Expectant mothers who run a risk of delivering babies much before the full term are administered steroids. Now, a recent study conducted by researchers at the University of Adelaide , has found that subjecting expectant mothers to repeated doses of steroids benefits their babies by reducing potential breathing difficulties during delivery.
Researchers studied 980 women and their 1100 babies from the Adelaide Women's and Children's Hospital. Research leader Professor Caroline Crowther said that while the benefit of a single steroid dose is established, the study sought to gauge the effectiveness of several doses of steroids.She said 'The results show that for babies who are exposed to the repeat steroids they had less lung disease when they were born. So they had less respiratory distress syndrome which is one of those complications of being born early.'
