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Antenatal Corticosteroid

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Book cover Preterm Labor and Delivery

Part of the book series: Comprehensive Gynecology and Obstetrics ((CGO))

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Abstract

During the last 50 years, antenatal corticosteroid therapy has been valuable in patients experiencing imminent preterm birth. In recent years, its effect has been investigated and proved in detail. With a rise in the number of older patients who received antenatal corticosteroid during the early years, the attention to the long-term adverse effects is rising.

Physiological glucocorticoids (GCs) have a distinct important physiological role in accelerating development and maturation of various fetal organs in preparation for extrauterine survival. Because infants born during the early gestational age do not receive adequate exposure to GCs until birth, fetal organ maturation is delayed. This is the main mechanism for antenatal corticosteroid therapy.

Current clinical guidelines have concluded that a single course of antenatal corticosteroids should be considered routine for all imminent preterm births. On the contrary, this exposure far exceeds the physiological corticosteroid level, far before the appropriate time, so there are many concerns about its adverse effects.

We describe the physiological effects, short- and long-term effects to the infant after administration, and adverse effects of antenatal corticosteroid therapy.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kagoshima City Hospital, Kagoshima, Japan

    Takatsugu Maeda M.D., Ph.D.

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  1. Takatsugu Maeda M.D., Ph.D.
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Correspondence to Takatsugu Maeda M.D., Ph.D. .

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  1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Miyazaki, Faculty of Medicine, Miyazaki, Japan

    Hiroshi Sameshima

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Maeda, T. (2020). Antenatal Corticosteroid. In: Sameshima, H. (eds) Preterm Labor and Delivery. Comprehensive Gynecology and Obstetrics. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-9875-9_19

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-9875-9_19

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