Effect of prednisolone treatment on selected respiratory parameters and cardiac output in prematurely delivered neonatal lambs.

Lambs were delivered by hysterotomy on days 142 and 143 postcoitum and were assigned to either a control group or a prednisolone-treated group (10 mg/kg daily for four days). On days 1 through 3 of life erythrocyte 2,3-diphosphoglycerate values were significantly increased in the treated group. Prednisolone treatment did not result in significantly increased P50 values. Mean plasma corticoid values in the control group decreased gradually postpartum. The prednisolone-treated lambs compared to the control lambs had depressed corticoid values, differing significantly on day 4. Body weight gains were significantly depressed by treatment and this effect lasted beyond the treatment period. On day 1 of life (24 hours postinitial treatment) oxygen consumption and cardiac output were significantly elevated in the treated group.