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Updated: Aug 30, 2026

A Murine Model of Fetal Exposure to Maternal Inflammation to Study the Effects of Acute Chorioamnionitis on Newborn Intestinal Development
08:50

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

Placental infection with Chlamydia pneumoniae and intrauterine growth restriction

Christina Baboonian1, David A Smith, David Shapland

  • 1Department of Cardiological Sciences, St. George's Hospital Medical School, Cranmer Terrace, London, SW17 0RE, UK.

Cardiovascular Research
|October 3, 2003
PubMed

Insights

Chlamydia pneumoniae DNA was found in placental tissue, but its presence did not correlate with intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) or low birth weight. This suggests C. pneumoniae infection is unlikely to cause IUGR.

Area of Science:

  • Obstetrics and Gynecology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Cardiovascular Health

Background:

  • Low birth weight infants have an increased risk of adult coronary artery disease (CAD).
  • Chlamydia pneumoniae (C. pneumoniae) is implicated in CAD.
  • The association between C. pneumoniae and intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) has not been studied.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine if C. pneumoniae DNA is present in placental tissue.
  • To investigate the association between C. pneumoniae detection and IUGR.

Main Methods:

  • Nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to detect C. pneumoniae DNA in placental tissue from 59 pregnant women (32 controls, 27 with IUGR).
  • Maternal blood samples were tested for C. pneumoniae IgG antibodies using microimmunofluorescence.
  • IUGR was defined as a fetal abdominal circumference less than 2 standard deviations from the mean.

Main Results:

  • C. pneumoniae DNA was detected in 44% of placental tissues.
  • No significant difference in C. pneumoniae DNA prevalence was found between control and IUGR groups (P=0.58).
  • Maternal C. pneumoniae seropositivity rates were similar in both groups (78% vs. 70%, P=0.44).

Conclusions:

  • C. pneumoniae DNA is present in placental tissue.
  • The presence of C. pneumoniae in placental tissue does not correlate with IUGR.
  • Maternal C. pneumoniae seropositivity is not linked to low birth weight, suggesting it's not a primary cause of IUGR.
Abstract

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