OP-038 Neurodevelopmental evaluation of late preterm children exposed and not exposed to antenatal steroids in early childhood

Aim We aimed to evaluate infants born late preterm who received antenatal steroids, using the Bayley III developmental assessment scale between 24 and 42 months and compare their developmental differences with a control group of infants with similar characteristics but who did not receive antenatal steroids Material and Method The study was conducted with infants born between 34+0/7 and 36+6/7 gestational weeks at Şişli Hamidiye Etfal Training and Research Hospital, between January 2019 and December 2020. The cases were divided into two groups: those who received antenatal steroids (n=40) and those who did not (n=40). Neurodevelopmental assessments were conducted using the Bayley III developmental assessment scale by a single experienced child development specialist between 24 and 42 months. Results When comparing the groups with and without antenatal steroidadministration, the average birth weight, length, and head circumference were lower in the antenatal steroid group. The group without antenatal steroid administration required more NICU admissions. There were no significant differences in Bayley III test results between the two groups. Conclusions Our study found no statistically significant relationship betweenantenatal steroid administration and neurodevelopmental outcomes in early childhood. Although antenatal steroid use is recommended in late preterm births, further studies are needed to validate our findings.