Is antenatal glucocorticoid treatment associated with long-term metabolic risks in individuals born before 32 weeks of gestation?
The reduction in neonatal mortality associated with a single course of maternal betamethasone is not accompanied by long-term metabolical risks in survivors of preterm birth. The only adverse effect found was lower GFR. Although this difference was not clinically relevant at 19 years, it might predict an increased risk of chronic renal failure in prematurely born individuals who were exposed antenatally to betamethasone.
Umbilical and cerebral artery Doppler is a relatively poor predictor of neonatal outcome. It seems that neonatal birth weight is the best predictor of neonatal outcome in high-risk pregnancies.