New Study Suggests Steroids Could Help Premature Babies Deal With Complications

A new study created by the researchers at Columbia University Medical Center in New York says that pregnant women who are at high risk for delivering their baby earlier than their scheduled due date are recommended to take steroids. It is because it could spare their child from possible respiratory complications and other diseases. This research was published on Feb. 4 via the New England Journal of Medicine.

In a report rendered by WebMD, they said that the researchers needed the help of about 2,800 random pregnant women who were told by their doctors that they could possibly experience premature delivery. Each of them was given two injections of either the steroid betamethasone or a placebo.

According to medical professionals, 40 weeks is the time span given for a full-term pregnancy. If a pregnant woman delivers her child before the 34^th week of her pregnancy, her child would already be considered as premature. Children who were born earlier than the said 34 weeks are prone to acquiring respiratory complications. Some of them might even need to be in an intensive care unit for newborn babies, while others would be required to undergo treatments for their lungs.

U.S. News also cited that this study confirmed the negative effects that late preterm delivery could bring to both the pregnant woman and her child. The head of this research, Dr. Cynthia Gyamfi-Bannerman explained their findings stated, "Our study demonstrates that administering a medication that is commonly used to prevent complications in babies born before 34 weeks of gestation can also reduce the risk of many serious complications in babies delivered just a few weeks before term."

She continued saying that this study would change how everyone treats pregnant women who are prone to premature delivery. According to statistics, over 300,000 premature babies are born every year in the U.S. alone. Hopefully, steroids could put an end to the many scares premature delivery could bring to both the mother and her child.