Table 3. Demographic and Clinical Characteristics of the Study Population According to the Presence or Absence of Clinical Chorioamnionitis.
| Clinical chorioamnionitis | p value | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Presence (n=13) | Absence (n=133) | ||
| Maternal age (yrs) | 30.9±4.1 | 31.9±4.2 | 0.450 |
| Nulliparity | 46% (6/13) | 42% (56/133) | 0.778 |
| Previous spontaneous preterm birth (<37 wks) | 8% (1/13) | 8% (10/133) | 1.000 |
| Gestational age at assessment (wks) | 30.2±1.5 | 30.1±3.4 | 0.326 |
| Gestational age at delivery (wks) | 31.5±1.4 | 31.4±3.2 | 0.254 |
| Cervical length by ultrasound (mm) | 23.4±14.0 | 23.0±11.7 | 0.904 |
| Sampling-to-delivery interval [hrs, median (95% Cl)] | 405 (0–935) | 153 (60–246) | 0.315* |
| Maternal blood WBC count (cells/mm3) | 10765±3813 | 11293±3643 | 0.427 |
| Serum C-reactive protein (mg/L) | 9.0±13.6 | 8.8±13.1 | 0.680 |
| Amniotic fluid IL-6 (ng/mL) | 13.1±25.1 | 8.9±17.3 | 0.948 |
| Amniotic fluid WBC count (cells/mm3) | 915±2340 | 1063±6303 | 0.704 |
| Positive amniotic fluid cultures | 54% (7/13) | 33% (44/133) | 0.134 |
| Histologic chorioamnionitis | 77% (10/13) | 48% (64/133) | 0.078 |
| Funisitis | 62% (8/13) | 20% (27/133) | 0.001 |
| Use of antibiotics | 100% (13/13) | 95% (126/133) | 1.000 |
| Use of antenatal corticosteroids | 100% (13/13) | 82% (109/133) | 0.127 |
| Composite neonatal morbidity† | 54% (7/13) | 37% (46/126) | 0.220 |
| Early-onset neonatal sepsis | 23% (3/13) | 7% (9/126) | 0.086 |
| Respiratory distress syndrome | 31% (4/13) | 25% (31/126) | 0.738 |
| Bronchopulmonary dysplasia | 15% (2/13) | 16% (20/126) | 1.000 |
| Necrotizing enterocolitis | 0% (0/13) | 2% (3/126) | 1.000 |
| Periventricular leukomalacia | 15% (2/13) | 10% (12/126) | 0.621 |
| Neonatal mortality† | 8% (1/13) | 1% (1/126) | 0.179 |
| Birth weight (g) | 1798±337 | 1784±568 | 0.706 |
CI, confidence interval; WBC, white blood cell; IL-6, interleukin-6.
Values are presented as the mean±standard deviation or % (n) unless otherwise indicated.
*Log-rank test, †Seven infants who were not actively resuscitated at birth due to extremely low gestational age (less than 23.4 weeks) were excluded.