Background: One of the primary causes of early neonatal morbidity and mortality in preterm births is respiratory morbidity, which includes respiratory distress syndrome. The present study was conducted to assess the effect of antenatal corticosteroids in women at risk of late preterm delivery. Materials & Methods: 90women with a singleton gestation at high risk for late preterm delivery were divided into 2 groups of 45 each. Group I patients were given injections of 12 mg betamethasone and group II patients were given placebo 24 hours apart. In this study, we assessed neonatal and maternal outcome. Results: The indication for trial entry was preterm labor with intact membranes in 20 and 26 patients in group I and II and ruptured membranes in 25 and 19 in group I and II respectively. Gestational age at trial entry was ≤ 34 weeks seen in 10 and 12, 35 weeks in 19 and 18 and ≥36 weeks in 16 and 15 in group I and II respectively. The difference was significant (P< 0.05). Neonatal outcomeswas necrotizing enterocolitis in 2 and 1, hypoglycemia in 9 and 5, neonatal death in 0 and 2, proven neonatal sepsis in 4 and 2 and intraventricular hemorrhage in 2 and 1 patients in group I and group II respectively. Maternal outcomes was chorioamnionitis in 4 and 5 patients, cesarean delivery in 25 and 30, and postpartum endometritis in 2 and 3 patients respectively. The difference was significant (P< 0.05). Conclusion: When betamethasone was given to women who were at risk of a late preterm delivery, the rate of newborn respiratory morbidity was significantly reduced.