REMARKS Q Timely birth of the baby to avoid further intrauterine insult should be the priority when the diagnosis of clinical chorioamnionitis is made. Antenatal corticosteroid therapy should not be initiated at the expense of timely birth when indicated by maternal or fetal condition. Q Antenatal corticosteroids should be avoided in women with evidence of ongoing systemic infection, e.g. septicaemia or tuberculosis. Q In the light of evidence from the Antenatal Corticosteroids Trial, (18) the GDG acknowledged the concern about the risk of exacerbating maternal infection, particularly in low- and middleincome settings where baseline risk of maternal infectious morbidity is higher than in the settings where previous trials have been conducted. The GDG felt that this potential risk may outweigh the known benefits of antenatal corticosteroids in the majority of populations where steroid use is essential for improving newborn survival. Q The GDG reaffirms that all pre-conditions outlined for antenatal corticosteroid therapy in Recommendation 1.0 apply.

Implementation considerations outlined in Table 2.