ABSTRACT
There is no doubt whatsoever that administration of corticosteroids to the pregnant woman, usually in the form of betamethasone or dexamethasone, will lead to an enhancement in the rate of fetal lung maturation and probably of fetal brain maturation. This was well publicised in Effective Care in Pregnancy and Childbirth (Chalmers, I, Enkin, M and Kierse, MJNC, 1989, OUP) and confirmed in the RCOG Guideline No 7 in 1996. There are virtually no contraindications to this treatment and it should be given whenever there is a risk of significantly pre-term delivery, including when this is planned electively.
