title: In utero exposure to Ureaplasma spp. is associated with increased rate of bronchopulmonary dysplasia and intraventricular hemorrhage in preterm infants.
abstract: We determined the association between short-term neonatal morbidities, such as bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) and intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH), and Ureaplasma spp. in amniotic fluid, placental and amniotic membrane of preterm infants.
  
  
  
  This study enrolled 257 patients who were born by cesarean section at <34 weeks' gestation. Patients were divided into two groups according to detection of Ureaplasma spp. by culture-based and/or polymerase chain reaction (PCR) techniques.
  
  
  
  Significant differences were observed between both groups for all IVH (P=0.032) and IVH grades III or IV (P=0.013), as wells as for BPD [odds ratio (OR) 5.46, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.02-14.77], oxygen requirement at 28 days postnatal age (OR 1.93, 95% CI 1.00-3.70), and for death between 28 days and 36 postmenstrual weeks or BPD (OR 4.20, 95% CI 1.77-9.96). Ureaplasma spp. was a significant predictor (P<0.001) of BPD after correcting for birth weight (P=0.003) and positive pressure ventilation (P=0.001).
  
  
  
  In our study population Ureaplasma spp. was associated with BPD and IVH in preterm infants even after adjustment for multiple risk factors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria. david.kasper@meduniwien.ac.at
authors.forename: David C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Kasper
authors.forename: Thomas P
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Mechtler
authors.forename: Judith
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Böhm
authors.forename: Ljubomir
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Petricevic
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gleiss
authors.forename: Joachim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Spergser
authors.forename: Armin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Witt
authors.forename: Kurt R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Herkner
authors.forename: Angelika
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Berger
mesh_terms: D000650:Amnion / Q000382:microbiology; D000653:Amniotic Fluid / Q000382:microbiology; D001997:Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia / Q000382:microbiology*; D002543:Cerebral Hemorrhage / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007235:Infant, Premature, Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical; D010920:Placenta / Q000382:microbiology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000382:microbiology*; D014509:Ureaplasma / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016869:Ureaplasma Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000635:transmission*