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Published on: November 20, 2015
Association of preterm birth with brain malformations
1Department of Radiology, Department of Pathology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA. wibrown@wfubmc.edu
Pediatric Research
|February 17, 2009
Summary
Babies with congenital brain defects are more likely to be born prematurely. This study found significantly higher rates of preterm birth in infants with brain anomalies compared to those without.
Area of Science:
- Perinatal Medicine
- Developmental Biology
- Public Health
Background:
- Preterm birth is a major concern in neonatal care.
- Congenital anomalies, particularly brain defects, can impact pregnancy outcomes.
- Understanding risk factors for preterm birth is crucial for intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between congenital brain defects and the rate of preterm birth.
- To compare gestational age at birth in infants with and without brain anomalies.
- To quantify the prevalence of preterm birth in cases with congenital brain defects.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review and abstraction of 1168 autopsy case reports of congenital brain anomalies from 428 publications.
- Analysis of control data from the Metropolitan Atlanta Congenital Defects Program, including 7738 infants with defects and 264,392 infants without defects.
- Comparison of mean gestational age and preterm birth rates between groups.
Main Results:
- Infants with congenital brain defects had a mean gestational age of 36.6 weeks.
- Control infants without defects had a mean gestational age of 39.3 weeks.
- Preterm birth rates were 9.3% in infants without defects, 21.5% in infants with any defects, and 33.1% in autopsy cases with brain defects.
Conclusions:
- Congenital brain defects are significantly associated with an increased rate of preterm birth.
- The data indicate a strong link between brain anomalies and premature delivery.
- Further research may explore mechanisms underlying this association.
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