Does corticosteroid therapy impact fetal pulmonary artery blood flow in women at risk for preterm birth?

Medical Ultrasonography
William LindsleySina Haeri

Abstract

Maternal corticosteroid administration in pregnancy is known to enhance fetal lung maturity in at risk fetuses. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that corticosteroid therapy alters fetal pulmonary blood flow in pregnancies at risk for preterm birth (PTB). We prospectively evaluated main fetal pulmonary artery (MPA) blood flow in pregnant women at risk for PTB and treated with corticosteroids (betamethasone), compared to an uncomplicated cohort without steroid therapy. The Doppler indices of interest included Peak Systolic Velocity (PSV), Resistive Index (RI), Pulsatility Index (PI), Systolic/Diastolic ratio (S/D ratio), Acceleration Time (AT), and Acceleration Time/Ejection Time Ratio (AT/ET ratio), with the latter serving as the primary outcomes due to its stability irrespective of gestational age. When compared with controls, fetuses treated with corticosteroids demonstrated significantly decreased pulmonary artery acceleration time (median: 28.89 (22.22-51.11) vs. 33.33 (22.20-57.00), p=0.006), while all other indices remained similar. We found no difference in pulmonary blood flow between fetuses who developed respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) and those that did not (31.56 +/- 6.842 vs. 32.36 +/- 7.265, p= ...Continue Reading

Citations

Mar 23, 2017·Journal of Applied Toxicology : JAT·Cibele S BorgesWilma De G Kempinas
Jun 20, 2017·Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine : Official Journal of the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine·Emre Sinan GüngörFatma Ferda Verit
Sep 15, 2018·Fundamental & Clinical Pharmacology·Nataša RistićVerica Milošević
Sep 10, 2021·International Journal of Gynaecology and Obstetrics : the Official Organ of the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics·Ezgi TurgutDilek Sahin

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