Maternal outcomes: corticosteroids showed no clear difference in maternal death compared with placebo or no treatment (moderate certainty).
Corticosteroids showed no clear difference in stillbirth and neonatal death compared with promethazine (low certainty).
It is very uncertain whether corticosteroids changes stillbirth and neonatal death compared with placebo (very low certainty).
Neonatal and child outcomes: corticosteroids leads to lower perinatal death (composite of fetal death (in utero death) and… compared with placebo or no treatment (high certainty).
Neonatal and child outcomes: corticosteroids leads to lower neonatal death (infants born with signs of life who die within the… compared with placebo or no treatment (high certainty).
Summary of findings table ‐ Repeat dose(s) of prenatal corticosteroids showed no clear difference in B1: Maternal death – all women compared with single course (low certainty).
Summary of findings table ‐ Repeat dose(s) of prenatal corticosteroids showed no clear difference in C1: Total deaths (after randomisation) up to early childhood compared with single course (moderate certainty).
Summary of findings table ‐ Repeat dose(s) of prenatal corticosteroids showed no clear difference in D1: Total deaths (after randomisation) up to mid‐ to later childhood compared with single course (moderate certainty).
Strategies to increase use of antenatal corticosteroids probably leads to higher perinatal death (at population level) compared with routine (usual) care (moderate certainty).
Strategies to increase use of antenatal corticosteroids probably leads to higher neonatal death before 28 days (at population level) compared with routine (usual) care (moderate certainty).
The review found no eligible studies for this question.
It is very uncertain whether dexamethasone: oral changes any known death after randomisation (fetal, neonatal, child, child… compared with intramuscular – fetal/neonatal outcomes (very low certainty).
It is very uncertain whether betamethasone acetate plus phosphate changes any known death after randomisation (fetal, neonatal, child, child… compared with betamethasone phosphate – fetal/neonatal outcomes (very low certainty).
It is very uncertain whether betamethasone 12‐hourly changes any known death after randomisation (fetal, neonatal, child, child… compared with 24‐hourly dosing – fetal/neonatal outcomes (very low certainty).
Dexamethasone showed no clear difference in any known death after randomisation (fetal, neonatal, child, child… compared with betamethasone – fetal/neonatal outcomes (moderate certainty).
Summary of findings table ‐ Repeat dose(s) of prenatal corticosteroid showed no clear difference in A1: Fetal or neonatal or infant death (< 1 year of age) – all… compared with single course (moderate certainty).