title: Comparing neonatal respiratory morbidity in neonates delivered at term by elective Caesarean section with and without dexamethasone: retrospective cohort study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the effect of dexamethasone on neonatal respiratory morbidity in babies delivered by early term elective lower segment Caesarean section.
  
  
  METHODS
  The retrospective cohort study was conducted at a secondary level hospital in Karachi. It reviewed the medical record of pregnant women and their babies who were delivered by elective lower segment Caesarean section between January 1 and June 30, 2013, at 37-38+6 weeks of pregnancy. The women were divided into exposed group (Group A) who received prophylactic dexamethasone, and non-exposed group (Group B) who did not receive dexamethasone Neonatal respiratory morbidity was compared between the two groups. Data was analysed using SPSS 19.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The 196 subjects in the study were equally divided in two groups. In Group A, only 1(1%) baby developed transient tachypnoea compared to 10(10%) babies in Group B (p=0.005). Besides, 11(11%) babies were admitted to nursery in Group B compared to 1(1%) in Group A (p=0.005). No baby was referred to any tertiary care hospital for intensive care.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Beneficial effects of prophylactic dexamethasone in neonatal respiratory morbidity were found, but further prospective studies with large sample size are required.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The Aga Khan Hospital for Women, Karimabad, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Anita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dileep
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The Aga Khan Hospital for Women, Karimabad, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Neelofur Babar
authors.initials: NB
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Sana Sadiq
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Sheikh
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002585:Cesarean Section; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017558:Elective Surgical Procedures; D005260:Female; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D011295:Prenatal Care / Q000379:methods*; D012127:Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Newborn / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D047929:Term Birth; D059245:Transient Tachypnea of the Newborn / Q000517:prevention & control*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D005938:Glucocorticoids; D003907:Dexamethasone
keywords: Early-term Elective Caesarean Section, Antenatal corticosteroids, Transient Tachypnea of Newborn, Respiratory Distress Syndrome.