NJPA October 2013 Newsletter

In this newsletter…

  • Protocol for “rescue” course antenatal corticosteroids
  • NJPA’s new website
  • Meet our perinatologist

Antenatal Corticosteroid Therapy and Fetal Maturation: The “Rescue” Course

In 2000, the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and the Office of Medical Applications of Research of the NIH convened a conference on antenatal steroids. The purpose was to address the issue of repeated courses of corticosteroids for fetal maturation. The consensus panel reaffirmed the 1994 panel’s recommendation of giving a single course of corticosteroids to all pregnant women between 24 and 34 weeks of gestation who are at risk of preterm delivery within seven days. Because of insufficient evidence, the panel also recommended that repeat corticosteroid courses, including “rescue” therapy, should not be routinely used and reserved for clinical trials.

In 2009, a multicenter randomized trial of a single rescue course of antenatal steroids was published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology by Garite et.al. The investigators found a significant reduction in respiratory distress syndrome, the need for surfactant, and composite morbidity with no increase in newborn complications or intrauterine fetal growth restriction. Long-term outcome data is not available for this cohort of patients.

In this issue of our newsletter, we present our protocol for the administration of a “rescue” course of antenatal steroids.

Protocol for the Administration of a “Rescue” Course of Antenatal Corticosteroids

  • Patient selection:
    • Singleton, twins and higher order multiples
    • Intact membranes or pPROM
    • Less than 34 weeks gestation with recurrent or continued threat of preterm delivery within the next seven days
    • First course of antenatal steroids given at < 30 weeks gestation
    • At least 14 days have passed since the first course of steroids
  • “Rescue” course is a full course – Betamethasone 12 mg IM two doses given 24 hours apart

Our New and Improved Website

New Jersey Perinatal Associates is proud to announce the launch of its revamped website.

We have worked to improve our online presence and our website now has expanded information about our doctors, new patient preparation instructions and answers to frequently asked questions. Our website is also available in Spanish.

Besides the new design, the biggest change is the addition of our “BLOG” where visitors now have the opportunity to ask questions and post comments.

New Jersey Perinatal Associates can also be found on Facebook.

Meet Our Perinatologist

terronebioDom Terrone, MD

Dr. Terrone graduated from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey and completed his residency in obstetrics and gynecology at Saint Barnabas Medical Center in New Jersey.
He completed his fellowship training in maternal-fetal medicine and his Masters Degree of Science at the University of Mississippi in Jackson. Dr. Terrone’s research interests include fetal therapy and preterm birth.

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