STILLBIRTHS AND INTRAUTERINE INFECTION, HISTOLOGIC CHORIOAMNIONITIS AND MICROBIOLOGICAL FINDINGS

Objective: To analyze whether placental inflammation is associated wit h stillbirth in Zimbabwe, Method: Placentas from 66 stillbirths (>22 w eeks' gestation; patients with congenital malformations, diabetes or p reeclampsia were excluded) and 66 term live births were studied for th e presence and severity of chorioamnionitis. The morphological results were compared with earlier presented microbiological findings in the same material. Results: Chorioamnionitis was present in 79% of stillbi rths and 30% of live births (O.R. 8.5, 95% C.I. 4.0-18). Nine percent of stillbirths but no live births presented vasculitis of the chorioni c plate, which verified an inflammatory response from the infant (O.R. 14, 95% C.I. 2.8-72). The same types of microorganisms were isolated from stillbirths and liveborns, but Escherichia coli and group B strep tococci were more frequent among stillbirths, Conclusions: Morphologic al chorioamnionitis occurred 2.6 times more often in women with stillb irths than in women with live births, In 9% of stillbirths the infant showed an inflammatory response, Thus the infant was alive when the in fection occurred and it is therefore reasonable to assume that infecti on was the cause of death.