Cochrane · systematic review · CD006614
Antenatal corticosteroids prior to planned caesarean at term for improving neonatal outcomes
Sotiriadis, A, McGoldrick, E, Makrydimas, G, et al. · Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews · 2021 · Cochrane Library
SoF tableOnly the outcomes this review put in its Summary of Findings table are listed (the Cochrane Handbook caps them at about seven per comparison). Its other analyses are not shown here.
Questions
7
current version
GRADE rated
5
No studies
0
Included studies
NR
No studies 0 · 0%Ungraded 2 · 28.6%Very low 2 · 28.6%Low 2 · 28.6%Moderate 1 · 14.3%High 0 · 0%
Ungraded means an effect was reported without a GRADE rating; it is not a gap. No studies means the review found nothing to answer the question. The six categories are a display order, not a score.
Questions and results
Current version onlyEffect of antenatal corticosteroids (betamethasone) compared to usual care prior to planned caesarean at term on maternal and neonatal outcomes
Population: women undergoing planned elective caesarean section at 37 weeks' gestation and beyond for singleton pregnancy
| Outcome | Effect | Evidence | Status / GRADE |
|---|---|---|---|
Respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) Effect of antenatal corticosteroids (betamethasone) vs usual care prior to planned caesarean at term on maternal and neonatal outcomes | RR 0.34 [0.07, 1.65] | 1 study · 942 participants | Low Downgraded: risk of bias |
Transient tachypnoea of the neonate (TTN) Effect of antenatal corticosteroids (betamethasone) vs usual care prior to planned caesarean at term on maternal and neonatal outcomes | RR 0.52 [0.25, 1.11] | 1 study · 942 participants | Low Downgraded: risk of bias |
Admission to neonatal special care (all levels) for respiratory morbidity Effect of antenatal corticosteroids (betamethasone) vs usual care prior to planned caesarean at term on maternal and neonatal outcomes | RR 0.45 [0.22, 0.9] | 1 study · 942 participants | Moderate Downgraded: risk of bias |
Need for mechanical ventilation Effect of antenatal corticosteroids (betamethasone) vs usual care prior to planned caesarean at term on maternal and neonatal outcomes | RR 4.07 [0.46, 36.27] | 1 study · 942 participants | Very low Downgraded: risk of bias |
Neonatal hypoglycaemia Effect of antenatal corticosteroids (betamethasone) vs usual care prior to planned caesarean at term on maternal and neonatal outcomes | no estimate extracted | 0 studies · 0 participants | Ungraded |
Maternal mortality and severe morbidity Effect of antenatal corticosteroids (betamethasone) vs usual care prior to planned caesarean at term on maternal and neonatal outcomes | no estimate extracted | 0 studies · 0 participants | Ungraded |
Maternal development of postpartum infection/pyrexia in the first 72 hours Effect of antenatal corticosteroids (betamethasone) vs usual care prior to planned caesarean at term on maternal and neonatal outcomes | no estimate extracted | 1 study · 942 participants | Very low Downgraded: risk of bias |
GRADE 'Summary of findings' table
Population: elective cesarean at term
| Outcome | Effect | Evidence | Status / GRADE |
|---|---|---|---|
Respiratory distress syndrome | RR 0.48 [0.27, 0.87] | 4 studies · 3817 participants | Low Downgraded: risk of bias |
Transient tachypnoea of the newborn | RR 0.43 [0.29, 0.65] | 4 studies · 3821 participants | Low Downgraded: risk of bias |
Admission to neonatal special care for respiratory morbidity (all levels of care or intensive care unit) | RR 0.45 [0.22, 0.9] | 1 study · 942 participants | Low Downgraded: risk of bias |
Need for mechanical ventilation | RR 0.67 [0.27, 1.68] | 3 studies · 3441 participants | Very low Downgraded: risk of bias, imprecision, inconsistency |