Betamethasone and Delayed Cord Clamping: A Surprising Effect on Blood Flow

Did you know that betamethasone, a medication commonly used to speed up lung and heart development in preterm babies, could actually change how blood flows in their bodies during and after birth? Scientists studied this in baby lambs, which are often used to understand human infants better. They found that betamethasone increases blood flow to the lungs but reduces it to the upper body. This was seen when the umbilical cord was cut late, a method called delayed cord clamping. This method is recommended to improve a baby's health at birth.

The researchers put tiny devices to measure blood flow in baby lambs before they were born. Some lambs received betamethasone, while others did not. After birth, all lambs were given initial breaths for about 2 minutes before the cord was cut. They found that betamethasone boosted blood flow to the lungs, especially during those first breaths. This happened because the right side of the heart pumped more blood and redirected it to the lungs through special channels in the heart. However, the left side of the heart, which sends blood to the body, sent less blood to the upper part of the body. This means that oxygen also reached the upper body less. The scientists also noticed that betamethasone made the blood flow shift more from the body to the lungs. This study shows that betamethasone can change how blood flows during and after birth in preterm babies. It's important for doctors to think about these changes when using betamethasone and delaying cord clamping.

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