the efficacy of antenatal steroid therapy in preterm neonates in shariati hospital

the newborn who is born before terms is a candidate for the development of idiopathic respiratory distress syndrome. the intense hypoxia and acidosis that ensue as the consequence of inadequate alveolar-capillary exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxid may prove fatal antenatal steroid therapy can affect rds (respiratory distress syndrom) and its complications. the newborn before 34 weeks have a significantly lowered incidence of rds and neonatal mortality from rds with antenatal steroid therapy. in a retrospective study we compared 37 preterm infants whose mothers had received corticosteroids to 29 similar but untreated infants. the study showed that antenatal steroid therapy reduced neonatal mortality from rds more than reducing the incidence of rds and further it was concluded that this beneficial effect was more significant in female fetus than male fetus, but it was not significant statistically