Corticosteroids may be used during the prenatal period to manage asthma, arthritis, eczema, or other chronic conditions. The term antenatal corticosteroids tends to be used for a type of drug that promotes the growth and development of babies likely to arrive prematurely. They can be extremely useful in preventing growth, neurodevelopmental, breathing, digestive, and other problems, but they need time to work, so it is important to act quickly if you are showing signs of premature labour and get yourself checked out. Tocolytics, drugs that can prolong your pregnancy for up to seven days, may be offered to you. These will give your antenatal corticosteroids more time to work, but they are not appropriate in every case and can come with serious side effects for mum.

What are the benefits of antenatal corticosteroids?

Infant lung, brain, and digestive development and protection, as well as the prevention of a host of longterm and potentially life-threatening problems associated with premature birth, are the key benefits of antenatal corticosteroids.

What are the risks of antenatal corticosteroids?

Antenatal corticosteroids are generally considered to be safe for mum and baby, and, where risks are known, the benefits tend to vastly outweigh them.

What are the alternatives to antenatal corticosteroids?

There aren’t really any alternatives to antenatal corticosteroids that would provide the same benefits for you and your baby, but tocolytics, close monitoring, and a large dose of magnesium sulphate, which protects and supports your baby’s brain and is given to mum by injection, may be used to complement them.

What if I refuse antenatal corticosteroids?

You have the right to refuse antenatal corticosteroids—they are offered to you rather than thrust upon you without consent—but most mothers won't do this because of the health risks it poses to babies if premature labour continues. The term “antenatal corticosteroids” can sound scary, but it’s a fundamentally magnificent thing that these drugs exist.

How do I avoid needing antenatal corticosteroids?

Premature labour is not your fault, but there are some things you can do to make it less likely. These include being transparent with your medical team so they can get you any help necessary, attending antenatal appointments, avoiding smoking, alcohol, and drugs in pregnancy, staying active in pregnancy, eating well and maintaining a healthy weight, managing your stress and mental health, and managing any chronic conditions. Steps should also be taken to protect yourself and your pregnancy from domestic violence if you are at risk. However, doing all of these things perfectly still won’t guarantee you a term birth. Put simply, ideally we wouldn’t need antenatal corticosteroids, but because premature labour is often unpredictable, it is fantastic that they are available to so many pregnant women.

For more information on preparing for labour and birth, check out Unii’s Antenatal Course, with expert-led video prenatal classes, coming soon to unii.com.

Antenatal Corticosteroids: Why and When They Are Used