| Characteristics | Experimental (n = 86) | Control (n = 80) |
| Birth weight, median (range), g. | 806 (410 to 1286) | 880 (490 to 1330) |
| Gestational age at birth, median (IQR), wk. | 26.6 (25.7 to 27.4) | 26.8 (25.5 to 27.6) |
| Male sex, n (%) | 44 (51.2) | 34 (42.5) |
| Multiple births, n (%) | 20 (23.3) | 14 (17.5) |
| Prenatal steroids, n (%) | 58 (67.4) | 56 (70.9) |
| Prolonged rupture of membranes, n (%) | 26 (30.6) | 32 (40.5) |
| Maternal clinical chorioamnionitis, n (%) | 6 (7.1) | 7 (9.0) |
| Apgar score ≤ 5 at 5 min, n (%) | 15 (17.6) | 14 (17.7) |
| Umbilical arterial pH, mean (SD) | 7.33 (0.088) | 7.31 (0.096) |