title: Acute appendicitis in pregnancy and the occurrence of major intraventricular hemorrhage and periventricular leukomalacia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Infection and endotoxemia have been associated with neurologic injury in the newborn. In addition, recent reports have noted an increased incidence of fetal neurologic injury in the presence of intrauterine infection.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three pregnancies complicated by acute appendicitis and refractory preterm labor resulting in the delivery of neonates who developed early major intraventricular hemorrhage and/or periventricular leukomalacia are described.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We hypothesize that extrauterine infections like acute appendicitis may play a role in the occurrence of neonatal neurologic injury.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, New York Medical College, Westchester County Medical Center, Valhalla, USA.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mays
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Verma
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Klein
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tejani
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D001064:Appendicitis; D002543:Cerebral Hemorrhage; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007969:Leukomalacia, Periventricular; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications