Betamethasone phosphate reduces the efficacy of antenatal steroid therapy and is associated with lower birth weights when administered to pregnant sheep in combination with betamethasone acetate.

Antenatal corticosteroid (ACS) therapy is standard of care for women at imminent risk of preterm labour. Despite this, much remains to be understood regarding an optimal (maximum benefit, minimal risk of side effects) ACS dosing strategy. Although conveying overall benefit when given to the right patient at the right time, ACS treatment efficacy is highly variable, and is not risk-free. Building on earlier findings, we hypothesized that when administered in combination with slow-release betamethasone acetate, betamethasone phosphate and the high materno-fetal betamethasone concentrations it generates are redundant for fetal lung maturation.
Source: American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology - Category: OBGYN Authors: Tags: Original Research: Obstetrics Source Type: research