Sex differences in cerebral blood flow following chorioamnionitis in healthy term infants.
OBJECTIVE
Sex is an important determinant of neonatal outcomes and may have a significant role in the physiologic response to maternal chorioamnionitis. Our goal was to determine cerebral blood flow (CBF) parameters by sex and subsequent neurodevelopment in healthy term infants exposed to chorioamnionitis.


METHODS
CBF by Doppler ultrasound in anterior and middle cerebral (ACA, MCA) and basilar arteries were analyzed for time-averaged maximum velocity (TAMX) and corrected resistive index in 52 term control and chorioamnionitis-exposed infants between 24 and 72 h after birth. Placental pathology confirmed histologic evidence of chorioamnionitis (HC). Bayley Scales of Infant Development-III were administered at 12 months.


RESULTS
HC male infants had significantly greater TAMX in the MCA and lower mean MCA and ACA resistance than HC females. Abnormal CBF correlated negatively with neurodevelopmental outcome.


CONCLUSIONS
CBF is altered in term infants with histologically confirmed chorioamnionitis compared with control infants with sex-specific differences.
Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
F R
FR
Koch
Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
C L
CL
Wagner
Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
D D
DD
Jenkins
Department of Pathology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
M J
MJ
Caplan
Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
J K
JK
Perkel
Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Massachusetts, Boston, MA, USA.
L G
LG
Rollins
Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
L D
LD
Katikaneni
Department of Radiology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
D M
DM
Mulvihill
D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation; D002657:Child Development; D002821:Chorioamnionitis; D005260:Female; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011247:Pregnancy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D047929:Term Birth; D018608:Ultrasonography, Doppler