TITLE:
Impact of Prophylactic Betamethasone Indication on the Neonatal Outcome in 38-Week Pregnancies Prior to Elective Cesarean Section
AUTHORS:
Enrique Valdés Rubio, Pamela Socías, Javiera Urquieta, Enrique Valdés M, Alvaro Sepúlveda-Martínez
KEYWORDS:
Betamethasone, Corticosteroids, Elective Cesarean Section, Respiratory Complications, Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Transitory Tachypnea
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology,
Vol.10 No.10,
October
14,
2020
ABSTRACT: Objective: To assess whether the use of prenatal betamethasone in pregnancies with elective
Caesarean section (C-section) at 38 weeks has a similar risk of adverse neonatal respiratory outcomes
than elective C-section at 39 weeks. Methods: Retrospective cohort study
of pregnant patients with singleton pregnancies and elective C-section at term in
a one-year period. Cases were C-section at 38 weeks of gestation with a complete
course of betamethasone started 48-hours before. As a control group, pregnancies
with a C-section at 39 weeks without betamethasone were included. Results: During the study period, 186 patients were included. Of these, 91 were delivered
at 38 weeks and 95 at 39 weeks. There were no significant differences in maternal
age and parity. Moreover, there were no significant differences in respiratory complications
(respiratory distress syndrome [RDS] = 0% vs 1.1%; p = 1.0, transitory
tachypnea [TT] = 0% vs 0%) and admission to Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)
(8.8% vs 6.3%; p = 0.7) between deliveries at
38 weeks and 39 weeks, respectively. Conclusion: Prophylactic use of betamethasone
in early term pregnancies who undergo an elective C-section at 38 weeks is associated
with similar adverse neonatal respiratory outcomes than patients with C-section
at 39 weeks without corticosteroids.