TITLE:
Antenatal Corticosteroid Use and Perinatal Mortality According to Gestational Age among Preterm Singletons Born at 27 to 34 Weeks of Gestation in Hospitals in Tanzania
AUTHORS:
Stanley Mwita, Deogratias Katabalo, Karol J. Marwa
KEYWORDS:
Antenatal Corticosteroid, Perinatal Mortality, Gestational Age, Preterm Singletons, Tanzania
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Pediatrics,
Vol.12 No.3,
July
15,
2022
ABSTRACT: Background: Antenatal corticosteroid (ACS) treatment has been proven to decrease
rates of adverse perinatal outcomes when administered to pregnant women at risk
for preterm delivery. Given the uncertainty about the benefit of ACS according
to gestational age, we aimed to examine whether there was any benefit of ACS on
perinatal mortality and respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) according to
different gestational ages at birth. Methods: Secondary analysis of data
from an observational prospective chart review study was conducted in four
hospitals located in the Mwanza region, Tanzania. The study population
consisted of singleton infants delivered between 27 and 34 weeks of gestation
between July 2019 and February 2020. Sociodemographic and medical data were recorded
from participants’ medical records. Results: Over an eight-month period,
838 preterm singletons were delivered between 27 and 34 weeks of gestation.
Three hundred and twelve (37.2%) pregnant women received at least one dose of
ACS. Among infants exposed to ACS, perinatal mortality rates were significantly
lower than those without exposure at the 27th week (27.8% vs 94.4%, P Conclusion: Our findings add to the literature about
the benefits of ACS for preterm infants of various gestational ages in
low-resource settings. Compared to unexposed infants, those exposed to ACS and
born at 27th and 34th weeks of gestation experienced lower rates of perinatal
mortality. Future research, especially among infants born before the 27th week
of pregnancy, is a priority.