had immature fetal lung indices and were managed
tivariable logistic regression was used to estimate the expectantly, delivering within 10.911.5 days of their
odds of composite adverse respiratory outcome for amniocentesis. One hundred eighty-four women had
newborns born after immature fetal lung indices and mature fetal lung indices and delivered within
maternal administration of antenatal corticosteroids 1.72.1 days of their amniocentesis.
adjusting for covariates with significant effects greater The most frequent reasons in all three groups for
than 10% on the outcome of interest with inclusion amniocentesis with subsequent fetal lung maturity
and then exclusion from adjusted analyses. Backward testing were history of prior cesarean delivery with a
selection yielded a final model of statistically influen- classical incision (15.8%), amniotic fluid disorder
tial and biologically plausible covariates. Adjusted (oligo or hydramnios, 14.9%), prior fetal death or
analyses were not performed for individual morbidi- abruption (9.9%), or diabetes (9.7%). When the reason
ties as a result of their low frequency, less than 10 for amniocentesis and fetal lung maturity testing was
observations per category for most outcomes.10 Com- evaluated by study group, important differences could
parisons with associated P.05 and 95% confidence be seen (Table 1), as a greater proportion of elective
intervals not inclusive of the null value of 1 were deliveries were seen in the mature amniocentesis
considered statistically significant differences. group.
The frequency of pregnancy complications such
RESULTS as hypertensive disease, diabetes, preterm labor, in-
Of the 982 charts screened of women who had trauterine growth restriction, and oligohydramnios
amniocenteses for fetal lung maturity testing during was higher in the corticosteroid-treated group but did
the study period, 102 pregnant women met inclusion not differ significantly among the three groups (Table
VOL. 119, NO. 5, MAY 2012 Kamath-Rayne et al Antenatal Steroids After Fetal Lung Immaturity 911
Table 1. Top Five Reasons for Amniocentesis by Group
Steroids After
Mature Amniocentesis Expectant Management Immature Amniocentesis
(34 0/738 6/7 wk) (n184) (34 4/740 0/7 wk) (n76) (34 0/738 6/7 wk) (n102)
Prior classical incision (17.0) Amniotic fluid disorder* (22.9) Prior classical incision (17.9)
Elective (17.0) Prior classical incision (10.0) Amniotic fluid disorder* (14.7)
Isoimmunization (10.0)
Diabetes (10.0)
Amniotic fluid disorder* (11.9) Prior fetal death or abruption (11.4) Prior fetal death or abruption (11.6)
Prior fetal death or abruption (10.2) Prior cesarean delivery with poor Intrauterine growth restriction or other
dating (9.1) growth disorder (10.5)
Preeclampsia (9.0) Diabetes (9.1) Preeclampsia (8.4)
Diabetes (9.0)
Data are %.
* Amniotic fluid disorder includes oligohydramnios and polyhydramnios.
2). Fewer women managed expectantly had cesarean glycemia, need for intravenous fluids for hypoglyce-
deliveries. More women treated with antenatal corti- mia, sepsis evaluation, and treatment with antibiotics
costeroids after immature fetal lung indices had pre- for presumed sepsis. A subanalysis evaluated differ-
mature rupture of membranes. ences in the three groups stratified by late preterm (34
We compared the newborns of the women with to 36 6/7 weeks of gestation) and early term (37 to less
immature lung indices who were treated with antena- than 39 weeks of gestation) and showed that late
tal corticosteroids with the other two groups (Table 3). preterm deliveries accounted for the majority of these
One neonate who delivered at 38 weeks of gestation differences (Table 4).
