DeMartini 1999.

Methods	Single center randomized controlled trial.
Participants	Intubated preterm infants
Interventions	The infants were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 dosage regimens. A high‐dosage regimen with a cumulative dose of 4.1 mg/kg of dexamethasone administered over a 21‐day course: 0.5 mg/kg/day for 2 days, then 0.3 mg/kg/day for 3 days, then 0.24 mg/kg/day for 3 days, then 0.2 mg/kg/day for 3 days, then 0.14 mg/kg/day for 3 days, then 0.1 mg/kg/day for 3 days, followed by 2 doses of 0.1 mg/kg every 48 hours; A low‐dosage regimen with a cumulative dose of 2.7 mg/kg of dexamethasone administered over a 7‐day course: 0.5 mg/kg/day for 3 days, then 0.3 mg/kg/day for 4 days. All medication was given divided into 2 dosages per day. No patients were treated with any corticosteroids outside the study protocol.
Outcomes	The primary outcomes were mortality, duration of mechanical ventilation and duration of oxygen dependence. Secondary outcomes were the occurrence of clinically suspected sepsis, NEC, hypertension, hyperglycemia and hypertriglyceridemia. No long‐term follow‐up was performed.
Notes	Only published as abstract. The original investigator provided data on the incidence of BPD, defined as oxygen dependence at 36 weeks' PMA, combined with mortality at 36 weeks. No long‐term follow‐up performed.
Risk of bias
Bias	Authors' judgement	Support for judgement
Random sequence generation (selection bias)	Unclear risk	No information.
Allocation concealment (selection bias)	Low risk	By personal communication, no information on the methods.
Blinding of participants and personnel (performance bias) All outcomes	Low risk	By personal communication.
Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias) All outcomes	Low risk	By personal communication.
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) All outcomes	Unclear risk	Not specified in the abstract.
Selective reporting (reporting bias)	Unclear risk	Unknown due to abstract form.
Other bias	Unclear risk	Unknown due to abstract form.