WHAT'S KNOWN ON THIS SUBJECT: In very preterm infants, outcomes depend not only on the degree of immaturity, but also on the underlying pathologies that trigger preterm delivery. Studies that have addressed this issue have provided unclear results.WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS: Patterns of outcomes differ between maternal hypertension and chorioamnionitis: hypertension is associated with greater risks for bronchopulmonary dysplasia and retinopathy of prematurity, and lower risks for brain injury, necrotizing enterocolitis, early-onset sepsis. For mortality, the effect changes across gestational age weeks. abstract OBJECTIVES: We compared the relative effect of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and chorioamnionitis on adverse neonatal outcomes in very preterm neonates, and studied whether gestational age (GA) modulates these effects.
METHODS:A cohort of neonates 23 to 30 weeks' GA, born in 2008 to 2011 in 82 hospitals adhering to the Italian Neonatal Network, was analyzed. Infants born from mothers who had hypertensive disorders (N = 2096) were compared with those born after chorioamnionitis (N = 1510). Statistical analysis employed logistic models, adjusting for GA, hospital, and potential confounders.
RESULTS:Overall mortality was higher after hypertension than after chorioamnionitis (odds ratio [OR], 1.39; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.08-1.80), but this relationship changed across GA weeks; the OR for hypertension was highest at low GA, whereas from 28 weeks' GA onward, mortality was higher for chorioamnionitis. For other outcomes, the relative risks were constant across GA; infants born after hypertension had an increased risk for bronchopulmonary dysplasia (OR, 2.20; 95% CI, 1.68-2.88) and severe retinopathy of prematurity (OR, 1.48; 95% CI, 1.02-2.15), whereas there was a lower risk for earlyonset sepsis (OR, 0.25; 95% CI,, severe intraventricular hemorrhage (OR, 0.65; 95% CI, periventricular leukomalacia (OR, 0.70; 95% CI,, and surgical necrotizing enterocolitis or gastrointestinal perforation (OR, 0.47; 95% CI, 0.31-0.72).CONCLUSIONS: Mortality and other adverse outcomes in very preterm infants depend on antecedents of preterm birth. Hypertension and chorioamnionitis are associated with different patterns of outcomes; for mortality, the effect changes across GA weeks. Pediatrics 2014;134:e154-e161 AUTHORS: