Do antenatal steroids cause an increase in the white blood cell  (WBC) count?

Antenatal betamethasone or dexamethasone therapy appears to cause a transient increase in the maternal white blood cell count. The mean WBC  increases by about 30% within 24 hours.  A rise in the neutrophil count and drop in the lymphocyte count has been noted as early as two hours after the first injection of betamethasone. In most patients the  WBC count returns to baseline on day three following the first betamethasone or dexamethasone injection.

 

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