Histological chorioamnionitis and pathological stages on very preterm infant outcomes

• Published in: Histopathology Vol. 84; no. 6; pp. 1024 - 1037
• Main Authors: Duan, Jiajia, Xu, Falin, Zhu, Chaoya, Wang, Ju, Zhang, Xiaoli, Xu, Yiran, Li, Bingbing, Peng, Xirui, Zhu, Jinjin, Wang, Xiaoyang, Zhu, Changlian
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.05.2024
• Subjects: Age; Amniotic fluid; Birth weight; Cerebral palsy; Chorioamnionitis; Clinical Medicine; Cognitive ability; Developmental disabilities; Fetuses; Gestational age; Hemorrhage; Infants; Inflammation; intraventricular haemorrhage; Klinisk medicin; Neonates; neurodevelopment; Newborn babies; placental inflammation; Premature babies; Premature birth; preterm birth; Sepsis; preterm birth; cerebral palsy; neurodevelopment; chorioamnionitis; intraventricular haemorrhage; placental inflammation
• ISSN: 0309-0167; 1365-2559; 1365-2559
• DOI: 10.1111/his.15147

Aims Histological chorioamnionitis (HCA) is a condition linked to preterm birth and neonatal infection and its relationship with various pathological stages in extremely preterm neonates, and with their associated short‐ and long‐term consequences, remains a subject of research. This study investigated the connection between different pathological stages of HCA and both short‐term complications and long‐term outcomes in preterm infants born at or before 32 weeks of gestational age. Methods Preterm infants born at ≤ 32 weeks of gestation who underwent placental pathology evaluation and were followed‐up at 18–24 months of corrected age were included. Neonates were classified based on their exposure to HCA and were further subdivided into different groups according to maternal inflammatory responses (MIR) and fetal inflammatory responses (FIR) stages. We compared short‐term complications during their hospital stay between the HCA‐exposed and ‐unexposed groups and examined the influence of HCA stages on long‐term outcomes. Results The HCA group exhibited distinct characteristics such as higher rates of premature rupture of membranes > 18 h, reduced amniotic fluid, early‐onset sepsis, bronchopulmonary dysplasia and intraventricular haemorrhage (IVH) grades III–IV (P < 0.05). The moderate–severe HCA group displayed lower gestational age, lower birth weight and higher incidence of IVH (grades III–IV) and preterm sepsis compared with the mild HCA group (P < 0.05). After adjusting for confounders, the MIR stages 2–3 group showed associations with cognitive impairment and cerebral palsy (P < 0.05), and the FIR stages 2–3 group also showed poor long‐term outcomes and cognitive impairment (P < 0.05). Conclusions Moderate–severe HCA was associated with increased early‐onset sepsis, severe IVH and poor long‐term outcomes, including cognitive impairment and cerebral palsy. Vigilant prevention strategies are warranted for severe HCA cases in order to mitigate poorer clinical outcomes. Moderate–severe HCA was associated with decreased gestational age, birth weight and increased early‐onset sepsis, severe IVH (IVH grades III–IV) and poor long‐term outcomes, including and cognitive impairment and cerebral palsy.