title: Antenatal steroid exposure and pulmonary outcomes in adolescents born with very low birth weight.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare asthma history and pulmonary function in adolescents born prematurely with very low birth weight with and without antenatal steroid exposure.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied 188 fourteen-year olds (94 exposed, 84 male). We used parent report to ascertain asthma and asthma-related symptoms and spirometry to assess pulmonary function. Steroid-exposed and -unexposed groups were compared using Mann-Whitney U-tests (continuous variables), χ(2) analysis (categorical variables) and logistic regression (multivariate analyses).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The steroid-exposed group had greater prevalence of larger airway obstruction (35% vs 21%), and steroid-exposed adolescents with birth weights <1000 g had 4.5-fold higher odds of larger airway obstruction. Wheezing in the past 12 months was two times as prevalent in steroid-exposed adolescents with birth weights between 1000 and 1500 g.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Antenatal steroid exposure does not provide long-term benefits for pulmonary outcomes in adolescents born prematurely with very low birth weight in the era of surfactant therapy.
authors.affiliation: 1] Department of Health and Exercise Science, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC, USA [2] Department of Pediatrics, Wake Forest University Health Sciences, Winston-Salem, NC, USA.
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Nixon
authors.forename: L K
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Washburn
authors.forename: T M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: O'Shea
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005325:Fetal Organ Maturity / Q000187:drug effects*; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007234:Infant, Premature; D019102:Infant, Very Low Birth Weight; D008168:Lung / Q000187:drug effects / Q000196:embryology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests
chemical_list: D005938:Glucocorticoids