title: Aggressive or expectant management for patients with severe preeclampsia between 28-34 weeks' gestation: a randomized controlled trial.
abstract: 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).
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Stellenbosch, Tygerberg, South Africa.
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Odendaal
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Pattinson
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bam
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Grove
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Kotze
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D001623:Betamethasone