Cardiotocography, Steroids
Conditions
Keywords
Antenatal Steroids, Fetal Cardiotocography, Risk of Pre-term birth
Brief summary
As baby grows inside the womb of mother, heart and other organs develop. The heart activity can be recorded by placing a transducer on the belly of mother. The tracing obtain provides information about heart rate, any increase or decrease in heart rate and how much it varies with time. Variation in heart rate along with increase is indicator of fetal well being. Some mothers are at high risk of pre-term birth that is baby delivery before 37 weeks of gestation. In such cases steroids are given to mother to accelerate lung development of the baby so that it can easily adapt to outside world. Dexamethasone and Betamethasone are commonly used steroids which can also effect fetal heart activity.
Detailed description
Some patients are at high risk of Pre term birth and therefore they are advised antenatal steroids which facilitates fetal lung development preparing it for smoother transition for extra-uterine life. Dexamethasone and Betamethasone are commonly used for this purpose but differently effect fetal cardiac activity as evident by CTG changes and awareness of these phenomena would prevent iatrogenic delivery of preterm fetuses.
Interventions
Intramuscular injection of Betamethasone 12mg will be administered on 2 consecutive days
DRUGDexamethasone
two doses of 12mg of IM Dexamethasone given 24 hours apart
Sponsors
Rawalpindi Medical College, Pakistan
Rawalpindi Medical College
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
DOUBLE (Subject, Outcomes Assessor)
Masking description
Participants will be randomly divided into two groups using computer generated numbers and will be masked to the treatment they receive. The person assessing outcome i.e. fetal cardiotography activity will be masked to the treatment participant received.
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
FEMALE
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* History of pre term labor * Preterm pre labor rupture of membranes * Third trimester bleeding due to placenta previa
Exclusion criteria
* IUGR * Uteroplacental insufficiency * Oligohydroamnios * Maternal drug therapy that can effect fetal heart rate * Contraindications to Intramuscular injections * Patients admitted with non reassuring CTG
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Mean number of accelerations on fetal cardiotocography | Before intervention, 2 and 4 days after intervention |
| Long term heart rate variability on fetal cardiotocography | Before intervention, 2 and 4 days after intervention |
Countries
Pakistan
Contacts
Primary ContactIfra Shafique, MBBS
Outcome results
None listed