Table 1. Characteristics of Included Studies.
| Source and country | Risk-of-bias ratinga | Recruitment period (timing of follow-up) | Study design | Treatment (dose pattern) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single antenatal corticosteroid course vs nonexposure | ||||
| Children with preterm birth | ||||
| Chawla et al,40 2013, US | ★★★★★★★★ | 2005-2008 (18-22 mo corrected age) | Retrospective cohort | Betamethasone, 2 doses (NS) |
| Gover et al,46 2012, Canada | ★★★★★★★½ | 2001-2004 (18 mo corrected age) | Prospective cohort | Dexamethasone (two 12 mg once every 12-24 h) |
| Chawla et al,38 2016, US | ★★★★★★★ | 2006-2011 (18-22 mo corrected age) | Prospective cohort study | Betamethasone (two 12 mg once every 24 h) or dexamethasone (four 6 mg once every 12 h) |
| Lee et al,42 2008, US | ★★★★★★½ | 2002-2003 (18-22 mo corrected age) | Retrospective cohort | Betamethasone (two 12 mg once every 24 h) or dexamethasone (four 6 mg once every 12 h) |
| Agarwal et al,35 2018, Singapore | ★★★★★★ | 2010-2011 (mean [SD]: 24 [4] mo corrected age) | Prospective cohort | Dexamethasone (two 12 mg once every 24 h) |
| Kim et al,36 2018, Korea | ★★★★★½ | 2001-2016 (18-22 mo after birth) | Retrospective cohort | Betamethasone (two 12 mg once every 24 h) or dexamethasone (four 6 mg once every 12 h) |
| Laughon et al,43 2009, unspecified | ★★★★★½ | 2002-2004 (24 mo corrected age) | Prospective cohort | Betamethasone (two 12 mg once every 24 h) or dexamethasone (four 6 mg once every 12 h) |
| McElrath et al,41 2009, US | ★★★★★½ | 2002-2004 (approximately 24 mo corrected age) | Prospective cohort | Betamethasone (dose NS; two once every 24 h) or dexamethasone (dose NS; four once every 12 h) administered at least 48 h after the first dose |
| Lardón et al,37 2017, Spain | ★★★★½ | 2008-2013 (during first 2 y of corrected age) | Prospective cohort | Betamethasone (two 12 mg once every 24 h) |
| Tseng et al,39 2016, Taiwan | ★★★★½ | 2007-2010 (2-5 y) | Prospective cohort | Betamethasone (two 12 mg once every 24 h) or dexamethasone (four 6 mg once every 12 h) |
| Unspecified No. of antenatal corticosteroid courses vs nonexposure | ||||
| Children with preterm or full-term birth | ||||
| Lamminmäki et al,45 2021, Finland | ★★★★★★★½ | 2003-2008 (1.5-8 y) | Retrospective cohort | Betamethasone (two 12 mg once every 24 h)b |
| Räikkönen et al,21 2020, Finland | ★★★★★★★½ | 2006-2017 (1-11 y) | Retrospective cohort | Betamethasone (two 12 mg once every 24 h)b |
| Wolford et al,24 2020, Finland | ★★★★★★★ | 2006-2010 (6-10 y) | Prospective cohort | Betamethasone (two 12 mg once every 24 h, IM)b |
| Children with preterm birth | ||||
| Haslam et al,27 2018, Canada | ★★★★★★★★½ | 2009-2011 (18-21 mo corrected age) | Retrospective cohort | Betamethasone (two 12 mg once every 24 h, IM)b |
| Aviram et al,50 2021, Canada | ★★★★★★★★ | 2006-2011 (at least 5 y) | Retrospective cohort | Betamethasone (two 12 mg once every 24 h, IM)b |
| Räikkönen et al,21 2020, Finland | ★★★★★★★½ | 2006-2017 (1-11 y) | Retrospective cohort | Betamethasone (two 12 mg once every 24 h)b |
| Hutcheon et al,49 2020 Canada | ★★★★★★★ | 2000-2013 (5-6 y) | Regression discontinuity | Betamethasone (two 12 mg once every 24 h, IM)b |
| Gentle et al,22 2020, US | ★★★★★★★ | 2011-2014 (18-26 mo corrected age) | Prospective cohort | Betamethasone (two 12 mg once every 24 h, IM)b |
| Bulbul et al,47 2020, Turkey | ★★★★★★½ | 2011-2014 (18-24 mo corrected age) | Prospective cohort | Antenatal corticosteroids (NS) |
| Miyazaki et al,30 2015, Japan | ★★★★★★½ | 2003-2007 (3 y or 36-42 mo chronological age) | Retrospective cohort | Antenatal corticosteroids (NS) |
| Ushida et al,48 2020, Japan | ★★★★★★½ | 2003-2015 (3 y) | Retrospective cohort | Betamethasone (two 12 mg once every 24 h, IM)b |
| Ushida et al,23 2020, Japan | ★★★★★★½ | 2003-2016 (3 y) | Retrospective cohort | Betamethasone (two 12 mg once every 24 h, IM)b |
| Basset et al,26 2018, France | ★★★★★★ | 2003-2013 (2 y corrected age) | Prospective cohort | Antenatal corticosteroids (NS) |
| Ishikawa et al,29 2015, Japan | ★★★★★½ | 2003-2007 (3 y or 36-42 mo) | Retrospective cohort | Betamethasone (NS)b |
| Li et al,25 2019, China | ★★★★★½ | 2010-2016 (18-24 mo) | Prospective cohort | Betamethasone (12 mg once every 24 h, IM) or dexamethasone (6 mg once every 12 h for 48 h, IM)b |
| Ochiai et al,33 2014, Japan | ★★★★★½ | 2000-2009 (3 y) | Retrospective cohort | Betamethasone or dexamethasone (NS) |
| Young et al,28 2016, Canada | ★★★★★½ | 2008-2010 (at 2 y and 4 y) | Prospective cohort | Betamethasone (two 12 mg once every 24 h, IM)b |
| Källén et al,31 2015, Sweden | ★★★★½ | 2004-2007 (2.5 y corrected age) | Prospective cohort | Betamethasone (NS) |
| Kiechl-Kohlendorfer et al,34 2009, Austria | ★★★★½ | 2003-2006 (1 y corrected age) | Prospective cohort | Antenatal corticosteroids (NS) |
| Sun et al,32 2015, China | ★★★★½ | 2006-2010 (18 mo corrected age) | Retrospective cohort | Antenatal corticosteroids (NS) |
| Children with full-term birth | ||||
| Melamed et al,44 2019, Canada | ★★★★★★★★ | 2006-2011 (5 y) | Retrospective cohort | Betamethasone (two 12 mg once every 24 h, IM) or dexamethasone (four 6 mg once every 12 h, IM)b |
| Räikkönen et al,21 2020, Finland | ★★★★★★★½ | 2006-2017 (1-11 y) | Retrospective cohort | Betamethasone (two 12 mg once every 24 h)b |
Abbreviations: IM, intramuscular; NS, not specified.
a
Each star represents 1 point and half of a star represents one-half point in the modified Newcastle-Ottawa Scale for assessing risk of bias across 8 domains.
b
Antenatal corticosteroid dose was not stated but assumed on the basis of available guideline recommendations at the time of recruitment and was still classified as unspecified.