Antenatal Corticosteroids - Healthy Newborn Network

From the Healthy Newborn Network (HNN), this resource section of their website, focusing on antenatal corticosteroids (ACS), is overseen by the Antenatal Corticosteroids Working Group (see contact information below). "The Antenatal Corticosteroids Working Group is an international collaboration of organizations committed to advancing the use antenatal steroids for fetal maturation in threatened preterm labor through advocacy and technical assistance." The website provides a library of documents to support the appropriate use of antenatal corticosteroids in cases of complications of prematurity, particularly where safety and effectiveness of the intervention depend on informed standards of care.

The website is maintained as a repository of resources in the following categories:

•     Overview and Advocacy Documents, for example:
• Notes on the Antenatal Corticosteroids Trial (ACT) - October 15, 2014
• United Nations Commission of Life Saving Commodities Antenatal Corticosteroids Working Group
• ACS Critical Path Discussion - A slide deck to introduce ACS and its critical path to scale
• Administration of Antenatal Corticosteroids: A two page summary document available in English, Spanish, French, and Portuguese
• Policy & Guidelines Recommending ACS Usage, for example:
• Dexamethasone versus betamethasone as an antenatal corticosteroid: A two page overview of drug choice
• WHO: Managing Complications in Pregnancy and Childbirth: a guide for midwives and doctors, published in 2000 and reprinted in 2007
• United States National Institute of Health (NIH): Consensus Statements in 1994 and 2000
• American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG): Committee Opinion, 2011
• Efficacy and Effectiveness Research and Evidence, for example:
• Althabe, F, Belizan JM, McClure EM, et al. A population-based, multifaceted strategy to implement antenatal corticosteroid treatment versus standard care for the reduction of neonatal mortality due to preterm birth in low-income and middle-income countries: the ACT cluster-randomised trial. The Lancet - 15 October 2014.
• Application for the addition of dexamethasone to the WHO Essential Medicines List
• Roberts D, Dalziel SR. Antenatal corticosteroids for accelerating fetal lung maturation for women at risk of preterm birth. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2006, Issue 3. Art. No.: CD004454. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD004454.pub2.

The site also provides access to: blog posts; multimedia, such as infographics; news; and resource documents.