A retrospective study on the effects of steroid administration and prolongation of the latent phase in patients with preterm premature rupture of the membranes.
To address the issues of whether corticosteroid treatment and prolongation of the latent phase improve the outcome of pregnancy in patients with preterm premature rupture of the membranes, we studied 96 patients with premature rupture of the membranes who were delivered of infants of adequate weight for gestational age with birth weights between 751 and 2000 gm and who had a latent period longer than 48 hours. Of these 96 infants, 53 received treatment with steroids and tocolytic agents and 43 received no treatment. We found a significant decrease in perinatal mortality and in the incidence of moderate and severe hyaline membrane disease in infants whose mothers received glucocorticoids. The protective effect of glucocorticoid therapy was limited to infants with a birth weight between 751 and 1000 gm or with a gestational age of 27 to 28 weeks. We also found a significant increase in perinatal mortality, mainly due to infection, when the latent phase was prolonged for greater than 7 days, regardless of the type of management.
Arias
F
F
Knight
A B
AB
Tomich
P B
PB
D001623:Betamethasone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001724:Birth Weight; D005260:Female; D005322:Premature Rupture of Fetal Membranes / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D006819:Hyaline Membrane Disease / Q000453:epidemiology; D007226:Infant Mortality; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007232:Infant, Newborn, Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D007239:Infections / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D007752:Obstetric Labor, Premature / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011247:Pregnancy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013726:Terbutaline / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013997:Time Factors
D001623:Betamethasone; D013726:Terbutaline