- Academic Editor
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Background: Late preterm birth is associated with increased risks of
adverse neonatal outcomes, including respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) and
hypoglycemia. The use of antenatal corticosteroids (ACS) has been shown to reduce
these risks in early preterm infants. However, the efficacy of rescue ACS in late
preterm infants remains uncertain. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness
of rescue ACS in reducing the incidence of RDS and hypoglycemia in late preterm
infants. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted on women
who delivered singleton late preterm infants (34 + 0 to 36 + 6 weeks of
gestation) at a tertiary hospital. The inclusion criteria were completion of the
initial cycle of ACS in the early preterm period (before 34 + 0 weeks of
gestation). Data on maternal baseline characteristics, ACS administration, and
neonatal outcomes were collected from medical records. Statistical analyses,
including logistic regression and multivariate modeling, were performed to assess
the association between rescue ACS and neonatal outcomes. Results: A
total of 155 singleton late preterm infants were included in the study. Among
them, 27.8% (43/155) received rescue ACS after 34 weeks of gestation, while
72.2% (112/155) did not. Neonates who did not receive rescue ACS had a
significantly higher incidence of RDS compared to those who did (10.7%
vs. 0%, p = 0.038). However, the results were not
statistically significant in the multivariate analysis (odds ratio (OR), 0.07;
95% confidence interval (CI), 0.00–1.48; p = 0.087). Additionally,
there were no significant differences in the frequencies of hypoglycemia (glucose
level