FUNZIONE GRANULOCITARIA DI NEONATI PREMATURI DOPO TRATTAMENTO PRENATALE CON CORTICOSTEROIDI PER LA PREVENZIONE DELLA MALATTIA DA MEMBRANE JALINE (M.M.J.)

Prenatal treatment with bethametasone enabled the achievement of a significant decrease in both R.D.S. and early neonatal mortality of the preterm newborn. Corticosteroids have been reported to interfere with bactericidal capacity of leukocytes. Granulocytic function has been investigated on peripheral blood PMN from 7 normal newborns,5 preterm newborns, 6 small for dates newborns, and from 8 preterm newborns whose mothers have been treated with bethametasone at term in the pregnancy. The latter group of subjects has shown a significant decrease in phagocytosis percentage and of the phagocytic index; the other groups have shown a normal phagocytosis.