Do lung maturation drugs affect the fetus?

Currently, the two most commonly used fetal lung maturation drugs are Dexamethasone and Betamethasone. Lung maturation injection will help promote support for perfect lung function, in case the fetus may have to be born earlier than planned.

Fetal lung maturation drugs (Betamethasone, Dexamethasone) belong to the Corticosteroid group. Usually, doctors will prescribe lung maturation injections for the fetus to prevent the risk of respiratory failure in case the baby is born prematurely or is born at term but is malnourished.
Fetuses injected with lung maturation drugs will significantly reduce the risk of complications of preterm birth such as: acute respiratory distress syndrome, cerebral hemorrhage, necrotizing enterocolitis, growth retardation, systemic infections and even is death.

“Should I inject lung maturation medicine?” is a question of many families at risk of premature birth. To date, medical evidence has shown that fetal lung maturation injection therapy can help support the lungs and save the lives of many premature babies.
In fact, a woman who has a preterm labor in a remote area, the doctors will try to help reduce the contractions by using medicine. This helps to create an opportunity for mother and baby to be prepared and injected with lung maturation drugs so that when born, the baby can reduce the risk of death due to weak lungs and inadequate function. At the same time, this also helps doctors have enough time to transfer the baby to the neonatal intensive care centers for continued treatment.
Usually, fetal lung maturation medicine will be applied in case the fetus is born before 34 weeks of age. Currently, some parts of the world even raise the gestational age to use lung maturation drugs to increase the chances of survival for premature babies. For example, the American Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists allows babies born 36 weeks premature to still receive lung maturation injections.
Obstetricians will always perform laboratory evaluation at 18, 20, 22 weeks gestation and before 24 weeks to determine if a pregnant woman is at risk of preterm birth. In cases where there is a risk of preterm delivery, lung maturation injections should be considered to prevent preterm birth before 34 to 36 weeks.
Although the injection of lung maturation for the fetus is still controversial. Many parents worry that when injecting lung maturation drugs, the baby will experience side effects and is not good for later development. In fact, everything has two sides to it. There are also many reports showing that the abuse or use of lung maturation drugs for the fetus when there is no clear indication may affect the later closure of the fontanelle or the ductus arteriosus. Therefore, at present, the indications for fetal lung maturation injection must be considered and considered very carefully.

The doctor will examine the pregnancy and learn about the patient's pathology and pregnancy history to predict whether or not lung maturation injections are needed. In the case of vaccination to minimize the risk of premature birth, the most appropriate time is at 24 - 34 weeks. If the pregnant woman has not given birth after 7 days but still has the risk of preterm birth, she will need a booster shot. Another round of lung maturation drugs.
Dosage for lung maturation injection is as follows:
2 doses of 12mg Betamethasone, 24 hours apart, intramuscularly. 4 doses of 6mg of Dexamethasone, 12 hours apart, intramuscularly. If the pregnant woman is up to 34 weeks pregnant, the lung maturation injection has no effect on the fetal lungs anymore. Therefore, if after this point there is a risk of premature birth, the injection of lung maturity is no longer effective. However, in some cases, 34 weeks pregnant, but the fetus's lungs are still immature, the doctor will consider and may prescribe lung maturation injection for the mother. In addition, for pregnant women who intend to have an elective cesarean section for cesarean section before 39 weeks, it is also recommended to inject fetal lung maturity at 34-36 weeks gestation.
In recent years, the rate of preterm birth tends to increase, so the injection of lung maturation drugs for the fetus has become more known. However, whether or not fetal lung maturity injection should be carefully evaluated and used only when absolutely necessary.
A healthy pregnancy will help the mother prevent the risk of premature birth and the use of lung maturation drugs for the fetus. Therefore, before planning to become pregnant, parents should check their reproductive health from 3-5 months.
Mothers should:
Get vaccinated before pregnancy (especially against rubella because rubella in pregnancy is extremely dangerous ) Genetic testing to screen for genetic diseases before pregnancy Check for gynecological infections Avoid affecting the health of the mother and the fetus Especially women over 35 years old who want to get pregnant (especially if they have never been pregnant) will have to have a very detailed health check because pregnancy at this age is common. problems: Ovarian failure, premature birth, higher risk of birth defects, placenta previa, preeclampsia. Fathers should:
Check reproductive health, detect diseases of testicular atrophy, physiological weakness, weak sperm... Sexually transmitted diseases, especially those that cannot be cured, are extremely dangerous Vinmec Currently, there are many comprehensive health care programs for couples, pregnant mothers and their unborn babies, including basic pre-marital examination packages, advanced pre-marital examination packages, and maternity packages. Vinmec has a team of experienced doctors in the fields of obstetrics and gynecology, IVF, stem cells, gene technology, capable of synchronously and comprehensively deploying the most advanced assisted reproductive techniques today.
For specific information about fertility and maternity packages at Vinmec, please contact the hospitals and clinics of Vinmec health system nationwide.