The Effect of Plurality and Obesity on Betamethasone Concentrations in Women at Risk for Preterm Delivery

Citation

Gyamfi, Cynthia; Mele, Lisa; Wapner, Ronald J.; Spong, Catherine Y.; Peaceman, Alan M.; Sorokin, Yoram; Dudley, Donald J.; Johnson, Francee; Leveno, Kenneth J.; & Caritis, Steve N., et al. (2010). The Effect of Plurality and Obesity on Betamethasone Concentrations in Women at Risk for Preterm Delivery. American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology, 203(3), 219.e1-5. PMCID: PMC3214971

Abstract

Objective: Antenatal corticosteroids (ACS) decrease respiratory distress syndrome in singleton gestations. Twin data are less clear. Obesity and body mass index (BMI) also affect medication distribution volume. We evaluated whether maternal or neonatal cord betamethasone concentrations differed in twin gestations or obese patients.
Study design: Participants receiving betamethasone in a randomized controlled trial of weekly ACS were identified. We analyzed maternal delivery and cord serum betamethasone concentrations comparing singletons with twins and obese (BMI ?30 kg/m2) with nonobese women.
Results: Fifty-five maternal and 45 cord blood samples were available. Unadjusted median maternal serum concentrations appeared paradoxically higher in both twin gestations and the obese. However, after controlling for confounders, there were no differences in betamethasone concentrations in maternal serum or cord blood between singletons and twins (P = .61 vs P = .14) or nonobese and obese women (P = .67 vs 0.12).
Conclusion: Maternal and umbilical cord blood serum betamethasone concentrations are not different in twin gestations or obese women.

URL

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ajog.2010.04.047

Reference Type

Journal Article

Year Published

2010

Journal Title

American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology

Author(s)

Gyamfi, Cynthia
Mele, Lisa
Wapner, Ronald J.
Spong, Catherine Y.
Peaceman, Alan M.
Sorokin, Yoram
Dudley, Donald J.
Johnson, Francee
Leveno, Kenneth J.
Caritis, Steve N.
Mercer, Brian M.
Thorp, John M., Jr.
O'Sullivan, Mary Jo
Ramin, Susan M.
Carpenter, Marshall W.
Rouse, Dwight J.
Miodovnik, Menachem
Sibai, Baha M., for the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) Maternal-Fetal Medicine Units (MFMU) Network

PMCID

PMC3214971

ORCiD

Thorp - 0000-0002-9307-6690