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Modeling Encephalopathy of Prematurity Using Prenatal Hypoxia-ischemia with Intra-amniotic Lipopolysaccharide in Rats
Published on: November 20, 2015
Chorioamnionitis: a risk factor for fetal and neonatal morbidity
Rodolfo Bracci1, Giuseppe Buonocore
1Department of Pediatrics, Obstetrics and Reproductive Medicine, University of Siena, Italy.
Biology of the Neonate
|February 11, 2003
Summary
Despite tocolytic drug use, preterm birth rates remain unchanged. Subclinical infections are increasingly linked to preterm birth and severe neonatal complications, highlighting a critical gap in understanding infectious mechanisms.
Area of Science:
- Obstetrics and Gynecology
- Neonatology
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Despite widespread use of tocolytic drugs, preterm birth and low-birth-weight rates have not decreased in two decades.
- Growing evidence links symptomatic and subclinical infections to preterm birth and serious neonatal sequelae like cerebral palsy and respiratory distress.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the evidence linking intrauterine infection to preterm birth and neonatal outcomes.
- To highlight the need for better characterization of infectious/inflammatory mechanisms and host immune responses in preterm birth.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of studies investigating the association between intrauterine infection and preterm birth.
- Analysis of evidence linking clinical and histological chorioamnionitis and intraamniotic cytokines to neonatal morbidity and mortality.
Main Results:
- Intrauterine infections, including subclinical ones, are associated with preterm birth and significant neonatal morbidities.
- Proxies of intrauterine infection correlate with acute neonatal complications, neurological impairment, chronic lung disease, and thymus involution.
Conclusions:
- Current treatments for preterm labor are ineffective in reducing preterm birth rates.
- Understanding the infectious and inflammatory pathways, microbial agents, and host immune responses is crucial for developing effective interventions against preterm birth and its sequelae.
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