Research Article

Nephrotoxic Versus Nephroprotective: What Is the Role of Antenatal Steroids in Preterm Neonates

Rafia Gul, Attiqua Muzamil, Samer Fatima, Sidra Niamat

Journal of Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine · First Published Online March 7, 2026 · DOI: 10.1177/19345798261431232

iD ORCID iD: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0605-7089 · View All Publications by Dr. Rafia Gul

In Brief

Antenatal steroids are given to mothers at risk of early delivery to help their baby’s lungs mature, but their effect on the baby’s kidneys is not well understood. This study asked whether preterm babies exposed to these steroids before birth were more or less likely to develop acute kidney injury in the newborn intensive care unit.

Key Points

• A prospective study of 399 preterm neonates in a newborn intensive care unit in Lahore, carried out between 2023 and 2025.
• Babies were grouped by their exposure to antenatal steroids, and acute kidney injury was staged using KDIGO criteria over the first 14 days.
• Acute kidney injury was less common after a complete steroid course (23.4%) than after an incomplete course (47.3%) or no exposure (45.4%), and this held after adjusting for other factors.
• The authors describe this as an association, not proof of cause and effect, so larger studies are needed.

Acute Kidney InjuryAntenatal Corticosteroid TherapyGestational Age NephroprotectionPerinatal OutcomesPreterm NeonateRenal Maturation

© The Author(s) 2026. Published in the Journal of Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine. PDF shared by the authors.