title: Maternal hypertensive disorders are an independent risk factor for the development of necrotizing enterocolitis in very low birth weight infants.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to compare complications and outcome of preterm neonates weighing < or =1,500 g who developed necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) to neonates without NEC.
  
  
  METHODS
  During January, 1995 to December, 1998, 211 live preterm neonates were born with birth weight < or =1,500 g. A cross sectional prospective study was designed and two groups were defined: 17 neonates who developed NEC and 194 without NEC. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to determine independent risk factors for the development of NEC.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of NEC was 8% (17/211). The following complications were found to be significantly higher among mothers of neonates with NEC: mild pre-eclampsia (11.8 vs. 2.6%, p=0.04); severe pre-eclampsia (35.5 vs. 12.9%, p=0.01); chronic hypertension (29.4 vs. 5.7%, p<0.001) and low birth weight (968 +/- 233 vs. 1,123 +/- 257 g, p=0.02). In contrast, mean maternal age, mean gestational age at delivery and parity were not significantly different between the groups. A multivariate analysis including the following factors: maternal hypertensive disorders, pregestational diabetes mellitus, birth weight and gestational age at delivery, found only maternal hypertensive disorders to be independent risk factors for NEC (OR=5.21, 95% CI 1.64-16.58).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Maternal hypertension is an independent risk factor for the development of NEC in preterm neonates weighing <1,500 g. Thus, maternal vascular disorders may play an important role in the pathophysiology of NEC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Soroka University Medical Center, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel.
authors.forename: Asher
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bashiri
authors.forename: Ehud
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Zmora
authors.forename: Eyal
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sheiner
authors.forename: Reli
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hershkovitz
authors.forename: Ilana
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Shoham-Vardi
authors.forename: Moshe
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mazor
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D020345:Enterocolitis, Necrotizing / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D019102:Infant, Very Low Birth Weight; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors