OBJECTIVE In a thesis examine infectious and inflammatory mechanisms involved in preterm birth and cerebral palsy. STUDY DESIGN Four cross-sectional studies and a case control study. RESULTS Microbial invasion of the amniotic cavity and inflammation in this population of Swedish women in preterm labor and preterm prelabor rupture of membranes was similar to that reported in data from popula...

introduction: preterm birth is a risk factor for a number of conditions that requires comprehensive examination. our study was designed to investigate the impact of preterm birth on the processing of auditory stimuli and brain structures at the brainstem level at a preschool age.   materials and methods: an auditory brainstem response (abr) test was performed with low rates of stimuli in 60 chi...

BACKGROUND Threatened preterm labor is a leading cause of hospital admission during pregnancy. Patients with an episode of threatened preterm labor who deliver at term are considered to have false preterm labor. However, threatened preterm labor has been proposed as a pathologic insult that is not always sufficient to induce irreversible spontaneous preterm birth but that could alter the normal...

BACKGROUND Spontaneous preterm birth is a complex syndrome with multiple pathways interactions determining its occurrence, including genetic, immunological, physiologic, biochemical and environmental factors. Despite great worldwide efforts in preterm birth prevention, there are no recent effective therapeutic strategies able to decrease spontaneous preterm birth rates or their consequent neona...

Preterm birth is the most important cause of neonatal mortality and morbidity worldwide. In this review, we review potential risk factors associated with preterm birth and the subsequent management to prevent preterm birth in low and high risk women with a singleton or multiple pregnancy. A history of preterm birth is considered the most important risk factor for preterm birth in subsequent pre...

BACKGROUND Ascending infection from the colonized vagina to the normally sterile intrauterine cavity is a well-documented cause of preterm birth. The primary physical barrier to microbial ascension is the cervical canal, which is filled with a dense and protective mucus plug. Despite its central role in separating the vaginal from the intrauterine tract, the barrier properties of cervical mucus...

Disabilities after brain injury in very preterm infants have mainly been attributed to noncystic periventricular white matter injury (PWMI). We analyzed spatiotemporal patterns of PWMI in the brains of 18 very preterm infants (25-29 postconceptional weeks [pcw]), 7 preterm infants (30-34 pcw), and 10 preterm controls without PWMI. In very preterm infants, we examined PWMI in detail in 2 axonal ...

BACKGROUND Preterm birth, defined as birth occurring before 37 weeks gestation, is one of the most significant contributors to neonatal mortality and morbidity, with long-term adverse consequences for health, and cognitive outcome. OBJECTIVE The aim of the present study was to identify risk factors of preterm birth (≤36+6 weeks gestation) among singleton births and to quantify the contributio...

BACKGROUND High concentrations of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins, and apolipoprotein B in newborns with low gestational age may increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases in the future. We investigated the lipid profile in term, late preterm and preterm Iranian infants. MATERIALS AND METHODS A total number of 99 term (gestational age ≥37 weeks), preterm (gestational age <34 weeks), and late...

background: this study was performed to find out whether transcutaneous bilirubinometry could be a valid screening method for hyperbilirubinemia in preterm infants, especially for those who needed mechanical ventilation. methods: we evaluated 63 preterm iranian newborns who were managed in the neonatal intensive care unit of shahidbeheshti university hospital, isfahan, iran from april 2009 to a...