steroids just in case?

[expert@preeclampsia.org]

With my last pregnancy I had Hellp syndrome at 29 weeks. I am from Dominican Republic and I am being treated by an ob, because we have no mfm's here.

I am 31 weeks pregnant, my blood pressure has been ranging from 100/60-90/60, my protein levels are below 300. Today I had a drs. appt. and he prescribed steroid shots for the baby just as prevention in case something goes wrong.

I don't see why, but I would really like your opinion on this. Are there any side effects that could be harmful if the baby doesn't really need it? Please let me know your opinion on this, what you think about it, should I wait, should I discuss it with him again?

Are there concerns about steroid shots raising blood pressure and triggering the preeclampsia cascade? Is their prophylactic use in women with a history recommended by the latest research?

[expert@preeclampsia.org]

Steroids to accelerate fetal lung maturation are very beneficial for the fetus and have a side benefit of ameliorating the HELLP disease process when present.

The concern about corticosteroids worsening blood pressure was laid to rest in the early 1980's, more than 20 years ago. I thought it was a dead issue, or should be.

Their use is recommended in any preterm pregnant patient who is at significant risk of delivering within the next 7-10 days prior to 34 weeks gestation in the absence of overwhelming infection, regardless of the presence or absence of a hypertensive complication of pregnancy.

Steroids neither worsen nor improve blood pressure in these patients; in some patients with HELLP blood pressure may improve after steroids are started, in others no effect is seen. A side benefit of steroids in the severe preterm preeclamptic is the potential transient improvement in umbilical cord blood flow while fetal lung maturation enhancement is happening.