L-CARNITINE-BETAMETHASONE COMBINATION VS BETAMETHASONE FOR PREVENTIONOF RESPIRATORY-DISTRESS SYNDROME

In this prospective randomised study the effects of antenatal treatmen t with a low dose betamethasone (2 mg/1 day) - L-carnitine (4 g/5 days ) combination were compared with those of a high dose betamethasone, g iven alone (8 mg/2 days) on the prevention of respiratory distress syn drome (RDS) and mortality in preterm infants. One-hundred women enteri ng the trial gave birth to 109 liveborn infants, 55 in the betamethaso ne group (A), 54 in the betamethasone-L-carnitine combination group (B ). Eight of the 55 (14.5%) infants in group A developed RDS, four of t he 54 (7.3%) in group B, which was significantly more (p < 0.05), alth ough in group B the betamethasone dose was dramatically reduced. The m ortality also was significantly lower after treatment with a betametha sone-L-carnitine combination compared to betamethasone alone (4 of 55 infants or 7.3% in group A versus 1 of 54 infants or 1.8% in group B, p < 0.05). The present results demonstrate that in combination with L- carnitine, the betamethasone dose is markedly reducible with a concomm itant significant reduction of the incidence of RDS and mortality of p remature newborns.