The aim of this study is To evaluate the association of a combined exposure to antenatal steroids and prophylactic indomethacin with the outcome of spontaneous intestinal perforation (SIP) among neonates born at <26 weeks of gestation or <750 g birth weight.

We conducted a retrospective study of preterm infants admitted to Canadian Neonatal Network units between 2010 and 2018. Infants were classified into 2 groups based on receipt of antenatal steroids; the latter subgrouped as recent (≤7 days before birth) or latent (>7 days before birth) exposures. The co-exposure was prophylactic indomethacin. The primary outcome was SIP. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to calculate aORs. Among 4720 eligible infants, 4121 (87%) received antenatal steroids and 1045 (22.1%) received prophylactic indomethacin. Among infants exposed to antenatal steroids, those who received prophylactic indomethacin had higher odds of SIP compared with no prophylactic indomethacin. Subgroup analyses revealed recent antenatal steroids exposure with prophylactic indomethacin had higher odds of SIP , but latent antenatal steroids exposure with prophylactic indomethacin did not , compared with the respective groups with no prophylactic indomethacin. Among those not exposed to antenatal steroids, mortality was lower among those who received prophylactic indomethacin compared with no prophylactic indomethacin. 

Reference link- https://www.jpeds.com/article/S0022-3476(21)00226-2/fulltext

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