RESUMO
One of the most important disorders in preterm infants is lung immaturity which can lead to respiratory failure after birth. This condition is known as neonatal respiratory distress syndrome [RDS].The purpose of this study was to evaluate the RDS frequency in preterm neonates and the effect of antenatal dexamethasone in preventing this condition. This study was a retrospective random descriptive cross sectional clinical trial. Two hundred and thirty mothers who suffered from preterm labor and were admitted in Ahvaz Imam Khomeini hospital from 2006 to 2007 were included. Sixty nine mothers received 6 mg dexamethasone every 12 hours [maximum 4 doses] during pregnancy. Control group [166 cases], did not receive dexamethasone. The information, including the number of affected infants, and the effect of dexamethasone in the prevention of RDS were extracted from patients' files. xChi-square and Pierson Correlation Coefficient tests were used for data analysis. SPSS [17] was used for statistical analysis. Out of the 69 mothers who received dexamethasone, 21 [30.4%] newborns developed RDS, while 66 [41%] ones in the control group suffered from it [P= 0.012]. Dexamethasone is effective in the prevention of RDS in premature infants. Our study showed that the use of dexamethasone was beneficial in preventing this condition