title: Risk factors for maternal intrapartum fever and short-term neonatal outcome.
abstract: Our objective was to determine maternal risk factors for developing intrapartum fever during term labor and to evaluate perinatal outcomes for infants exposed to mothers with fever. We performed a retrospective cohort study of 330 mothers and their infants and 330 controls in a single institution. Prolonged labor, nulliparity, maternal disease, and prolonged membrane rupture were found to be the most significant predictors for developing intrapartum fever. Caesarean section and instrumental delivery were more commonly performed. Bacteriuria was present in 10 % of the mothers. Babies born to mothers with fever were more likely to have meconium-stained amniotic fluid. More babies in this group were symptomatic (mostly dyspnea) on admission. No cases of neonatal infection were recorded, and no severe morbidity or mortality was present. We concluded that in low-risk asymptomatic intrapartum fever, infection is the least common explanation. Perinatal outcomes may be influenced by medical decisions due to fever onset, such as delivery mode. Short-term outcomes are favorable.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neonatology, Edmond and Lili Safra Children's Hospital, Sheba Medical Center, and Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Gan, Israel.
authors.forename: Ayala
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Maayan-Metzger
authors.forename: Ram
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mazkereth
authors.forename: Adi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shani
authors.forename: Jacob
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kuint
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001437:Bacteriuria / Q000453:epidemiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D036861:Delivery, Obstetric / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D016015:Logistic Models; D007744:Obstetric Labor Complications / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents