title: Impact of chorioamnionitis and preeclampsia on neurodevelopmental outcome in preterm infants below 32 weeks gestational age.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Intrauterine conditions may interfere with foetal brain development. We compared the neurodevelopmental outcome between infants <32 weeks gestational age after maternal preeclampsia or chorioamnionitis and controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  Case-control study on infants with maternal preeclampsia, chorioamnionitis and controls (each n = 33) matched for gestational age. Neurodevelopment at 2 years was assessed with the Bayley Scales of Infant Development II.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 99 infants were included with a median gestational age of 29 weeks (range 25-32). Median mental developmental index (MDI) was 96 in the control, 90 in the chorioamnionitis and 86 in the preeclampsia group. Preeclampsia infants had a lower MDI compared with the control group (univariate p = 0.021, multivariate p = 0.183) and with the chorioamnionitis group (univariate p = 0.242; multivariate p = 0.027). Median psychomotor index was 80.5 in the control, 80 in the preeclampsia and 85 in the chorioamnionitis group and was not different between these three groups (p > 0.05). Chorioamnionitis or preeclampsia exposure was not associated with major neurodevelopmental impairments (cerebral palsy, MDI<70, PDI<70).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this preliminary study suggest that preeclampsia and chorioamnionitis play a relatively minor role among risk factors for adverse neurodevelopment outcome. Postnatal factors such as ventilation and bronchopulmonary dysplasia may have a greater impact on neurodevelopmental outcome.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Luregn J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Schlapbach
authors.forename: Jörg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ersch
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Adams
authors.forename: Vera
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bernet
authors.forename: Hans Ulrich
authors.initials: HU
authors.lastname: Bucher
authors.forename: Beatrice
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Latal
mesh_terms: D001997:Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia / Q000453:epidemiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002547:Cerebral Palsy / Q000453:epidemiology; D002821:Chorioamnionitis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature / Q000254:growth & development*; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009420:Nervous System / Q000254:growth & development; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011379:Prognosis; D011597:Psychomotor Performance