Antenatal dexamethasone reduces respiratory support need in late preterm infants in Vietnamese RCT

A randomized controlled trial conducted at Da Nang Hospital for Women and Children in Vietnam enrolled 294 pregnant women at risk of late preterm delivery. Participants were assigned to receive either antenatal dexamethasone or standard care, with outcomes assessed in their infants. The study used an open-label design, meaning both participants and clinicians knew which treatment was administered.

For the primary outcome of need for respiratory support after birth, infants in the control group required support more frequently (24.5%) than those in the dexamethasone group (15%), a difference that was statistically significant (p = 0.04). The neonatal unit admission rate was also significantly higher in the control group (p = 0.01), and jaundice requiring phototherapy was reported as significantly higher in controls, though absolute numbers and p-values for this outcome were not reported.

No data on adverse events, serious adverse events, discontinuations, or tolerability were reported in the abstract. The key limitation is the open-label design, which may introduce bias. Additionally, p-values were reported without confidence intervals, limiting precision assessment. The practice relevance is that antenatal dexamethasone was associated with reduced respiratory support needs and hospital admissions in late preterm infants in this specific Vietnamese tertiary hospital setting, but results should be interpreted cautiously due to methodological constraints.