title: Histologic chorioamnionitis and acute neurologic impairment in premature infants.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine if histologic chorioamnionitis is associated with acute neurologic impairment as evaluated by auditory brainstem response in premature infants.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective study was performed to compare auditory neural function at birth between premature infants with maternal histologic chorioamnionitis and infants without maternal histologic chorioamnionitis. Our inclusion criteria was 28-33 weeks gestational age (GA) infants who had maternal placental histopathology performed. Infants with toxoplasmosis, other infections, rubella, cytomegalovirus and herpes simplex (TORCH) infections, chromosomal disorders, cranio-facial anomalies and/or unstable condition were excluded. Bilateral monaural auditory brainstem evoked responses were performed using 80 dB nHL click stimuli at a repetition rate of 29.9/s within 48 h after birth.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 101 infants who met study criteria, 29 infants were born with history of maternal histologic chorioamnionitis. There were no significant differences between infants with histologic chorioamnionitis and infants without histologic chorioamnionitis in perinatal factors except for GA, pregnancy induced hypertension, and exposure to antenatal magnesium sulphate. After controlling for confounders, histologic chorioamnionitis was not associated with prolonged absolute wave latencies I, III, and V and/or decreased frequency of mature auditory waveform compared to infants without histologic chorioamnionitis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Histologic chorioamnionitis is not associated with neurologic impairment at birth in premature infants.
authors.affiliation: Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, The University of Rochester, School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA. sanjiv_amin@urmc.rochester.edu
authors.forename: Sanjiv B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Amin
authors.forename: Hongyue
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002821:Chorioamnionitis / Q000473:pathology*; D016057:Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D008297:Male; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis; D011247:Pregnancy; D011446:Prospective Studies