title: Effects of antenatal betamethasone on human fetal branch pulmonary artery flow velocity waveforms.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effect of antenatal betamethasone on fetal branch pulmonary artery flow velocity waveforms.
  
  
  METHODS
  Betamethasone 12 mg i.m. in 2 injections 24 h apart was given to 25 pregnant women at risk of preterm delivery. Pulsatility (PI) and resistance (RI) indexes were measured at the proximal, middle and distal segments of the fetal pulmonary artery before and repeatedly 1, 2 and 7 days after the first dose. ANOVA for repeated measures and the general linear model were used to statistically analyze the results.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Blood flow resistance decreased after betamethasone treatment at both the middle (p = 0.001 and p = 0.02 for RI and PI, respectively) and the proximal (p = 0.03 for RI) segments returning to basal values after 7 days.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Antenatal betamethasone decreases fetal branch pulmonary artery vascular resistance.
authors.affiliation: Division of Maternal and Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital Puerta del Mar, Cádiz, Spain.
authors.forename: José L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Bartha
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Largo-Heinrich
authors.forename: María J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Machado
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: González-Bugatto
authors.forename: Blas
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hervías-Vivancos
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001623:Betamethasone / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011249:Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000517:prevention & control; D011295:Prenatal Care / Q000379:methods*; D011651:Pulmonary Artery / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D011652:Pulmonary Circulation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D001623:Betamethasone