Does antenatal betamethasone have negative effects on fetal activities and hemodynamics in cases of preeclampsia without severe features? A prospective, placebo-controlled, randomized study

Abstract

Aim: To evaluate whether antenatal betamethasone affects the fetal biophysical profile (BPP) and Doppler indices of umbilical and middle cerebral arteries (MCAs) in cases of preeclampsia without severe features.

Materials and methods: Forty singleton preeclamptic pregnancies without severe features at gestational ages of 28–34 weeks were randomly divided into two groups of 20 patients: betamethasone and control groups. Patients in the betamethasone group were administered two consecutive doses of 12 mg betamethasone intramuscularly, 24 h apart, and patients in the control group were administered the same volume of saline as a placebo. All participants were evaluated before (0 h) and at hours 24, 48, and 72 of betamethasone/placebo administration using BPP scoring and umbilical and MCA Doppler examinations.

Results: Total BPP scores were significantly lower in the betamethasone group across the three time points during the follow-up period (p < 0.001). None of the Doppler indices differed significantly between the groups (p > 0.05).

Conclusion: Antenatal betamethasone negatively affects fetal BPP score parameters, including the non-stress test, fetal body and breathing movements, without affecting vascular indices of umbilical arteries and MCAs. Clinician awareness of this transient drug-induced effect might be valuable for preventing iatrogenic preterm delivery for fetuses in preeclamptic pregnancies without severe features.

Keywords:

• Preeclampsia
• betamethasone
• fetus
• Doppler ultrasonography
• biophysical profile

Acknowledgments

This article is based on part of a Ph.D. thesis submitted to the Ataturk University, Faculty of Medicine, Turkey.

Disclosure statement

All authors declare that they have no conflict of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this article.

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