Infection and Placental Abruption

New Jersey researchers have discovered that women who develop chorioamnionitis also increase their risk for placental complications such as an abruption.

The September issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology includes a study that examines whether or not mothers who have a specific infection will increase their risk for complications with the placenta.

Mothers with a diagnosis of placental abruption made up the experimental group of the study, while a counterpart control group included an equal number of mothers who matched the experimental group in both race and ethnic group as well as the number of pregnancies they had previously.

The experimental group, who were diagnosed both prenatally and at term with placenta abruption, also had a statistically higher chance of having chorioamnionitis. Researchers conclude that "the association was strongest in the presence of severe chorioamnionitis at term and, to a lesser extent, at preterm gestations. These observations suggest that the histologic findings in abruption are accompanied by severe inflammation, in both preterm and term gestations."

Brenda