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Chorioamnionitis and funiculitis in the placentas of 200 births weighing less than 2.5 kg.
Author(s) -
CHELLAM V. G.,
KUSHTON D. I.
Publication year - 1985
Publication title -
bjog: an international journal of obstetrics and gynaecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.157
H-Index - 164
eISSN - 1471-0528
pISSN - 1470-0328
DOI - 10.1111/j.1471-0528.1985.tb03050.x
Subject(s) - chorioamnionitis , incidence (geometry) , medicine , sepsis , obstetrics , pathological , placenta , neonatal sepsis , premature rupture of membranes , pregnancy , umbilical cord , gestational age , puerperal infection , retrospective cohort study , perinatal mortality , neonatal infection , endometritis , placenta diseases , fetus , pathology , surgery , immunology , biology , genetics , physics , optics
Summary. A retrospective histopathological study of the placental and non‐placental membranes and umbilical cords of 200 live and stillborn babies weighing <2·5 kg is reported. The pathological studies were specifically concerned with the presence of infection as evidenced by a polymorphonuclear leucocytie infiltrate at these sites. Inflammatory lesions were demonstrated in 48·5% of specimens. The incidence of inflammatory lesions was highest in those with prolonged rupture of the membranes, and in the placentas of the smallest and least mature infants of a size appropriate t o their gestational age. Puerperal pyrexia, neonatal sepsis and perinatal mortality were also more common in the infected group but none of the perinatal deaths was directly attributable to infection. The role of infection as a cause of premature rupture of the membranes, premature labour and subsequent perinantal outcome is still unclear though our data would suggest it is not unimportant.