Table 3.
Secondary maternal and neonatal outcomes.
| Outcome | Dexamethasone n/N (%) | Placebo n/N (%) | Relative risk (95% CI) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neonatal outcome | |||
| Stillbirth | 5/417 (1.2) | 7/432 (1.6) | 0.74 (0.24 – 2.31) |
| Early neonatal death (≤7 days) | 9/412 (2.2) | 9/425 (2.1) | 1.03 (0.41 - 2.58) |
| Neonatal sepsis | 3/378 (0.8) | 4/393 (1.0) | 0.78 (0.18 - 3.46) |
| Hypoglycemia* | 31/377 (8.2) | 30/393 (7.6) | 1.09 (0.65 - 1.81) |
| Major resuscitation at birth (positive pressure ventilation for more than 1 min) | 6/412 (1.5) | 16/425 (3.8) | 0.38 (0.15 – 0.97) |
| Use of oxygen therapy* | 54/381 (14.2) | 66/396 (16.7) | 0.86 (0.61 - 1.21) |
| Use of CPAP* | 14/381 (3.7) | 25/396 (6.3) | 0.55 (0.29 - 1.08) |
| Use of mechanical ventilation* | 5/381 (1.31) | 8/396 (2.0) | 0.65 (0.21 - 1.97) |
| Use of parenteral therapeutic antibiotics for 5 days or more ǂ | 44/381 (11.6) | 39/396 (9.9) | 1.21 (0.79 - 1.85) |
| Admission to a special care unit | 193/381 (50.7) | 223/396 (56.3) | 0.90 (0.79 - 1.03) |
| Maternal outcome | |||
| Maternal death | 0/391 (0.0) | 2/391 (0.5) | – |
| Maternal fever | 4/390 (1.0) | 8/390 (2.1) | 0.50 (0.15 - 1.65) |
| Chorioamnionitis | 0/391 (0.0) | 0/391 (0.0) | – |
| Endometritis | 0/391 (0.0) | 0/391 (0.0) | – |
| Wound infection | 2/391 (0.5) | 4/391 (1.0) | 0.50 (0.09 - 2.71) |
| Non-obstetric infection | 6/390 (1.5) | 9/391 (2.3) | 0.67 (0.24 - 1.86) |
| Therapeutic antibiotics | 9/391 (2.3) | 15/391 (3.8) | 0.60 (0.27 – 1.35) |
| Any antibiotic use | 378/390 (96.9) | 380/389 (97.7) | 0.99 (0.97 – 1.02) |
⁎
Measured during initial postnatal hospitalization only, until death, discharge or completed day 7 (whichever came first); h, hours; CPAP, continuous positive airway pressure.
ǂ
Parenteral therapeutic antibiotics for 5 days or more, even if interrupted, excluding neonates who died before 5 completed days; referral for treatment not presented because of very few events.