RESUMO
The aim is to study the effect of antenatal steroid administration on cerebral white matter in preterm low-birth weight neonates. The study group included one ninety nine [199] LBW preterm neonates with gestational age between 27 and 32 weeks, and birth-weight between 750-1750gms, prospectively studied over 9 month period. Studied neonates were divided into two groups; Group [I] [86] preterm LBW infants born to mothers who had received antenatal steroids within 24 hours and 7 days of delivery, Group [II] [113] preterm LBW infants born to mothers who had not received antenatal steroids, or who had received an incomplete course of antenatal steroids. Our results showed that preterm infants born to mothers who had received at least one complete course of antenatal steroids had statistically significant lower cerebral white matter lesions than infants born to mothers who did not receive antenatal steroids, or received incomplete course; however, infants of mothers who received a second course of antenatal steroids, showed slightly less but not statistically significant changes in cerebral white matter lesions. On the other hand, there was no significant difference as regards cerebral white matter lesions, among infants who did not receive [Gr 2a] versus those with incomplete courses of antenatal steroids [Gr 2b]. Antenatal steroid seems to have a protective effect on the preterm neonatal brain