Lowering the dose of antenatal steroids: The effects of a single course of betamethasone on somatic growth and brain cell proliferation in the rat
We investigated the effects of a single course of antenatal betamethasone on neonatal somatic and brain development. On day 20 of gestation, pregnant rats were injected with either with 170 mu g kg(-1) body weight of betamethasone ("clinically-equivalent dose," equivalent to 12 mg twice, 24 hours apart) or half this dose or vehicle. Pups (8-11 animals per experimental group per time-point per gend
