Publication:

The neonatal outcomes of Dexamethasone administration before scheduled cesarean delivery at term: a randomized clinical trial

Background Caesarean delivery (CD) rates in developing countries are rising beyond the recommended rates of World health organization. Objective of this study was to evaluate whether Dexamethasone injections reduce neonatal incubation admissions when given before scheduled caesarean delivery (CD) at term or not.

Methods A double blinded, two armed, randomized clinical trial was conducted at Tanta University hospitals in the period from October 2017 to March 2019. Four hundred pregnant women admitted for scheduled CD with gestational age ≥37 weeks were included. Patients were randomized into study group and control group. The study group was given 3 dexamethasone doses, 8 mg each while control group was given saline injections simultaneously as a placebo drug. The primary outcome was the neonatal incubatory admissions.

Results Demographic data in both groups were comparable. Transient tachypnea of newborn (TTN) was 15.47% in study group versus 20.33% in control group with p=0.227. The respiratory distress (RDS) in study group was 6.63% versus 9.89% in control group with p=0.260. The incubation admissions were nasal oxygen 12.71% versus 15.38%, continuous positive airway pressure ventilation (CPAP) 5.52% versus 8.24% and mechanical ventilation was 3.87% versus 6.59% in the study and control groups respectively.

Conclusions Although Dexamethasone administration before scheduled CD at term reduced both respiratory morbidity and incubation admissions, the differences between study and control groups were not significant.