Table 2. Neurocognitive Function at Midchildhood of Children Exposed to Repeated-Dose Betamethasone Treatment or Placebo.
| Outcome | Subgroup | Repeated-Dose Betamethasone Treatment Group | Placebo Group | Treatment Effect (95% CI)a |
P Value for Interaction |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Data | Total No. | Data | Total No. | ||||
| Survival free of any disability, No. (%)b | FGR | 108 (75.0) | 144 | 91 (72.2) | 126 | OR, 1.1 (0.6 to 1.9) | .77 |
| Non-FGR | 267 (79.7) | 335 | 283 (79.0) | 358 | OR, 1.0 (0.7 to 1.5) | ||
| Death or moderate to severe disability, No. (%)b | FGR | 21 (14.6) | 144 | 20 (15.9) | 126 | OR, 0.9 (0.4 to 1.9) | .84 |
| Non-FGR | 29 (8.6) | 335 | 36 (10.0) | 358 | OR, 0.8 (0.4 to 1.3) | ||
| Cognition | |||||||
| Full-scale IQ, mean (SD) | FGR | 97.3 (16.1) | 130 | 97.5 (14.3) | 111 | MD, −0.3 (−4.5 to 3.9) | .83 |
| Non-FGR | 101.0 (16.1) | 314 | 100.5 (16.2) | 334 | MD, 0.3 (−2.2 to 2.9) | ||
| Full-scale IQ <85, No. (%) | FGR | 20 (15.4) | 130 | 15 (13.5) | 111 | OR, 1.1 (0.5 to 2.5) | .85 |
| Non-FGR | 40 (12.7) | 314 | 41 (12.3) | 334 | OR, 1.0 (0.6 to 1.7) | ||
| Motor, No. (%) | |||||||
| Cerebral palsy | FGR | 6 (4.3) | 139 | 5 (4.1) | 122 | OR, 1.0 (0.3 to 3.4) | .86 |
| Non-FGR | 13 (3.7) | 354 | 15 (4.1) | 372 | OR, 0.9 (0.4 to 1.9) | ||
| Low movement, ABC total score <15th centile | FGR | 43 (33.3) | 129 | 36 (33.3) | 108 | OR, 0.9 (0.5 to 1.7) | .86 |
| Non-FGR | 66 (21.8) | 303 | 78 (23.9) | 327 | OR, 0.9 (0.6 to 1.4) | ||
| TEA-Ch subtest score, mean (SD)c | |||||||
| Selective attention: Sky Search | FGR | 9.3 (3.1) | 125 | 8.6 (3.4) | 108 | MD, 0.7 (−0.1 to 1.5) | .05 |
| Non-FGR | 9.1 (3.1) | 301 | 9.3 (3.2) | 320 | MD, −0.2 (−0.7 to 0.2) | ||
| Sustained attention: Score! | FGR | 8.7 (3.7) | 123 | 9.0 (3.6) | 103 | MD, −0.2 (−1.2 to 0.7) | .68 |
| Non-FGR | 8.7 (3.4) | 299 | 8.6 (3.6) | 305 | MD, 0.0 (−0.5 to 0.6) | ||
| Shifting attention: Creature Counting | FGR | 9.1 (3.6) | 104 | 8.8 (3.7) | 90 | MD, 0.3 (−0.7 to 1.3) | .83 |
| Non-FGR | 9.8 (3.6) | 273 | 9.6 (3.5) | 280 | MD, 0.1 (−0.4 to 0.7) | ||
| Divided attention: Sky Search Dual Task | FGR | 59.9 (26.9) | 118 | 52.6 (30.2) | 98 | MD, 7.1 (−0.8 to 15.2) | .02 |
| Non-FGR | 58.4 (29.8) | 290 | 62.2 (28.7) | 292 | MD, −3.5 (−8.4 to 1.3) | ||
| Executive function, mean (SD) | |||||||
| Rey Complex Figure Accuracy scored | FGR | 15.1 (7.1) | 124 | 13.4 (7.4) | 106 | MD, 1.8 (−0.1 to 3.8) | .08 |
| Non-FGR | 15.6 (7.9) | 302 | 15.9 (7.9) | 316 | MD, −0.4 (−1.7 to 0.8) | ||
| Rey Complex Figure Organization scoree | FGR | 3.6 (1.2) | 124 | 3.4 (1.1) | 106 | MD, 0.3 (0.0 to 0.6) | .14 |
| Non-FGR | 3.7 (1.1) | 300 | 3.6 (1.1) | 315 | MD, 0.0 (−0.2 to 0.1) | ||
| Fruit Stroop Task, No. correct (trial 4) | FGR | 20.0 (8.4) | 119 | 19.2 (7.7) | 106 | MD, 1.0 (−1.1 to 3.1) | .02 |
| Non-FGR | 19.3 (8.2)e | 294 | 21.3 (8.6) | 310 | MD, −2.1 (−3.5 to −0.8) | ||
Abbreviations: ABC, Assessment Battery for Children; FGR, fetal growth restriction; MD, mean difference; OR, odds ratio; TEA-Ch, Test of Everyday Attention for Children.
Adjusted for potential confounders (gestational age at trial entry, antepartum hemorrhage, preterm prelabor rupture of membranes, and country of birth) and clustering of children from multiple pregnancy.
Disability defined as any of cerebral palsy, blindness or deafness, or IQ of less than 85; moderate or severe, deafness, moderate to severe cerebral palsy, or IQ of less than 70.
Scores range from 0 to 20, with higher scores indicating better attention.
Scores range from 0 to 36, with higher scores indicating better executive function.
P < .05 for comparison between trial intervention groups within subgroup.