Aggressive or expectant management for patients with severe preeclampsia between 28-34 weeks' gestation: a randomized controlled trial.
Fifty-eight women with severe preeclampsia between 28-34 weeks' gestation qualified for a randomized controlled trial to establish whether elective delivery 48 hours after administration of betamethasone (aggressive-management group) or delivery later as indicated by maternal or fetal condition (expectant-management group) was more beneficial to maternal and fetal outcome. Twenty women who qualified were not randomized because they developed maternal or fetal indications necessitating delivery within 48 hours; these newborns developed most of the complications. Expectant management was not associated with an increase in maternal complications, but it significantly prolonged the gestational age (mean 7.1 days; P less than .05), reduced the number of neonates requiring ventilation (P less than .05), and reduced the number of neonatal complications (P less than .05).
Odendaal
H J
HJ
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Stellenbosch, Tygerberg, South Africa.
Pattinson
R C
RC
Bam
R
R
Grove
D
D
Kotze
T J
TJ
D001623:Betamethasone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002585:Cesarean Section; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007226:Infant Mortality; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007232:Infant, Newborn, Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D007902:Length of Stay; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D011247:Pregnancy
D001623:Betamethasone