Outcome of infants delivered between 24 and 28 weeks' gestation in women with severe pre-eclampsia.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether there are differences in neonatal outcome between infants born to mothers with severe pre-eclampsia and those born to normotensive mothers with preterm labor and intact membranes between 24 and 28 weeks' gestation.


METHODS
Over a 4-year period between 1991 and 1995, neonates of women with severe pre-eclampsia delivering between 24 and 28 weeks were matched for maternal age, antenatally assigned gestational age and mode of delivery to normotensive women delivering during the same period.


RESULTS
Fifty-eight women with severe pre-eclampsia were matched to 58 normotensive controls who delivered as a result of preterm labor. Antenatal steroids were used more often in pre-eclamptic women (75% vs. 47%, p < 0.01). The mean birth weight of pre-eclamptic neonates was significantly lower than that of controls, 767 g vs. 989 g, respectively. Other neonatal complications were similar for both groups. Neonates of pre-eclamptics required longer ventilator support (21 vs. 16 median days, p = 0.03). Neonatal survival was similar for both groups (72% and 79% for pre-eclamptics and normotensives, respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
Neonates born to patients with severe pre-eclampsia have similar survival but a lower birth weight and require longer ventilator support than neonates born to women with preterm labor.
Hiett
A K
AK
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, St Vincent Hospital and Health Services and Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. ahiett@stvincent.org
Brown
H L
HL
Britton
K A
KA
D000328:Adult; D001724:Birth Weight; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007226:Infant Mortality; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D008824:Michigan; D007752:Obstetric Labor, Premature; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D012121:Respiration, Artificial; D012720:Severity of Illness Index