The hope is that these scientists will reach a consensus over the best way to use the drugs, but that is by no means guaranteed. Steroids have been used to help premature infants for some 30 years. The drug takes up to 48 hours to reach its maximum effectiveness, which lasts about one week. Other doctors continue to administer the drug every week until the woman delivers, even though there is no guarantee that the extra doses offer a benefit. The logic is that by keeping the drug on board, the baby will be better protected in case the mother again starts to deliver prematurely.
Doctors are worried about the potential downside of steroid use in pregnant women.
Some infants exposed to the drugs have smaller heads and delayed development of important motor skills. Apparently, steroids pose little or no risk to the mother. The existing studies on prenatal steroid use are considered inconclusive, since they focus either on women who received a series of shots but remained pregnant, or on those who received one treatment, then delivered. The groups simply aren't comparable. Still, new findings will be presented at the meeting.