Antenatal Magnesium Sulfate Use for Fetal Neuroprotection: Experience from a Tertiary Care Hospital in Turkey

Aims: We aimed to demonstrate the effect of magnesium sulfate for fetal neuroprotection on maternal and neonatal outcomes of pregnants delivered before 32 weeks. Materials and methods: The records of 107 patients who were delivered before 32 weeks of pregnancy were reviewed retrospectively during the period between January 2011-February 2016. Patients who were treated with MgSO4 for fetal neuroprotective effect constituted the study group, and patients who were not received MgSO4 for the fetal neuroprotection represented the control group. Results: One hundred seven women delivered before 32nd weeks of pregnancy met study criteria and of these patients, 46 were formed the magnesium sulfate group, and the remaining 61 were constituted the control group. The age (28.37 ± 4.97 versus 29.90 ± 5.23 respectively; p=0.129), body mass index (BMI) (26.25 ± 4.12 versus 26.90 ± 5.68 respectively; p=0.342) and gestational age at delivery (28.08 ± 2.66 versus 28.78 ± 2.15 respectively; p=0.136) were similar between the groups. Intraventricular hemorrhage was more common in control group compared with the MgSO4 group [7/61 (11.4%) versus 3/46 (6.5%); p=0.049]. For the periventricular leukomalacia [1 (2.2%) versus 0 (0%) respectively; p=0.430], neonatal convulsion [1 (2.2%) versus 3 (4.9%) respectively; P=0.630] and neonatal encephalopathy [0 (0%) versus 1 (1.6%) respectively; p=0.570], no substantial differences were seen between the groups. Conclusions: The results of this study suggest that MgSO4 treatment for fetal neuroprotection has a beneficial effect on intraventricular hemorrhage rate. The widespread use of prenatal MgSO4 for the purpose of fetal neuroprotection before 32 weeks of pregnancy at a standard dose protocol could improve the neonatal neurological outcomes.