Blood pressure at 6 years of age after prenatal exposure to betamethasone: follow-up results of a randomized, controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE To determine whether prenatal exposure to betamethasone for the prevention of neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) alters blood pressure in childhood. DESIGN Prospective follow-up study of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. SETTING National Women's Hospital (Auckland, New Zealand). PARTICIPANTS Two hundred twenty-three 6-year-old children of mothers who presented with unplanned premature labor and took part in a randomized, controlled trial of prenatal betamethasone therapy for the prevention of neonatal RDS. INTERVENTION Mothers received 2 doses of betamethasone (12 mg) or placebo, administered through intramuscular injection, 24 hours apart. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Systolic and diastolic blood pressure at 6 years of age. RESULTS Children exposed prenatally to betamethasone (n = 121) did not differ in systolic or diastolic blood pressure from children exposed to placebo (n = 102) (mean difference: systolic: -1.6 mm Hg; 95% confidence interval: -4.1 to 0.8 mm Hg; diastolic: -0.3 mm Hg; 95% confidence interval: -2.5 to 1.8 mm Hg). CONCLUSION Prenatal exposure to betamethasone for prevention of neonatal RDS does not alter blood pressure at 6 years of age.