• The diagnosis of RDS is defined as: PaO2 < 50 mm Hg in room air, central cyanosis in room air, or a requirement for supplemental O2 to maintain PaO2 > 50 mm Hg, along with chest xray findings consistent with RDS (per the Vermont Oxford Network)
  
• It would be useful to know if administration of betamethasone at an interval of less than 24 hours would have a positive impact on decreasing the incidence of RDS.
  

Betamethasone is a medicine given to women expected to deliver after 24 but before 34 weeks of pregnancy. It is very advantageous in preventing or decreasing the many problems these small babies may face if born early.

Betamethasone makes breathing easier for them, also decreases the chance of them bleeding in the head and makes their chances of survival better. This medicine is used routinely in pregnancy but the best timing between doses in not well established. The

• standard’ dosing schedule involves giving 2 injections of 12mg of the medicine 24 hours apart. However, many women deliver before reaching the 24-hour mark, despite the doctors best efforts to try and delay delivery, and therefore miss the opportunity for the 2nd dose.