Low dose dexamethasone in chronically ventilator-dependent infants and survival free of cerebral palsy in early childhood. the dart study: 100

Abstract

Background: Postnatal corticosteroids to treat ventilator-dependent infants are associated with adverse neurological sequelae in childhood, especially cerebral palsy, but may save lives. Corticosteroids may be beneficial in infants at very high risk of chronic lung disease (CLD).Aims: To determine if a low-dose, short course, of dexamethasone given after the first week of life affects survival free of cerebral palsy (CP) at 2 years of age.Methods: Very preterm (<28 weeks) or extremely low birthweight (birthweight 80%. Mortality rates were not substantially different between the 2 groups (dexamethasone 11%, controls 20%; OR 0.52, 95% CI 0.14, 1.95; P=0.32), and the rates of cerebral palsy wer..