Dexamethasone treatment and perinatal morbidity and mortality in pregnancies complicated by premature rupture of membranes

Abstract EN

Objective : To determine the effect of antenatal dexamethasone therapy on perinatal morbidity and mortality in pregnancies complicated by premature rupture of membranes.

Methods : This study was performed on one hundred pregnant women between 27-34 weeks of gestation with singleton pregnancy, complicated by premature rupture of membranes over 16 months at Prince Rashid Ben Al-Hassan Hospital Fifty-one women received dexamethasone during their admission, while 49 women (control group) did not All women were examined clinically and the diagnosis of premature rupture of membranes was demonstrated using speculum and Nitrazine paper examination.

All neonates were evaluated clinically, and by doing laboratory and radiological investigations.

The Fisher exact test was used to assess the significance of differences between the two studied groups.

Results : Premature infants of dexamethasone treated women with premature rupture of membranes showed a significant reduction in the incidence of respiratory distress syndrome (P < 0.001) and necrotizing enterocolitis (P < 0.05).

Respiratory distress syndrome was the only significant cause affecting the perinatal morbidity with significant increase in the control group (P < 0.04).

Perinatal mortality was significantly decreased among the dexamethasone group in gestational and birth weight subgroups (P < 0.04).

Postpartum endometritis was significantly increased among the dexamethasone treated group (P < 0.05).

Infants of treated women showed a significant decrease in hospital stay (P < 0.04).

Conclusion : The use of dexamethasone in pregnancies complicated by premature rupture of membranes has a positive effect on premature infants, significantly decreasing the perinatal morbidity.