| Methods |
Double‐blind randomised controlled trial |
| Participants |
21 preterm infants with ventilator and O2 dependency at 30 days |
| Interventions |
Dexamethasone 0.5 mg/kg/d every 12 hours for 2 weeks intravenously or orally
Saline placebo given to controls |
| Outcomes |
Inspired oxygen concentration, duration of oxygen, mortality, hypertension, hyperglycaemia, infection, ROP |
| Notes |
— |
| Risk of bias |
| Bias |
Authors' judgement |
Support for judgement |
| Random sequence generation (selection bias) |
Low risk |
Random allocation in the pharmacy via cards of random numbers |
| Allocation concealment (selection bias) |
Low risk |
Allocation concealment: yes |
| Blinding (performance bias and detection bias)
All outcomes |
Low risk |
Blinding of intervention: yes |
| Blinding of participants and personnel (performance bias)
All outcomes |
Low risk |
Blinding of intervention: yes |
| Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias)
All outcomes |
Low risk |
Blinding of outcome: yes |
| Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias)
All outcomes |
Low risk |
Complete follow‐up: yes |
| Selective reporting (reporting bias) |
Unclear risk |
All prespecified outcomes reported |
