STUDY OF EFFECT OF ANTENATAL STEROIDS ON MECHANICALLY VENTILATED LOW BIRTH WEIGHT NEONATES WITH RESPIRATORY DISTRESS ADMITTED TO NEONATAL INTENSIVE CARE UNIT(NICU)

Abstract

Background: Low birth weight (LBW) is dened as a birth weight of less than 2.5kg as per World Health Organization (WHO)1. Low birth weight (LBW) is a major public health problem in developing countries including India. In India, 30-35% of babies are LBW and more than half of them are full term babies2. Reduction of low birth weight forms an important contribution to the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) for reducing child mortality3. Corticosteroids administration before anticipated preterm births is one of the most important antenatal therapies available to improve neonatal outcomes. Corticosteroids alter the structural and biochemical physiology of neonates, like surfactant production and lung maturation and thus reduces the requirement and duration of mechanical ventilation. Aims And Objectives: 1.To know the effect of antenatal steroids in minimizing the duration of ventilation in LBW neonates 2.To know the effect of antenatal steroids on assisting in early extubation of LBW neonates. All Low birth weight neonates <2.5 kg who were intubated and on vent Inclusion Criteria: Exclusion Criteria: ilator support. 1.Major congenital anomalies 2.Extubated as a part of withdrawal of care. This Materials And Methods: study was a Prospective Observational Study and was conducted in Rajarajeswari Medical College and Hospital, Bangalore for a duration of 18 months between January 2021 and June 2022.SAMPLE SIZE: n=54, Sample size calculated using considering 95% condence interval and 10% precision. All the parameters Results: i.e., birth weight, gestational age, gender, presence of maternal comorbidities, surfactant and antenatal steroids showed signicant association with number of days of mechanical ventilation in the study. This study was conducted Conclusion: to study the effect of antenatal steroids on mechanical ventilation in low-birth-weight neonates admitted to neonatal intensive care unit and it was found that antenatal steroids had signicant effect on duration of mechanical ventilation; this study has also recognized the factors involved in prolonging the days of mechanical ventilation such as prematurity, doses of antenatal steroids received, low birth weight, lower gestational ag . Recognising such factors can help in preventing complications among the newborns thereby reducing the number of days of mechanical ventilation