Australasian Antenatal Study To Evaluate the Role Of Intramuscular Dexamethasone versus Betamethasone prior to preterm birth to increase survival free of childhood neurosensory disability – a randomised controlled trial

The primary aim of this randomised controlled trial is to determine whether giving antenatal dexamethasone to women at risk of preterm birth at less than 34 weeks gestation increases the chance of their children surviving free of neurosensory disability at 2 years’ corrected age, compared with women given antenatal betamethasone. The primary hypothesis of the study is that, compared with betamethasone, antenatal dexamethasone given to women at risk of preterm birth (less than 34 weeks gestation) reduces the risk of death or any neurosensory disability, caused by impairments such as cerebral palsy, blindness, deafness or developmental delay, in their children at 2 years’ corrected age. Specific aims are to assess whether dexamethasone has greater short-term benefits than betamethasone (a greater reduction in the risk of intraventricular haemorrhage as suggested by a new systematic review) and whether there are longer-term effects on childhood neurological function, including motor function, cognition and behaviour, as well as body size, blood pressure and general health.