ASSESSMENT OF FETAL ACTIVITY AND AMNIOTIC-FLUID VOLUME IN THE PREDICTION OF INTRAUTERINE INFECTION IN PRETERM PRELABOR AMNIORRHEXIS

OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to assess fetal activity, fetal heart rate patterns, and amniotic fluid volume in the prediction of intrauterine infection in pregnancies complicated by preterm prelabor amniorrhexis. STUDY DESIGN: A prospective study was performed on 89 patients with p reterm prelabor amniorrhexis undergoing fetal blood and amniotic fluid sampling for microbiologic investigations. Within 2 hours before cord ocentesis and amniocentesis, computerized fetal heart rate monitoring was carried out and ultrasonographic examination was performed for ass essment of biophysical profile and amniotic fluid volume. RESULTS: In the pregnancies with microbiologic evidence of intrauterine infection compared with those with no infection, there was a tendency for a lowe r biophysical profile score and amniotic fluid index and an increased fetal heart rate. However, in the majority of pregnancies with positiv e amniotic fluid or fetal blood cultures the results of the various te sts were normal. CONCLUSION: In pregnancies complicated by preterm pre labor amniorrhexis assessment of fetal activity and amniotic fluid vol ume do not provide useful prediction of intrauterine infection.