EARLY NEONATAL COMPLICATIONS AFTER ELECTIVE PRETERM DELIVERY IN HYPERTENSIVE PREGNANCIES

We evaluated the rates of short-term neonatal complications, neonatal brain damage or mortality in a group of 96 singleton pregnancies compl icated by hypertension and electively delivered before 36 weeks gestat ion. The neonatal outcome of these pregnancies was compared with that of a matched control group of 192 uneventful pregnancies delivered bec ause of spontaneous preterm labor or premature rupture of membranes. A lthough the rates of acidosis, apneoic crises, bradycardia and ventila tory support were higher among cases than controls, the risk of intrav entricular hemorrhage, severe drain damage (grade III-IV intraventricu lar hemorrhage or periventricular leucomalacia) or neonatal mortality were comparable between the two groups. Neonatal complications were mo re frequent among infants born to mothers with severe hypertension or severe proteinuria. In conclusion, this study has shown that short ter m neonatal complications after elective preterm delivery in hypertensi ve pregnancies are increased in comparison with low risk controls. How ever, these complications, which were well managed in our intensive ca re nursery, did not affected neonatal mortality or severe brain damage .