title: Severity of chorioamnionitis and neonatal outcome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study is to elucidate whether the stage of chorioamnionitis is or is not associated with the development of neonatal diseases.
  
  
  METHODS
  We reviewed the neonatal intensive care unit discharge files and placental pathology reports of 302 preterm infants. The presence of various stages of chorioamnionitis as well as absence of an association with chorioamnionitis (non-chorioamnionitis) were compared among neonatal diseases.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Preterm infants were grouped according to three stages of chorioamnionitis or the absence of an association with chorioamnionitis. Gestational age differed significantly between these groups. Before controlling for gestational age, the chorioamnionitis stage was significantly higher among infants with chronic lung disease, retinopathy of prematurity and intraventricular hemorrhage than in infants without these diseases. On the other hand, the chorioamnionitis stage was lower in infants with respiratory distress syndrome than without. After controlling for gestational age, the stage of chorioamnionitis was significantly lower in infants with respiratory distress syndrome than in infants without respiratory distress syndrome, whereas, significant differences were not detected between the presence and absence of chronic lung disease, retinopathy of prematurity and intraventricular hemorrhage. Furthermore, gestational age was a significant risk factor for chronic lung disease, respiratory distress syndrome, retinopathy of prematurity and intraventricular hemorrhage.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We found no significant differences in stages of chorioamnionitis between infants with and without neonatal diseases except for respiratory distress syndrome. A significant inverse relationship was observed between the stage of chorioamnionitis and development of respiratory distress syndrome.
authors.affiliation: Perinatal Center for Maternity and Neonate, Yokohama City University Medical Center, Yokohama, Japan. gacha0108@yahoo.co.jp
authors.forename: Miho
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: Shigeru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nishimaki
authors.forename: Shumpei
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yokota
authors.forename: Kazuo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Seki
authors.forename: Haruko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Horiguchi
authors.forename: Hiromi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: An
authors.forename: Fumihiko
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ishida
authors.forename: Shujiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fujita
authors.forename: Kota
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ao
authors.forename: Haruko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yatake
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002821:Chorioamnionitis / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007235:Infant, Premature, Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal; D008297:Male; D010920:Placenta / Q000473:pathology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D012720:Severity of Illness Index