Dexamethasone versus betamethasone before delivery: effects on the baby's heart trace
Official title: Comparison of Effect of Antenatal Dexamethasone Versus Betamethasone on Antepartum Cardiactocography
Run by Rawalpindi Medical College · NCT07078786 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This compares dexamethasone and betamethasone given before delivery to see if one causes fewer changes on fetal heart tracings in people at high risk of preterm birth.
Quick facts
| Phase | Phase 4 |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Sex | Women only |
| Enrollment | 110 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | Rawalpindi Medical College Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Rawalpindi, Punjab Province) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | July 13, 2025 |
| Main results expected | October 15, 2025 |
| Study ends | October 15, 2025 |
| Registry record updated | August 12, 2025 |
| Trial ID | NCT07078786 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Ideal candidates are pregnant people in the third trimester at high risk of preterm birth (for example, with preterm labor, preterm prelabor rupture of membranes, or third-trimester bleeding from placenta previa) who have no exclusions to steroid injections or CTG monitoring.
✕Probably not a fit
Patients with fetal growth restriction, uteroplacental insufficiency, oligohydramnios, those on maternal drugs that affect fetal heart rate, those with contraindications to intramuscular injections, or those already admitted with a non-reassuring CTG are unlikely to benefit from this comparison.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
Pregnant people at high risk of preterm birth who are prescribed antenatal steroids will receive either dexamethasone or betamethasone and have fetal heart activity recorded with cardiotocography (CTG) before and after dosing. The trial documents changes in fetal heart rate, accelerations, decelerations, and variability to compare the two steroid effects. People with fetal growth restriction, uteroplacental insufficiency, oligohydramnios, maternal medications that affect fetal heart rate, contraindications to intramuscular injections, or non-reassuring admission CTG are excluded. The goal is to determine whether one steroid produces fewer CTG abnormalities that could lead to unnecessary preterm delivery.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, results could help clinicians choose the steroid that minimizes harmful CTG changes and reduce unnecessary iatrogenic preterm deliveries.
How similar studies have gone: Antenatal steroids are well established to speed fetal lung maturation and prior reports show steroids can transiently alter fetal heart tracings, but direct head-to-head comparisons of dexamethasone versus betamethasone on CTG are limited.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * History of pre term labor * Preterm pre labor rupture of membranes * Third trimester bleeding due to placenta previa Exclusion Criteria: * IUGR * Uteroplacental insufficiency * Oligohydroamnios * Maternal drug therapy that can effect fetal heart rate * Contraindications to Intramuscular injections * Patients admitted with non reassuring CTG
Where it's running
-
Holy Family Hospital, Rawalpindi Medical University
Rawalpindi, Punjab Province, Pakistan Recruiting
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Ifra Shafique, MBBS — Rawalpindi Medical Unviersity
- Study coordinator: Ifra Shafique, MBBS
- Email: ifra.shafique1944@gmail.com
- Phone: +92-3039007053
Similar studies
Other studies for the same condition or treatment. Recruiting studies are listed first.
-
Home fetal heart and contraction monitoring for high-risk pregnancies
This will test whether using a home fetal heart and contraction monitor once a week is practical and acceptable for women with certain high-risk singleton pregnancies from 32 weeks onward.
-
Restricting Dexamethasone Use in Glioblastoma Treatment
This study is testing if newly diagnosed glioblastoma patients can do well without the usual steroid treatment to see if it helps them avoid side effects and improve their outcomes.
-
Phenylephrine 75 micrograms versus 50 micrograms to prevent oxytocin-related low blood pressure during cesarean
This trial will test whether a 75 µg or 50 µg bolus of phenylephrine given with oxytocin better prevents drops in blood pressure in women having elective cesarean sections under spinal anesthesia.
-
Comparing pain relief from local anesthetic given inside the abdomen versus under the skin after laparoscopic gallbladder removal
This trial will try two ways of giving a local anesthetic—inside the abdomen or under the skin—to see which reduces pain after laparoscopic gallbladder removal.
-
Driving-pressure guided ventilation versus lung-protective ventilation during elective laparoscopic surgery
We will test if adjusting the ventilator to keep the driving pressure under 15 cm H2O helps adults having elective laparoscopic surgery breathe better while under general anesthesia.
-
Dexamethasone to prolong spinal anesthesia for cesarean delivery
This trial tests whether a single IV dose of dexamethasone given around an elective C-section helps spinal anesthesia and postoperative pain relief last longer than a placebo.
How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.