SMFM recommendations

• 1.
  

  In women with a singleton pregnancy between 34 weeks 0 days and 36 weeks 6 days of gestation who are at high risk for preterm birth within the next 7 days (but before 37 weeks of gestation), we recommend treatment with betamethasone (2 doses of 12 mg intramuscularly 24 hours apart).

  
  
• 2.
  

  In women with preterm labor symptoms in the late preterm period, we recommend waiting for evidence of preterm labor, such as a cervical dilatation of at least 3 cm or effacement of at least 75%, before treatment with betamethasone.

  
  
• 3.
  

  In women with late preterm pregnancies receiving betamethasone, we recommend against the use of tocolysis in an attempt to delay delivery to complete the steroid course because it is unclear whether the benefits of betamethasone administration are outweighed by the risks of attempts to delay delivery.

  
  
• 4.
  

  In women with late preterm pregnancies with a potential medical indication for delivery, we recommend betamethasone not be given unless there is a definitive plan for late preterm delivery.

  
  
• 5.
  

  We recommend that institutions utilize standard guidelines for the assessment and management of neonatal hypoglycemia in late preterm newborns.

  
  
• 6.
  

  We recommend against implementation of the Antenatal Late Preterm Steroids protocol for conditions not studied in the randomized controlled trial unless performed as part of research or quality improvement.