KIDS-STEP_Betamethasone Therapy in Hospitalised Children With CAP

Inclusion Criteria: * Body weight between 5 kg and 45 kg * Admission to hospital (i.e. assignment of an inpatient case number) * Clinical diagnosis of CAP (according to predefined criteria) * Parent and/or child (as age-appropriate) willing to accept all possible randomised allocations and to be contacted by telephone weekly up to and including at 4 weeks after randomisation * Informed consent form for trial participation signed by parent Exclusion Criteria: * Presence of local chest complications * Chronic underlying disease associated with an increased risk of very severe CAP or CAP of unusual aetiology * Bilateral wheezing without focal chest signs AND clinical indication for primary administration of steroids (most likely to represent respiratory tract infection affecting the medium airways, i.e. not pneumonia) * Admission to hospital with a primary clinical diagnosis of bronchiolitis * Inability to tolerate oral medication * Documented allergy or any other known contraindication to any trial medication * Subacute or chronic conditions requiring higher betamethasone equivalent or known primary or secondary adrenal insufficiency * Known diabetes mellitus (type 1) * Hospitalisation within the last two weeks preceding current admission with the possibility that pneumonia could be hospital-acquired or healthcare-associated * Completion of a course of systemic corticosteroids within 2 weeks from enrolment for courses of \>5 days * Transfer for any reason to a non-participat…