Razi Journal of Medical Sciences

    The objective of the present study was to compare the incidence of RDS in preterm infants born during the first 24 hours of dexamethasone administration with those whose mothers did not receive any dexamethasone. A clinical trial study was performed on pregnant women admitted to Shahid Akbar Abadi Hospital between Sep.1999 and Sep.2000 with preterm labor at 30-36 weeks of pregnancy. In dexamethasone group, this drug was administered 5 mg every 12 hours intra muscularly, while control group did not receive dexamethasone. 100 patients who delivered during the first 24 hours of dexamethasone administration (experimental group) and 70 patients without dexamethasone administration and delivery within 24 hours of admission (control group) were selected and RDS in their neonates was compared. Also, the relationship between RDS and the route of delivery and the sex of neonates was evaluated. Based on the obtained results, in dexa group, RDS was 15% versus 27.1% in control group which was a statistically significant difference (P<0.05). In 30-31.6 weeks of pregnancy, there was 18.9% RDS in dexa group versus 35% in control group (P=0.001). In 32-33.6 weeks of pregnancy, there was 14.3% RDS in dexa group versus 30.7% in control group (P=0.001) and in 34-36 weeks of pregnancy, there was 10.7% RDS in dexa group versus 16.7% in control group which in all gestational age was statistically significant difference (P=0.004). RDS in males was more prevalent than in females (P=0.001) and neonates who were born by cesarean section suffered from RDS more than vaginally born neonates (P=0.005). According to this study, it is better to administer corticosteroids in patients who are believed that their delivery occurs less than 24 hours of drug administration.