WHAT IS INVOLVED FOR ME IF I PARTICIPATE IN MACS? 

If you participate in this study, you will receive one course of treatment (2 injections 24 hours apart) every two weeks until 33 weeks gestation, as long as your doctor feels you are still at an increased risk of preterm birth. If you are in the ACS group, your injections will contain corticosteroids. If you are in the placebo group, your injections will contain the placebo.  

Following your delivery, information about you and your baby will be collected from the medical records. This information will be about the presence of any problems of prematurity in your baby and whether there are any side effects for you or your baby.

In addition, we will ask you to fill out a questionnaire 3 months after the birth of your baby. The questionnaire will ask you how you are feeling at the time and will also ask you about any symptoms that you may have experienced during your participation in the study. It will take about 20 minutes to complete.

 When your child is 18-24 months old, we will ask you to return so that your child can undergo a developmental assessment. In some centres children participating in MACS will be invited to participate in MACS–5. When your child is 5 years old, we will ask you to complete some questionnaires to assess your child’s health and development. We will also arrange with you for your child to have a visit with his or her doctor or other health care provider so that your child can have a physical assessment of growth and development. We may also invite you and your child to participate in a longer follow-up, beyond 5 years of age.

Finally, you should know, that you are free at any time in the study to refuse to participate and that your participation or decision not to participate will not effect the usual care of you or your baby.