"Infants exposed to partial treatment in the womb healthier than those not exposed. What Steroids improve survival and reduce the chances of certain birth defects for extremely premature infants even if the treatment course is not finished before delivery according to a study funded by the National Institutes of Health NIH. Steroids are a standard treatment for pregnant women likely to deliver before  weeks because these drugs are known to reduce the chance of complications and death among premature infants. However because completing the entire course takes at least  hours health care providers may opt not to begin treatment when premature delivery is imminent. The new study supported by NIHs Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development NICHD provides strong evidence that even a partial course can have some benefit. Researchers evaluated  extremely premature infants who had been born between  and  weeks of pregnancy at sites in NICHDs Neonatal Research Network https The study followed the infants from birth to  to  months of age and measured survival and brain and nervous system outcomes. The infants were grouped according to the mothers steroid treatment  no treatment partial treatment or complete treatment. Among the three groups researchers found significant differences in rates of death complications such as bleeding in the brain severe intracranial hemorrhage intestinal problems necrotizing enterocolitis lung disease bronchopulmonary dysplasia and brain and nervous system impairment. Infants in the complete treatment group fared best. Infants in the partial treatment group fared better than untreated infants. The study team also found evidence that the better outcomes likely were due to lower rates of bleeding in the brain and of a brain injury called cystic periventricular leukomalacia. Overall these findings suggest that starting steroid treatment promptly  even if the likelihood of completion is low  is beneficial when extremely premature birth is imminent. Additional funding for the study was provided by NIHs National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences. Who Rosemary Higgins M.D. NICHD Neonatal Research Network program scientist and study author is available for interviews. To arrange an interview with Dr. Higgins please call Linda Huynh at  or email nichdpressmail.nih.gov httpmailtonichdpressmail.nih.gov. About the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development NICHD The NICHD sponsors research on development before and after birth maternal child and family health reproductive biology and population issues and medical rehabilitation. For more information visit the Institutes website at http About the National Institutes of Health NIH NIH the nations medical research agency includes  Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic clinical and translational medical research and is investigating the causes treatments and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs visit  https NIHTurning Discovery Into Health Reference Chawla S Natarajan G Shankaran S Pappas A Stoll BJ Carlo WA Saha S Das A Laptook AR and Higgins RD. Association of neurodevelopmental outcomes and neonatal morbidities of extremely premature infants with differential exposure to antenatal steroids. JAMA Pediatrics DOI .jamapediatrics.. ."