Neurological Outcomes Of Antenatal Corticosteroid Therapy.

AIM OF THE STUDY to investigate whether antenatal corticosteroid therapy (ACST) could impact neurological condition, as assessed through muscular tone, of prematurely born infants. METHODS all 82 patients at risk of preterm delivery treated and delivered over 12 months were divided into two equal groups regarding the use of ACST. The investigated parameters were pregnancy complications, biophysical profile, Apgar score, gestational age of delivery and all postpartum complications. Neurological development and muscular tone were evaluated at the 1st, 3rd, 6th and 12th months of life using Vojta's method, which classifies muscular tone as good, hypotonic, or hypertonic. RESULTS after therapy, infants from the treated and control groups differed in biophysical profile, Apgar score, length of intensive care, occurrence of respiratory distress syndrome, and intraventricular hemorrhage. During the follow-up, significantly more infants from the ACST group had good muscular tone when compared to those from the control group. Regression analysis showed that ASCT can significantly impact an infant's muscular tone. Still, the week of delivery and the complications such as diabetes mellitus, intrauterine growth restriction, and respiratory distress syndrome, could change the association of ACST and infants' muscular tone. CONCLUSION ACST was associated with the positive neurological outcomes of prematurely born infants when assessed through their muscular tone.