RANDOMIZED STUDY OF THE EFFECT OF ANTENATAL DEXAMETHASONE ON GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF PREMATURE CHILDREN AT THE CORRECTED AGE OF 2 YEARS

The objective of the series was to study the effect of prenatal dexame thasone therapy on the growth and neurological development of preterm children until the age of 2 years. Eighty-two children with a mean ges tational age of 30 (24-33) weeks and a mean weight of 1291 (530-2360) g at birth, treated antenatally with either dexamethasone (n = 50) or placebo (n = 32), were examined at the adjusted age of 24 months by a paediatric neurologist, a neuropsychologist and a speech therapist. Ne urological development was defined as normal if all scores of neuropae diatric, neuropsychological and verbal tests were within the normal ra nge. Normal neurological development was found in 52% of the dexametha sone-treated and in 34% of the placebo-treated children. The incidence of cerebral palsy was 10% in the dexamethasone group and 22% in the p lacebo group. Minor developmental delay was found in 42% of dexamethas one-treated and in 53% of placebo-treated children. Our follow-up resu lts indicate that the beneficial effect of prenatal glucocorticoid tre atment on cerebral complications (intraventricular haemorrhage or peri ventricular leucomalacia) demonstrated during the neonatal period may be followed by a lower incidence of cerebral palsy in surviving premat ure children.