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Original poster

Premature Babies - Lung Injection given to the mothers

31 replies

alicats · 07/12/2005 15:13

I don't know whether any of you on here received this injection or indeed have had premature babies.

But in the Metro on monday or tuesday I read and so did some of my friends that this injection has been proven to cause problems not in our childen but in their children, I'm talking behavioural and brain issues.

Did anyone read this or have found out if this is indeed true ?

Just to confirm why i am asking this, I had a prem baby at 29 weeks and was given this injection to help my unborn babies (dd) lungs to kick start and function before I had my cs.

Any comments would be apprieciated.

Cheers
Alicats

OP posts:
walkinginawinterBundleland · 07/12/2005 15:24

it's a steroid injection, has saved many lives, but not heard about the research you mention. do you know where it was published?

MABS · 07/12/2005 15:26

both of my children had it and they would be dead without it. Where is this research?

sparklymieow · 07/12/2005 15:26

I had the injections with all my kids. I had 2 lots with DS, 1 lot with dd1 and about 3 lots with dd2.

shepherdswatchedtheirflockets · 07/12/2005 15:29

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shepherdswatchedtheirflockets · 07/12/2005 15:33

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shepherdswatchedtheirflockets · 07/12/2005 15:35

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JingEllBells · 07/12/2005 15:36

Didn't have the injection, but I had oral steroids (dexamethosone... sp?) weekly from 27 weeks to, I think, 35 weeks. Would this be the same thing? As it happened, I didn't have dd too prematurely, but because they thought she was going to be born at 27 weeks they showed us round the SCBU, and certainly the nurses there talked about the steroids as real life-savers.

MABS · 07/12/2005 15:37

Jingellbells - yes, dexamex is the same thing.

JingEllBells · 07/12/2005 15:42

Oh bums! Will watch this thread with interest and see if anyone comes back to tell me not to worry after all. So, I had about 8 or 9 doses. That sounds bad, doesn't it? (OTOH, I also have a healthy 5-year-old...)

Aargh, always something to worry about...

chipmonksRoastingOnAnOpenFire · 07/12/2005 16:07

I was given these for ds3, born at 32 weeks. Will watch this with interest.

Original poster
alicats · 08/12/2005 14:47

Hi Everyone

It was in the Metro paper on either Monday or Tuesday, I have been tryinjg to find out more about it, as like you I too am concerned about this and I totally agree with what you have all said, Yes it deffinetly helped to save my dd's life too so I am very grateful for that.

But I am trying to find out why they have put this in the paper and based on what or who's reseach ?

I will see if I can talk to Metro Paper and get some more info on this, I'll keep you posted.

Please though if any of you find out anymore please let us all know.

Thks
Alicats

OP posts:
Original poster
alicats · 08/12/2005 15:03

Its on approx pg 10-16 in the Mini Cosm section of the paper - small paragraph in there about it.

I have just spoken to Metro and now have the name of the person who put this article in the paper, I have got an email address for him of which I will send him an email so that he can hopefully reply and let us know what reseach he based these comments on and I will get back to you all.

Thanks
Alicats

OP posts:
JingEllBells · 09/12/2005 14:10

I've been worrying about this, so did a bit of googling. So far I've found the following:

This article talks about an increased risk of cerebral palsy and developmental delay, but when dexamethasone is given directly to the baby in the first 12 hours of life for respiratory distress. Similar findings here

This article (towards the end} suggests that there are 'no known risks' with the use of steroids, as does this one .

However, this article does suggest that there are risks with multiple doses (like I had !) of dexa- or betamethasone, including psychomotor delays and behavioural problems.

This site looks at children who were given dexamethosone 30 years ago and concludes that they do not have an increased risk of heart attack or stroke, as had been feared.

Overall, there isn't much to suggest a risk in cases where the mother, rather than the baby, was given a steroid injection or tablets, especially if only one dose was given. However, I haven't been able to find the research that Alicats mentioned. I've got to stop looking now, but will google some more later and report back if I find anything.

lou33 · 09/12/2005 14:12

had steroid injections with 3 of my 4 babies

chatee · 09/12/2005 14:22

had steroids with both my babies too......
dd born at 33 weeks and has cp...
ds(had steroids at 31 weeks after a scare) born at 38 weeks(but i did the bare minimum of life between 31 and 38 weeks and the day i did a bit too much, my waters broke and i went into labour)

JingEllBells · 09/12/2005 14:33

Thing is... if I've understood correctly, cp is relatively common in premature babies anyway, because of damage to their immature brains. In any case, none of the thing I read linked cp with steroid injections to the mother, only if the steroids were given directly to the baby.

Original poster
alicats · 13/12/2005 11:53

Hiya JingEllBells & other mumsneters

Please try not to worry to much, I had a lovely conversation with a lady from Bliss who is very interested in what the paper said and wants to do all she can to find out more and try to reassure us mums that had these injections.

What she said that in all the reseach that Bliss (premature babies organisation) has done about this injection given to the mothers, it is the biggest cause for the survival rate for prem babies in other words it is fantastic, the amount of babies lives this injection has saved is phonomimol (sp I know), so I for one am glad that I had this injection.

As I have said, I will come back to you all when I have more info.

Take Care xx

OP posts:
lilianna · 13/12/2005 12:02

had the injection with 2 of my pgs dd is ok but ds1 has spastic diplegia cerebral palsy.

doormat · 13/12/2005 12:04

had the injection for ds1 in 1993
no probs, normal healthy boy but backchats

sparklymieow · 13/12/2005 12:09

I had the injections with all 3 of my kids. Ds and DD1 both have CP.

lilianna · 13/12/2005 12:09

hello again sm

sparklymieow · 13/12/2005 12:10

lol,

sparklymieow · 13/12/2005 12:10

i'm stalking you!!!

lilianna · 13/12/2005 12:10

lol

lilianna · 13/12/2005 12:14

i cant believe this thread. makes you think more about the injection. but saying that even knowing the side affects i would still rather give my baby the chance of surviving and live with cp than have no baby at all

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