Antenatal corticosteroid treatment in singleton, small‐for‐gestational‐age infants born at 24–31 weeks’ gestation: a population‐based study

Objective To assess the impact of antenatal corticosteroid therapy on mortality and severe morbidities in preterm, small‐for‐gestational‐age (SGA) neonates compared with preterm non‐SGA neonates. Design Population‐based study. Setting/population Israel National Very Low Birth Weight infant database from 1995–2012. Methods Singleton infants of 24–31 weeks’ gestation, without major malformations. Antenatal corticosteroids were considered either any treatment or no treatment. Main outcome measures Univariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the effect of antenatal corticosteroids on neonatal mortality and a composite adverse outcome of mortality or severe neonatal morbidity. Results Among the 10 887 study infants, 1771 were SGA. Of these, 70.4% of SGA and 66.7% of non‐SGA neonates were exposed to antenatal corticosteroids. Among SGA neonates, antenatal corticosteroids were associated with decreased mortality (32.2 versus 19.3%, P