Qublan 2001

Methods	Type of study: RCT Method of treatment allocation: random‐number table generated randomisation sequence Allocation concealment unclear. Stratification: none stated Placebo: no Sample size calculation: no Intention‐to‐treat analyses: yes Losses to follow‐up: no Funding: not stated
Participants	Location: 2 military hospitals in Jordan Timeframe: January 1997‐February 1999 Eligibility criteria: women with singleton pregnancies and PROM Gestational age range: 27‐34 weeks Exclusion criteria: lethal congenital anomaly, fetal death, infection, expected delivery within 12 h Total recruited: 139 women and infants; 72 women and infants in the treatment arm and 67 women and infants in the control arm
Interventions	The treatment group received 4 doses of 6 mg dexamethasone IM 12 h apart, repeated if women had not delivered after 1 week. The control group received expectant management.
Outcomes	Maternal outcomes (chorioamnionitis, endometritis), fetal/neonatal outcomes (fetal death, neonatal death, RDS, IVH, proven neonatal infection while in NICU, necrotising enterocolitis, Apgar < 7) and health service outcome reported (length of neonatal hospitalisation)
Notes	Study authors contacted for further information but no reply. Discrepancy in number of infants with necrotising enterocolitis in manuscript
Risk of bias
Bias	Authors' judgement	Support for judgement
Random sequence generation (selection bias)	Low risk	Random‐number table generated randomisation sequence.
Allocation concealment (selection bias)	Unclear risk	Method of allocation concealment not stated
Blinding of participants and personnel (performance bias) All outcomes	High risk	Blinding of participants and personnel was not possible due to the nature of the comparison.
Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias) All outcomes	Unclear risk	Blinding of outcome assessment was not described.
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) All outcomes	Low risk	No losses to follow‐up or exclusions stated
Selective reporting (reporting bias)	Unclear risk	Discrepancy in number of infants with necrotising enterocolitis in manuscript
Other bias	Unclear risk	Funding source not stated