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Updated: Jul 16, 2026
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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
Chorioamnionitis and fetal response in stillbirth
Monica M Lahra1, Adrienne Gordon, Heather E Jeffery
1Department of Neonatal Medicine, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia.
American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology
|March 10, 2007
Summary
Chorioamnionitis is common in stillbirth, especially at gestation extremes. Fetal inflammatory response impacts outcomes, with its absence linked to unexplained antepartum death.
Area of Science:
- Perinatal pathology
- Obstetrics
- Fetal medicine
Background:
- Chorioamnionitis and fetal inflammatory response are significant contributors to stillbirth.
- Understanding their incidence and impact is crucial for improving perinatal outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the incidence of chorioamnionitis and fetal inflammatory response in stillborn infants.
- To investigate the relationship between fetal response and factors like spontaneous labor, unexplained antepartum death, and spontaneous preterm death.
Main Methods:
- A 15-year hospital cohort study analyzed placental histopathology.
- Data included labor onset, gestation, and cause of death classification for 428 stillbirths.
Main Results:
- Chorioamnionitis occurred in 36.9% of stillbirths, with increased rates at early and late gestations.
- Fetal inflammatory response was present in 13.3%, correlating with spontaneous labor and very early preterm death.
- Absence of fetal response was associated with unexplained antepartum death.
Conclusions:
- The elevated incidence of chorioamnionitis at gestation extremes in stillbirth is a novel finding with clinical implications.
- The impact of fetal inflammatory response is gestation-dependent, and its absence is a marker for unexplained antepartum death.
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