title: Management of term newborns following maternal intrapartum fever.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the diagnostic and therapeutic approach to full term neonates born to mothers with intrapartum fever.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a retrospective study, neonates born to mothers with intrapartum fever, (≥ 37.8°C), were compared to control group matched by gestational age and birthweight.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, 159 singleton full term neonates born to women with intrapartum fever (study group) were compared to 159 control infants. No differences in neonatal outcomes were found between the two groups except for a higher rate of meconium-stained amniotic fluid in the maternal-fever group. There were no cases of neonatal infection, severe neonatal morbidity, or neonatal mortality in either of the groups. Full sepsis workup and intravenous antibiotic treatment were provided to 17.6% of the neonates in the study group. Logistic regression analysis revealed that delivery by Cesarean section was the only factor independently associated with the decision to perform a full sepsis work up and antibiotic treatment in cases of maternal intrapartum fever (OR 32.0, 95% CI 9.4-112.1).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In low-risk women with asymptomatic intrapartum fever, neonatal infection is uncommon, so that aggressive evaluation and management of these infants may not be necessary and should be balanced against the low risk of neonatal sepsis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neonatology, Helen Schneider's Hospital for Women Rabin Medical Center, PetachTikva, Israel.
authors.forename: Nehama
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Linder
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fridman
authors.forename: Ayman
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Makhoul
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lubin
authors.forename: Gil
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Klinger
authors.forename: Tami
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Laron-Kenet
authors.forename: Yariv
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yogev
authors.forename: Nir
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Melamed
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007557:Israel / Q000453:epidemiology; D015997:Neonatal Screening / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007744:Obstetric Labor Complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D018805:Sepsis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D019564:Unnecessary Procedures; D055815:Young Adult