Advances in antenatal corticosteroids for improving perinatal outcomes of extremely preterm infants

Abstract

Large population-based cohort studies conducted in the industrialized countries in different eras revealed that the use of antenatal corticosteroids for extremely preterm births (EPT, <28 gestational weeks) reached 60% or higher in the mid-1990s, accompanying by steadily declined perinatal mortality to 13%-22% in EPT with gestational age ≥25 weeks in developed countries. Notably, the survival rate of EPT with 23-24 weeks of gestation was over 50% in Sweden since 2005. There's a link between the increment of antenatal corticosteroids use and steady decline of mortality in EPT in the past three decades. High-quality evidence is needed to demonstrate the impact of antenatal corticosteroids on EPT perinatal outcomes under the current healthcare background in China. This review, focusing on the progression of antenatal corticosteroid treatment for EPT, may facilitate the quality improvement of maternal-fetal and infant healthcare in China. Key words: Glucocorticoids; Infant, extremely premature; Peripartum period; Prognosis