Prevention of RDS in prematurely born very low birth weight infants

Abstract

Objective: to evaluate the influence of antenatal thyrotropin-releasing hormone and glucocorticoids therapy for prevention of respiratory distress syndrome and for survival rate in group of prematurely born very low birth weight infants (<=1500g).

Full Text

Patients and methods: We evaluated 240 neonates born at the Department of Obstetrics and Perinatology of University School of Medicine in Lublin. The study was carried out on 46 neonates whose mothers receiving antenatal TRH and glucocorticoids (group I). A control group were 194 neonates, whose mothers receiving only glucocorticoids for accelerating fetal lung maturity (group II). Statistical analysis was performed. Baseline and outcome variables were tested with Student's t-test and c² analysis. We need p< 0,05 for statistical significance.

Results: Respiratory distress syndrome occurred in 156 premature infants. 84 very low birth weight infants were without respiratory distress syndrome.

Conclusions: Combined use of antenatal TRH and glucocorticoids was associated with a statistically significant (p<0.05) reduction in the risk of respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) in prematurely born very low birth infants. Better survival rate of very low birth infants was observed in the TRH plus glucocorticoids group than in only steroids one. But this difference was statistically insignificant. Further investigations to determine the safety and efficacy of antenatal TRH therapy are needed.