Contribution of Perinatal Infections to Outcomes of Premature Infants

A meta-analysis demonstrated a significant detrimental effect of perinatal infections on the neurodevelopmental outcomes of very-premature and very-low-birth-weight infants.

Very-preterm delivery (VPD; ≤32 weeks of gestation) and very low birth weight (VLBW; ≤1500 g) are strongly associated with intrauterine infections. These infections contribute to brain damage, which leads to adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes. In a recent meta-analysis, researchers in the Netherlands assembled the literature on perinatal infections and neurodevelopmental outcomes, measured using the second edition of the Bayley Scales of Infant Development (BSID-II). The BSID-II consists of a Mental Development Index (MDI), a Psychomotor Development Index (PDI), and a Behavioral Rating Scale.

The criteria for inclusion in this meta-analysis were: (1) the study included VPD or VLBW infants, or both; (2) the study compared infants with and wi…

Reviewing Author

Robert S. Baltimore, MD

Disclosures

Editorial BoardsInfectious Diseases in Children

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesMember Committee on Rheumatic Fever, Endocarditis and Kawasaki Disease

Robert S. Baltimore, MD

Disclosures

Editorial BoardsInfectious Diseases in Children

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesMember Committee on Rheumatic Fever, Endocarditis and Kawasaki Disease

Contribution of Perinatal Infections to Outcomes of Premature Infants

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Reviewing Author