Neonatal outcome after preterm delivery for preeclampsia.
OBJECTIVE
Our purpose was to determine whether maternal preeclampsia per se has a beneficial effect on neonatal outcome after delivery before 35 weeks.


METHODS
A matched cohort study design was used. Two hundred twenty-three infants of strictly defined preeclamptic women were matched for gestational age, race, gender, and mode of delivery with infants of normotensive women with preterm labor and delivery. Pregnancies with multiple gestation, premature rupture of membranes, known fetal anomalies, diabetes, or maternal medical disease were excluded. Information was obtained by review of maternal and neonatal charts. Paired categoric and continuous data were compared by McNemar's test and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test, respectively.


RESULTS
There was no difference in the incidence of neonatal death (4.5% vs 4.5%, p = 0.82), respiratory distress syndrome (22.0% vs 22.0%, p = 0.88), grades 3 and 4 intraventricular hemorrhage (2.2% vs 2.2%, p = 0.72), grades 2 and 3 necrotizing enterocolitis (5.8% vs 4.0%, p = 0.48), and culture-proved sepsis (9.0% vs 9.0%, p = 0.85). Results were similar when analysis was limited to infants born at < or = 32 weeks, infants born to mothers with severe preeclampsia, and infants with intrauterine growth restriction.


CONCLUSIONS
Maternal preeclampsia per se does not have a beneficial effect on the postnatal course of infants born at 24 to 35 weeks' gestation.
Friedman
S A
SA
Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, University of Tennessee, Memphis, USA.
Schiff
E
E
Kao
L
L
Sibai
B M
BM
D001623:Betamethasone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002543:Cerebral Hemorrhage / Q000453:epidemiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007226:Infant Mortality; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000150:complications*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D012127:Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Newborn / Q000453:epidemiology; D018805:Sepsis / Q000453:epidemiology
D001623:Betamethasone