in the mature amniocentesis group required mechan- After adjustment for significant covariates, which
ical ventilation and surfactant administration. The included hypertension, diabetes, intrauterine growth
corticosteroid-exposed neonates were born at the restriction, premature rupture of membranes, and
earliest gestational age by 0.7 weeks (approximately 5 presence of labor before delivery, expectantly man-
days), and they were approximately 10 ounces less in aged neonates were 90% less likely to have the
birth weight. The corticosteroid-exposed neonates composite adverse respiratory outcome (1.3% com-
had significantly higher rates of both the composite pared with 9.8%, adjusted odds ratio [OR] 0.11, 95%
adverse neonatal outcome and the composite respira- confidence interval [CI] 0.01 0.92, P.04) than the
tory outcome compared with the expectantly man- corticosteroid-exposed neonates. Expectantly man-
aged group. In addition, the corticosteroid-exposed aged neonates managed expectantly were 40% less
neonates had approximately twice the rate of hypo- likely to have the composite adverse neonatal out-
912 Kamath-Rayne et al Antenatal Steroids After Fetal Lung Immaturity OBSTETRICS & GYNECOLOGY
Table 3. Neonatal Outcomes Among the Three Groups
Mature Expectant Steroids After
Amniocentesis Management Immature Amniocentesis
Neonatal Characteristic (34 0/738 6/7 wk) (34 4/740 0/7 wk) (34 0/738 6/7 wk)
or Outcome (n184) (n76) (n102) P*
Composite adverse neonatal outcome consists of neonatal intensive care admission, need for ongoing respiratory support,
phototherapy, antibiotic treatment, intravenous fluids for hypoglycemia, or gavage feeding.
Composite adverse respiratory outcome consists of need for oxygen supplementation, continuous positive airway pressure,
mechanical ventilation, or surfactant administration.
come (adjusted OR 0.59, 95% CI 0.28 1.28, P.18) mature amniocentesis were over 60% less likely to
than the corticosteroid-exposed neonates, although have the composite adverse respiratory outcome
this did not reach statistical significance. After adjust- (3.3% compared with 9.8%, adjusted OR 0.33, 95% CI
ment with the same covariates, neonates born after 0.11 0.98, P.04) and 50% less likely to have the
Composite adverse neonatal outcome consists of neonatal intensive care admission, need for ongoing respiratory support,
phototherapy, antibiotic treatment, intravenous fluids for hypoglycemia, or gavage feeding.
Composite adverse respiratory outcome consists of need for oxygen supplementation, continuous positive airway pressure,
mechanical ventilation, or surfactant administration.
VOL. 119, NO. 5, MAY 2012 Kamath-Rayne et al Antenatal Steroids After Fetal Lung Immaturity 913
Table 5. Risk of Neonatal Morbidities in gestation,2 neonates born at 34 weeks or more of
Newborns Born After Immature Fetal gestation with less risk of these morbidities may not
Lung Indices and Managed Expectantly incur as clear a benefit and may be exposed to undue
Compared With Those Born After risk. Indeed, of the 29 neonates born at greater than
Antenatal Corticosteroids 34 weeks of gestation in Crowleys original meta-
Adjusted Odds Ratio analysis, corticosteroids did not decrease the inci-
Neonatal Outcome (95% Confidence Interval)* dence of RDS.2 The Antenatal Steroids for Term
Composite adverse 0.59 (0.281.28)
Elective Cesarean Section study, by Stutchfield et al,17
neonatal outcome examined the use of antenatal corticosteroids given to
Composite adverse 0.11 (0.010.92) women who planned to deliver at 37 weeks of gesta-
respiratory outcome tion or greater by elective cesarean. Although the
Neonatal intensive 0.39 (0.160.99) investigators found a significant difference in the rate
care admission
Hypoglycemia 0.29 (0.130.64)
of RDS between the treatment and control groups (1.1
Intravenous fluids 0.39 (0.081.99) and 0.2%, respectively), they had similar numbers of
for hypoglycemia admissions to neonatal intensive care for both groups
Gavage feeding 0.31 (0.061.66) (26 and 32, respectively), indicating that although
Phototherapy 1.20 (0.363.98) antenatal corticosteroids may have decreased the
Sepsis evaluation 0.22 (0.070.69)
Treatment with antibiotics 0.10 (0.010.83)
incidence of respiratory morbidity, other neonatal
Oxygen supplementation 0.12 (0.010.98) morbidities still necessitated intensive care.12 Another
* Adjusted for hypertensive disease, diabetes, premature rupture
recent study randomized women to corticosteroids
of membranes, intrauterine growth restriction, and presence compared with no treatment after immature amnio-
of labor before delivery. centesis between 34 0/7 and 36 6/7 weeks of gesta-
914 Kamath-Rayne et al Antenatal Steroids After Fetal Lung Immaturity OBSTETRICS & GYNECOLOGY
or expectant management. Even when we attempted harmful to neonates born at 34 weeks of gestation or
to account for the differences in maternal and fetal more after immature amniocentesis. Our data suggest
factors such as presence of labor before delivery, that the choice of steroid administration and then
intrauterine growth restriction, and premature rup- delivery if the results are immature are associated
ture of membranes through multivariable adjusted with high rates of adverse neonatal outcomes and that
analyses, we continued to see significantly higher if the delivery is not otherwise medically indicated,
rates of both composite outcomes and individual either expectant management or delivery after mature
neonatal morbidities in the corticosteroid-exposed fetal lung indices may be the prudent approach.
