en تخصصي Special پژوهشي Research <div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><span style="color:#006666;"><strong>Background and Objective:</strong></span> Elective cesarean section (ECS) increases neonatal respiratory complications like transient tachypnea of the newborn (TTN) and respiratory distress syndrome (RDS). This pilot study examined the effect of antenatal steroids on the prevention of respiratory problems in full-term neonates born via ECS.<br> <span style="color:#006666;"><strong>Methods:</strong> </span>This experimental study was carried out on full-term neonates (39-42 weeks) born by ECS to the mothers admitted to Babol Clinic Hospital, northern, Iran in 2016. The intervention group received betamethasone (12 mg, intramuscular, once a day) for 2 days before ECS plus conventional care, but the control group received only conventional care. The rate of respiratory complication and the admission rate of the newborn ward and neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) were compared between two groups.<br> <span style="color:#006666;"><strong>Findings:</strong></span> Overall, 200 full-term neonates (100 neonates in the experimental group and 100 neonates in the control group) were enrolled. Nine neonates (9%) in the experimental group and 8 neonates (8%) in the control group had TTN (P=0. 64), and one (1%) neonate in the experimental group and one neonate (1%) in the control group had RDS (P=1).<br> <span style="color:#006666;"><strong>Conclusion:</strong></span> Antenatal corticosteroid administration to the mothers before ECS with gestational ages of 39-42 weeks does not reduce the incidence of respiratory complications.&nbsp; Thus, further studies are needed to determined its effects in gestational age group more than 39 weeks.</span></span></div> Betamethasone, Cesarean Section, Glucocorticoids, Newborn, Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Term Birth, Transient Tachypnea of the Newborn 472 478 http://caspianjp.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-32-2&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Mousa Ahmadpour-kacho mousa_ahmadpour@hotmail.com 10031947532846002788 10031947532846002788 Yes Professor of Neonatolgy, Non-Communicable Pediatric Diseases Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, IR Iran. Yadollah Zahed Pasha zypasha@gmail.com 10031947532846002789 10031947532846002789 No Non-Communicable Pediatric Diseases Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, IR Iran. Mahtab Zeynalzadeh zeinalmahtab@yahoo.com 10031947532846002790 10031947532846002790 No Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, IR Iran. Mahmoud Hajiahmadi hajiahmadi@yahoo.com 10031947532846002791 10031947532846002791 No Non-Communicable Pediatric Diseases Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, IR Iran. Mohammadhosein Kalantar kalantar.hossein@yahoo.com 10031947532846002792 10031947532846002792 No Student Research Committee, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran. Mehrangiz Baleghi m.baleghi@mubabol.ac.ir 10031947532846002793 10031947532846002793 No Department of nursing, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, IR Iran Tahereh Jahangir zoya.t.jahangir@gmail.com 10031947532846002794 10031947532846002794 No The Clinical Research Development Unit of Amirkola Children's Hospital, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, IR Iran.