Main Findings
Both corticosteroids have proven effective for women at risk of preterm birth on most neonatal and child relevant outcomes compared with placebo or no treatment.
We found that compared with betamethasone, dexamethasone may reduce the rates of chorioamnionitis around 30% and foetal death 20%, but may increase puerperal sepsis 100% and respiratory distress syndrome 40%. Probably, there are no difference in neonatal death and neurodevelopmental disability and may have no difference in IVH and in birthweight. Except for neurodevelopmental disability, and birthweight these effects were imprecise.