title: Gestational age at preterm premature rupture of membranes: a risk factor for neonatal white matter damage.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Gestational age at delivery and spontaneous prematurity are independent risk factors for white matter damage (WMD). However, among infants delivered spontaneously after preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM), latency of PPROM has been inconsistently correlated with risk of WMD. We have explored whether gestational age at membrane rupture is independently associated with WMD.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using a cohort of 196 liveborn singleton nonanomalous neonates born at 24.0 to 33.6 weeks from January 1993 to December 2002 after pPROM and who survived 7 days, we compared the characteristics of those who developed WMD (n = 15) with those who did not (n = 181) using Fisher exact test, Student t test, and logistic regression analysis, with a 2-tailed P < .05 or odds ratio (OR) with 95% CI not inclusive of the unity considered significant.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Stepwise logistic regression analysis demonstrated that gestational age at PPROM (P < .001, OR 0.79) was significantly associated with WMD. The association was independent of corticosteroid administration (P = .016), latency interval (P = .69), gestational age at delivery (P = .99), and birth weight (P = .62).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Among premature infants born at <34 weeks after pPROM, gestational age at diagnosis is independently associated with WMD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ospedale San Gerardo, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Locatelli
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ghidini
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Paterlini
authors.forename: Luisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Patanè
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Doria
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zorloni
authors.forename: John C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Pezzullo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005322:Premature Rupture of Fetal Membranes / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007969:Leukomalacia, Periventricular / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D016015:Logistic Models; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D047928:Premature Birth / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors