Abstract

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of antenatal ambroxol administration to the mothers who were imminent preterm delivery on preventing the neonatal respiratory distress syndrome. Forty-two preterm newborn infants who were delivered at Yeungnam University Hospital from January 1996 to December 1997 were divided into two groups, twenty-one ambroxol-treated group and twenty-one control group. Six cases of respiratory distress syndromes developed from 21 ambroxol-treated infants. but thirteen cases of RDS developed from 21 control infants. It indicated significant reduction of occurrence of RDS by antenatal administration of ambroxol (p<0.05). There were no differences in the occurrence of adverse effects of ambroxol in mothers between two groups, ambroxol-treated and control groups. There was also no difference between pre- and post-treatment hematologic and biochemical parameters in ambroxol-treated group. In conclusion, when premature delivery is expected, administration of ambroxol before delivery enhances lung maturation in premature newborn infants and prevents the occurrence of respiratory distress syndromes without significant adverse effects.

• Keywords: Ambroxol;Respiratory distress syndrome;Prematurity