Impact on neonatal outcome and anthropometric growth in very low birth weight infants with histological chorioamnionitis.
OBJECTIVE
Chorioamnionitis (CAM) is one of the main causes of preterm labor. The specific aim of our study was to evaluate neonatal outcome and anthropometric growth at the corrected age of 2 years after exposure to an adverse intrauterine event of CAM in very low birth weight (VLBW, less than 1500 g) infants.


METHODS
One hundred and nineteen VLBW infants had adequate placental histological data available for the study. Maternal and perinatal characteristics and neonatal morbidity were determined. The infants were followed up prospectively and their anthropometric growth was recorded in the neonatal follow-up clinic for 2 years.


RESULTS
Histological CAM was evident in 64 cases (53.8%, CAM group). Patients with histological CAM delivered earlier (27.8 +/- 2.9 vs. 29.6 +/- 3.6 weeks, p = 0.003), and they had higher incidence of preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM, p less than 0.001) and longer ventilation days (p = 0.001). After adjusting for gestational age, sepsis (aOR, 3.355), bronchopulmonary dysplasia (aOR, 3.018) and mechanical ventilation (aOR, 4.094) had a higher incidence in the CAM group. At the corrected ages of 6, 12, 18 and 24 months, anthropometric measurements, including body weight, body height and head circumference, were similar for the study and control infants.


CONCLUSIONS
Histological CAM was associated with a higher incidence of PPROM, sepsis, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, more mechanical ventilation and longer ventilation days. However, at the age of 2 years, CAM had no impact on anthropometric growth.
Mu
Shu-Chi
SC
Department of Pediatrics, Shin Kong Wu Ho-Su Memorial Hospital, Institute of Clinical Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, and College of Medicine, Fu Jen Catholic University, Taipei, Taiwan.
Lin
Cheng-Hui
CH
Chen
Yi-Ling
YL
Ma
Hui-Ju
HJ
Lee
Jing-Sheng
JS
Lin
Ming-I
MI
Lee
Chin-Cheng
CC
Chen
Tong-Jong
TJ
Jow
Guey-Mei
GM
Sung
Tseng-Chen
TC
D000328:Adult; D001827:Body Height; D001835:Body Weight; D001997:Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia / Q000209:etiology; D002657:Child Development; D002821:Chorioamnionitis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006128:Growth; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D019102:Infant, Very Low Birth Weight; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy