{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,25]],"date-time":"2026-09-25T00:21:45Z","timestamp":1790295705054,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":30,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"7","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,7,22]],"date-time":"2021-07-22T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1626912000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosone.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS ONE"],"abstract":"<jats:sec id=\"sec001\">\n<jats:title>Objectives<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>The primary aims of this study were to investigate if exposure to antenatal corticosteroids (ACS) was associated with lower rates of perinatal mortality (primary outcome) and other adverse perinatal outcomes (i.e., stillbirth, early neonatal mortality, APGAR score of &lt; 7 at 5 mins, neonatal sepsis and respiratory distress syndrome) in preterm infants in hospitals in Tanzania. We also examine factors associated with administration of ACS among women at risk of preterm delivery.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec002\">\n<jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>A hospital-based prospective chart review study was undertaken in four hospitals located in Nyamagana and Sengerema districts, Tanzania. The study population included all stillborn and live born preterm infants delivered between 24 to 34 weeks of gestation between July 2019 to February 2020. A total 1125 preterm infants were delivered by 1008 women (895 singletons, 230 multiple). Sociodemographic and medical data were recorded from participants\u2019 medical records.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec003\">\n<jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>Three hundred and fifty-six (35.3%) women were administered at least one dose of ACS between 24 to 34 weeks\u2019 gestation and 385 (34.2%) infants were exposed to ACS. Infants exposed to ACS had a lower rate of perinatal mortality (13.77%) compared to those who were not exposed (28.38%). Multivariate analysis indicated that infants exposed to ACS were less likely to die during perinatal period, aRR 0.34 (95%CI 0.26-0.44). Only one-third of the sample was provided with ACS. Administration of ACS was associated with maternal education, attending antenatal care more than 3 times, method used to assess gestational age, maternal infection, exposure to maternal antibiotics, delivery mode and level of health facility.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec004\">\n<jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>ACS significantly reduced the risk in perinatal mortality among infants born preterm in a limited resource setting. However, only about one-third of eligible women were provided with ACS, indicating low usage of ACS. Numerous factors were associated with low usage of ACS in this setting.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0254916","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,7,22]],"date-time":"2021-07-22T17:35:39Z","timestamp":1626975339000},"page":"e0254916","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":8,"title":["Association between antenatal corticosteroid use and perinatal mortality among preterm births in hospitals in Tanzania"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"16","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0563-6705","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Stanley","family":"Mwita","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Eveline","family":"Konje","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Benjamin","family":"Kamala","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Angelina","family":"Izina","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Semvua","family":"Kilonzo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Andrew","family":"Kigombola","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Karol J.","family":"Marwa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mary","family":"Jande","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1323-5832","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Deborah","family":"Dewey","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,7,22]]},"reference":[{"issue":"9966","key":"pone.0254916.ref001","first-page":"430","article-title":"Global, regional, and national causes of child mortality in 2000\u201313, with projections to inform post-2015 priorities: an updated systematic analysis.","volume":"385","author":"L Liu","year":"2015","journal-title":"Lancet Glob Heal"},{"key":"pone.0254916.ref002","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1061","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1600-0412.2012.01478.x","article-title":"Factors associated with and causes of perinatal mortality in northeastern Tanzania","volume":"91","author":"C Schmiegelow","year":"2012","journal-title":"Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand"},{"key":"pone.0254916.ref003","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"635","DOI":"10.1016\/S2214-109X(14)70309-2","article-title":"Estimation of daily risk of neonatal death, including the day of birth, in 186 countries in 2013: a vital-registration and modelling-based study","volume":"2","author":"S Oza","year":"2014","journal-title":"Lancet Glob Heal"},{"key":"pone.0254916.ref004","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"98","DOI":"10.1016\/S2214-109X(15)00275-2","article-title":"National, regional, and worldwide estimates of stillbirth rates in 2015, with trends from 2000: a systematic analysis","volume":"4","author":"H Blencowe","year":"2016","journal-title":"Lancet Glob Health"},{"key":"pone.0254916.ref005","volume-title":"Levels & Trends in Child Mortality: Report 2018","author":"United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UN IGME)","year":"2018"},{"key":"pone.0254916.ref006","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"587","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(15)00837-5","article-title":"Stillbirths: rates, risk factors, and acceleration towards 2030","volume":"387","author":"JE Lawn","year":"2016","journal-title":"Lancet"},{"key":"pone.0254916.ref007","unstructured":"World Health organization. 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