In this site, drugs' chemical names are given in brackets. For information about the use of preventer medications in asthma, click here .
Steroids act directly on the inflammatory cells that cause inflammation in the lungs.
They are the most consistently-effective preventer medications available. Recent studies have shown that steroids, started within the first several weeks of life, can decrease this inflammation, and often improve lung function. The steroid medications used in BPD treatment are different from the anabolic steroids that have been mis-used by athletes, for example, in the Olympics. Early on, in the transition period between RDS and BPD, steroids are usually given by injection or liquid. In some infants and children, steroids given by inhaler are used for long-term reduction of lung inflammation, and to prevent attacks of difficulty breathing .