A corticosteroid called betamethasone is given to women at risk of premature delivery to hasten the development of their baby’s lungs and to reduce neonatal mortality. However, repeated courses of this steroid may increase the risk of cerebral palsy among these babies.

The study conducted by members of the NIH-sponsored Maternal-Fetal Medicine Network at the Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital showed that that six out of 248 babies age two to three who received multiple courses of corticosteroids had been diagnosed with cerebral palsy, compared to only 1 out of 238 children treated with placebo.

From ScienceDaily:

Repeated courses of a drug that is used to improve the survival of unborn premature babies also may increase the risk of cerebral palsy in those children, according to results from a multi-center study, funded by the National Institutes of Health and led by Ronald Wapner, M.D.

The drug – a corticosteroid called betamethasone – is given to women at risk of premature delivery to hasten the development of their baby’s lungs. The study, performed by members of the NIH-sponsored Maternal-Fetal Medicine Network followed a total of 556 infants at the Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia and 12 other sites around the country, and found that by ages two to three, the two groups of children were physically and neurologically identical, except that six out of 248 children who received multiple courses of corticosteroids had been diagnosed with cerebral palsy, compared to only 1 out of 238 children in the placebo group. The mothers of all six children with cerebral palsy in the corticosteroid group had received four or more courses of the drug.

According to Dr. Ronald Wapner, although the difference in number of children with cerebral palsy was not statistically significant, doctors should not administer multiple weekly courses of corticosteroids because it may cause potential harm to children.

Tags: Cerebral Palsy, corticosteroids, steroids

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