The article was professionally consulted with Dr. Dang Thi Ngoc Chuong - Pediatrician - Department of Pediatrics - Neonatology, Vinmec Central Park International General Hospital.
Lung maturation injection is recommended by doctors for cases of threatened miscarriage, at risk of premature birth. Besides the benefit of reducing the risk of respiratory failure in newborns, lung maturation injection also has some unwanted side effects.
1. Benefits of lung maturation injection
There are 2 types of lung support drugs (lung maturation drugs) recommended for cases of threatened preterm labor or at risk of premature birth from 28 - 34 weeks of age: Betamethasone and Dexamethasone (belonging to the Corticosteroid group). Recently, the time of using lung maturation drugs can be extended to fetuses 26 - 27 weeks old or fetuses less than 39 weeks old if an elective cesarean section is required.
In premature babies (born at 22-37 weeks of gestation), the internal organs are not yet fully functional, especially the lungs, causing the baby to not be able to exchange air, causing respiratory failure. Babies who are given lung maturation injections will reduce the risk of respiratory distress syndrome, neonatal death and other diseases. At the same time, this therapy does not increase neonatal complications or cause fetal growth retardation in the uterus.
2. Side effects of lung maturation injections
According to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Betamethasone and Dexamethasone used for pregnant women are classified as group C, a group that may have the risk of causing unwanted side effects.
The use of lung maturation drugs can cause some adverse effects on the mother and fetus such as:
- May cause negative side effects on the brain and function of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in the fetus;
- Inhibition of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in pregnant women;
- The drug can reduce immunity in pregnant women, increasing the risk of fetal infection, early neonatal infection and postpartum infection in the mother;
- High doses of dexamethasone can cause neurotoxicity in the fetus;
- Causes anaphylactic or hypersensitivity reactions, hypotension or shock-like reactions;
- Can cause neurodevelopmental delay in children treated with more than 3 courses of lung maturation drugs;
- Maternal use of corticosteroids is associated with reduced birth weight, reduced head circumference of the child due to early ossification of bone cartilage, early fusion of the cranial sutures;
- After lung maturation injection, there may be a phenomenon of reduced movement in the fetus. However, children who are injected with more than 3 doses of lung maturation may have hyperactivity disorders later;
- Lung maturation injections can cause a slight increase in blood sugar right after the first injection and last for about 5 days. Therefore, pregnant women need to screen for gestational diabetes before the injection or 5 days after the injection to avoid uncontrolled hyperglycemia.
In general, this is a really necessary method for cases with signs of threatened miscarriage or at risk of premature birth. The doctor will recommend lung maturation injections depending on the specific time and actual situation to avoid having to use the drug repeatedly, reducing unwanted consequences for the pregnant woman and fetus. In normal pregnancies, lung maturation injections should not be given because they can cause some effects on the pregnancy.
Note: Pregnant women should choose to have lung maturation injections at qualified medical facilities and must have continuous monitoring by doctors.
Lung maturation injections are very important in reducing complications in premature babies, especially respiratory failure. The drug used for lung maturation injection has certain side effects, so pregnant women should consult their doctor before getting the injection.
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