| Study characteristics |
| Methods |
Randomised non‐blinded controlled trial |
| Participants |
50 infants < 1251 grams or < 33 weeks, oxygen‐dependent at 72 hours, at high risk of BPD according to a scoring system predicting 90% risk of BPD |
| Interventions |
Dexamethasone 0.5 mg/kg/d for 3 days, 0.25 mg/kg/d for 3 days, and 0.125 mg/kg/d for 1 day
Control group: no mention of placebo |
| Outcomes |
Survival to 28 days Survival to discharge PDA IVH (grades 3 and 4) PVL Sepsis NEC ROP (stages III and above) Requiring ventilation at 28 days BPD at 28 days and 36 weeks Hyperglycaemia Hypertension Needed late corticosteroids Growth failure Left ventricular hypertrophy |
| Notes |
— |
| Risk of bias |
| Bias |
Authors' judgement |
Support for judgement |
| Random sequence generation (selection bias) |
Low risk |
Random allocation via random numbers, concealed in numbered sealed envelopes |
| Allocation concealment (selection bias) |
Low risk |
Allocation concealment: yes |
| Blinding of participants and personnel (performance bias)
All outcomes |
High risk |
Blinding of intervention: no |
| Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias)
All outcomes |
High risk |
Blinding of outcome measurements: no |
| Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias)
All outcomes |
Low risk |
Complete follow‐up: yes |
| Selective reporting (reporting bias) |
Low risk |
All prespecified outcomes reported |
| Other bias |
Low risk |
None |
