JAMA Netw Open
What impact do antenatal corticosteroids have on long-term infection risk?
October 16, 2025

Study details: This population-based cohort study analyzed data from 1.5 million mother-child pairs in Finland and Scotland (1997–2018), using national registries from the Co-OPT study. Researchers examined whether antenatal corticosteroid (ACS) exposure was associated with increased risk of respiratory and nonrespiratory infections from birth through age 21. Children were stratified by gestational age at birth, and outcomes were tracked from hospital discharge to first infection, death, or end of follow-up.
Results: Among 49,263 ACS-exposed children, those born full-term (≥37 weeks) had significantly higher infection rates than nonexposed peers. Adjusted hazard ratios ranged from 1.17 to 1.31 for respiratory and nonrespiratory infections. In contrast, no increased infection risk was observed in ACS-exposed children born before 34 weeks’ gestation.
Clinical impact: While ACS remains essential for imminent preterm delivery, its use in pregnancies that progress to term may confer long-term infection risk. These findings support the need for more precise prediction tools and stricter criteria for ACS administration to avoid unnecessary exposure in low-risk pregnancies.
Source:
Decrue F, et al; Consortium for the Study of Pregnancy Treatments (Co-OPT) Investigators. (2025, October). JAMA Netw Open. Antenatal Corticosteroids and Infectious Diseases Throughout Childhood. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41082231/
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