Effect of repetitive prenatal corticosteroid medication on intrauterine growth and growth in early childhood

Objective:The evaluation of the effects of repeated antenatal corticosterio d (CS) medication on birth size and size at the age of 4 years. Methods: 82 children exposed to CS initially between 26 and 28 weeks of gestation were matched with 82 controls of the same gestational age and sex. Results: No differences were observed between the CS and control groups with regard to weight, head circumference, and length at birth and at the age of 4 years. Conclusions: Our study failed to demonstrate that repetitive antenatal medi cation with CS in order to induce lung maturation has a negative im pact on intrauterine growth and growth in early childhood. Copyright (C) 2001 S. K arger AG, Basel.