A Controlled Trial of Dexamethasone in Preterm Infants at High Risk for Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia

Abstract

We evaluated the use of dexamethasone in preterm infants to decrease morbidity associated with bronchopulmonary dysplasia in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Thirty-six preterm infants (birth weight, ≤250 g and gestational age, ≤30 weeks) who were dependent on oxygen and mechanical ventilation at two weeks of age received a 42-day course of dexamethasone (n=13), an 18-day course of dexamethasone (n=12), or saline placebo (n=11). The starting dose of dexamethasone was 0.5 mg per kilogram of body weight per day, and it was progressively lowered during the period of administration.