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A Murine Model of Fetal Exposure to Maternal Inflammation to Study the Effects of Acute Chorioamnionitis on Newborn Intestinal Development
Published on: June 24, 2020
Intrapartum maternal fever and neonatal outcome
E Lieberman1, J Lang, D K Richardson
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA. eslieberma@bics.bwh.har vard.edu
Pediatrics
|January 5, 2000
Summary
Maternal fever during labor, often linked to epidural analgesia, is associated with transient adverse neonatal outcomes. Further research is needed to understand potential long-term effects on newborns.
Area of Science:
- Obstetrics and Gynecology
- Neonatal Health
- Anesthesiology
Background:
- Maternal fever during labor is common and often attributed to epidural analgesia.
- Non-infectious fever may impact neonatal well-being.
- Understanding this association is crucial for clinical practice.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the link between elevated maternal intrapartum temperature and neonatal outcomes.
- To assess neonatal health in the absence of infant infection.
- To differentiate fever causes during labor.
Main Methods:
- Studied 1218 nulliparous women with term, singleton, vertex pregnancies and spontaneous labor.
- Excluded women with pre-existing conditions or infected infants.
- Categorized maximum intrapartum temperatures: ≤100.4°F (afebrile), 100.5–101°F, and >101°F.
Main Results:
- 10.1% of women developed fever (>100.4°F), with 97.6% having received epidural analgesia.
- Febrile mothers' infants had lower Apgar scores and increased hypotonia.
- Infants of mothers with temperature >101°F required more resuscitation and oxygen therapy.
Conclusions:
- Intrapartum maternal fever, especially >101°F, is linked to transient adverse neonatal effects.
- Further studies are required to explore neonatal seizures and potential lasting fetal injury.
- Epidural analgesia may contribute to intrapartum fever.
Related Concept Videos
01:25Increased Body Temperature
A body temperature above 38°C (100.4 °F) is known as fever or pyrexia, and a person with fever is termed 'febrile.' Typically, the hypothalamus, a part of the brain that acts as the body's thermostat, regulates body temperature through a thermoregulatory setpoint. It receives signals from cold and warm thermal receptors throughout the body and adjusts the body's temperature accordingly. Fever occurs when this hypothalamic setpoint is altered, usually in response to an infection or illness.
01:22Methods of reducing fever
The signs and symptoms of fever include hot and dry skin, flushed face, thirst, muscle aches, anorexia, headache, tachycardia, tachypnea, and fatigue. Elevated body temperature is reduced using two methods: pharmacological and nonpharmacological. Proper identification and treatment of the root cause of a fever is of utmost importance.
Pharmacological Methods of Reducing Fever:
Pharmacological Methods of Reducing Fever:
01:25Types of Fever
Fever can be triggered by several factors, including infections, nervous system disorders, certain cancers, blood diseases like leukemia, embolism, thrombosis, heatstroke, dehydration, surgical trauma, crushing injuries, and allergic reactions.
Here are the different types of fever:
Here are the different types of fever:
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