title: Gastroschisis: the effect of labor and ruptured membranes on neonatal outcome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between labor and ruptured membranes on the neonatal outcome of infants with gastroschisis.
  
  
  METHODS
  We reviewed the outcomes of 60 neonates who were prenatally diagnosed with gastroschisis and who were delivered at the University of North Carolina Hospitals between June 1989 and April 1999.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean gestational age at delivery was 36 weeks. Four infants (7%) died in the neonatal period, and 19 infants (32%) had a major morbidity. No significant differences appeared in any of the neonatal outcomes when they were stratified by the presence or absence of labor and presence or absence of ruptured membranes. After being controlled for confounding variables, the risk of neonatal death or major neonatal morbidity because of exposure to either labor or ruptured membranes was no different than the risks caused by no labor or intact membranes, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Labor and ruptured membranes do not appear to be associated with increased neonatal morbidity or mortality rates in neonates with gastroschisis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, CB #7516, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7516, USA. Robert_Strauss@med.unc.edu
authors.forename: Robert A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Strauss
authors.forename: Rukmini
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Balu
authors.forename: Jeffrey A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Kuller
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: McMahon
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D036861:Delivery, Obstetric / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005322:Premature Rupture of Fetal Membranes; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D020139:Gastroschisis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007226:Infant Mortality / Q000639:trends*; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007235:Infant, Premature, Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D007752:Obstetric Labor, Premature; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D011336:Probability; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012494:Sampling Studies; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal