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. 2016 Oct 12;355:i5044. doi: 10.1136/bmj.i5044

Table 3.

Primary and secondary outcome in trials on steroids for women at risk of imminent late premature delivery at 340-366 weeks. Values are numbers in corticosteroid group versus numbers in control group, or means (standard deviations). Summary measures are relative risks (95% confidence intervals) unless stated otherwise

Outcomes Balci et al 201015 Porto 201112 Gyamfi-Bannerman et al 201614 I2 (%) τ2 Summary measure (95% CI) DL Summary measure (95% CI) HKSJ
Severe RDS N/R 2/143 v 1/130 20/1427 v 34/1400 0 0.00 0.60 (0.33 to 0.94) 0.60 (0.24 to 0.98)
RDS 8/50 v 2/50 36/143 v 30/130 79/1427 v 89/1400 0% 0.00 0.98 (0.77 to 1.24) 0.98 (0.44 to 1.32)
Mild RDS N/R N/R 31/1427 v 28/1400 NA NA 1.09 (0.66 to 1.80) 1.09 (0.31 to 1.47)
Moderate RDS N/R N/R N/R - - - -
Transient tachypnea of the newborn N/R 34/143 v 29/130 95/1427 v 138/1400 9 0.08 0.72 (0.56 to 0.92) 0.72 (0.50 to 0.98)
Use of surfactant N/R 1/143 v 0/130 26/1427 v 43/1400 0 0.00 0.61 (0.38 to 0.99) 0.61 (0.21 to 1.03)
Mask ventilation 16/50 v 7/50 26/143 v 23/130 145/1427 v 184/1400 0 0.00 0.83 (0.67 to 1.02) 0.83 (0.59 to 1.16)
Mechanical ventilation N/R 2/143 v 1/130 34/1427 v 43/1400 0 0.00 0.80 (0.51 to 1.24) 0.80 (0.42 to 1.30)
Time receiving oxygen (hours) N/R N/R N/R - - - -
Maximum inspired oxygen concentration (%) N/R N/R N/R - - - -
Admission to NICU 8/50 v 2/50 47/143 v 43/130 593/1427 v 627/1400 52 0.45 0.94 (0.87 to 1.02) 0.94 (0.73 to 1.15)
Length of in NICU (days) N/R N/R N/R - - - -
APGAR score at 1 min 7.40 (0.85) v 7.86 (0.78) N/R N/R NA NA −0.46* (−0.78 to 0.14) −0.46* (−0.78 to 0.14)
APGAR score at 5 min 7.98 (0.74) v 8.60 (0.75) N/R N/R NA NA −0.62* (−0.91 to 0.33) −0.62* (−0.91 to 0.33)
Neonatal hypoglycemia N/R 15/143 v 9/130 343/1427 v 209/1400 0 0.00 1.61 (1.38 to 1.87) 1.61 (1.16 to 2.12)
Neonatal death 0/50 v 0/50 0/143 v 2/130 2/1427 v 0/1400 0 0.00 0.95 (0.20 to 4.58) 0.95 (0.15 to 5.87)

Emboldened data are statistically significant.

DL=DerSimonian and Laird; HKSJ=Hartung-Knapp-Sidik-Jonkman; RDS=respiratory distress syndrome; NICU=neonatal intensive care unit; N/R=data not reported in original trial; NA=not applicable.

*Mean difference.