group compared with the other two groups. Antenatal corticosteroids have proven benefits in
Not only does steroid administration appear to neonates born less than 34 weeks of gestation,14,15 and
have no benefit when administered in the late pre- these incurred benefits certainly outweigh any theo-
term and early term period, but our findings suggest it retic maternal or neonatal risks at that gestational age.
may actually be harmful. Specifically, our study indi- For neonates born at 34 weeks of gestation and
cates an almost twofold increased risk of hypoglyce- greater, who still may have risk of neonatal morbidity
mia and a threefold increased risk of sepsis evaluation as a result of prematurity, but much lower risk of
for neonates whose mothers received corticosteroids more devastating morbidity such as intraventricular
at 34 weeks of gestation or more after immature hemorrhage, the risks of corticosteroid administration
amniocentesis compared with those managed expec- may exceed the benefits. In a discussion of Crowleys
tantly. Considering the biologic plausibility of steroids original meta-analysis regarding antenatal corticoste-
altering glycemic profiles and response to infection, roid administration, Sinclair16 calculated that with a
these findings are certainly provocative, hypothesis-
baseline risk of RDS of 50% in neonates at 30 weeks
generating, and worthy of further evaluation in larger,
of gestation or less, five neonates would need to be
randomized trials.
treated to prevent one case of RDS. However, be-
The retrospective nature of our study also may
cause the baseline risk of RDS in neonates at greater
introduce bias based on inherent differences among
than 34 weeks of gestation is 15%, the number needed
pregnancies in which one approach was chosen over
to treat rises to 145. Our findings agree with recent
another. Performance of lung maturity amniocentesis
cohort studies showing that the benefit of antenatal
implies that the health care provider considered the
corticosteroids varies for neonates born at either
clinical scenario elective, because the health care
provider had time to ponder and then act on the extreme of gestation and incurs the greatest benefit
results. For example, a physician may desire sooner for neonates born between 29 to 34 weeks of gesta-
delivery in more complicated pregnancies but be tion.1720 Further study is needed to determine if the
willing to await mature amniocentesis or simply fol- number needed to harm after 34 weeks gestation
low the pregnancy expectantly in those who have a incurs is less than the number needed to treat for
more elective reason for delivery planning. Pregnan- benefit.
cies that are allowed to continue may be inherently Our work continues to support the notion that
different, possibly at lower risk for adverse outcome, gestational maturity itself has the strongest correlation
than those in which the obstetric provider chooses to with a lack of neonatal morbidity. If delivery is able to
administer steroids after immature lung studies and be prolonged without undue risk to the mother, our
then deliver in less than 1 week. These differences in study suggests that gestational maturity will decrease
reasons for amniocentesis testing may influence the risk of subsequent neonatal morbidity. As such, we
frequency of morbidities, ie, those at highest risk recommend that if delivery is indicated based on the
needing imminent delivery may be in the corticoste- maternal or fetal condition before 39 weeks of gesta-
roid-exposed group. tion, after careful consideration of the risks to the
Although one can never completely account for mother and fetus, the mothers pregnancy should be
all potential confounders in a cohort study such as managed as such without the introduction of possible
this, we did adjust for important factors, which are additional morbidity by administration of antenatal
known to influence neonatal outcome such as medical corticosteroids until further evidence is available from
comorbidities, labor onset before delivery, and preg- randomized controlled trials.
nancy complications such as intrauterine growth re-
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916 Kamath-Rayne et al Antenatal Steroids After Fetal Lung Immaturity OBSTETRICS & GYNECOLOGY