ANTENATAL AND DELIVERY RISK-FACTORS SIMULTANEOUSLY ASSOCIATED WITH NEONATAL DEATH AND CEREBRAL-PALSY IN PRETERM INFANTS

To evaluate the simultaneous effects of antenatal and delivery risk fa ctors on neonatal death and cerebral palsy in preterm infants, we cond ucted a cohort study of 363 singleton pregnancies delivered between 24 and 33 weeks gestation. Neurodevelopmental outcome of the infants was evaluated at 2 years of corrected age. Risk factors associated with d eath or cerebral palsy were analysed by politomous logistic regression . Overall, the mortality rate was 14.6% (53/363) and the prevalence of cerebral palsy among surviving infants was 12.3% (38/310). Decreasing gestation and meconium-stained amniotic fluid were the only antenatal factors associated with increased odds for both death and cerebral pa lsy. The effect magnitude and the predictive value of gestational age were greater for death than for cerebral palsy. After adjustment for c onfounders, prolonged (greater than or equal to 48 h) rupture of membr anes (odds ratio 2.98, 95% confidence interval 1.12-7.96) and male sex of the infant (odds ratio 3.01, 95% confidence interval 1.32-6.71) we re significantly associated only with cerebral palsy. We conclude that neonatal death and cerebral palsy share few common antenatal risk fac tors. The characteristics of antenatal risk factors for cerebral palsy suggest that bacterial infestation of the amniotic cavity may be impl icated in the etiology of the cerebral impairment. (C) 1997 Elsevier S cience Ireland Ltd.