The effect of prenatal administration of dexamethasone and ritodrine on cord blood cortisol and glucose concentrations in premature infants with respiratory distress syndrome.

The influence of maternal dexamethasone and ritodrine administration during pregnancy on cord blood cortisol and capillary serum glucose concentrations and on the incidence of respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) was studied in 30 premature infants (gestational age 27-36 weeks), and compared with a matched control group of 37 premature infants where no such medications were administered. RDS occurred less often in the treated group of infants (13.3%) than in the controls (35.1%, p < 0.01). The healthy treated infants had a significantly lower mean umbilical cord plasma cortisol concentration (5.5 +/- 1.8 ug/dl, mean +/- SD) than that observed in the controls (11.2 +/- 3.9 ug/dl, p < 0.01). Mean cord plasma cortisol concentrations increased with duration of pregnancy. No significant difference in the capillary serum glucose at 30 minutes post-delivery was found between the healthy, RDS, treated and non-treated infants. No adverse effects of steroid and ritodrine therapy were observed.