Abstract
Objective
To determine the association of placental pathology with the severity of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in preterm infants.
Methods
This single-center matched case-control study included infants with NEC (n = 107) and gestational age and birth weight-matched controls (n = 130), born between 2013 and 2020. Placentas were evaluated according to the Amsterdam Placental Workshop Group Consensus Statement.
Results
Acute histologic chorioamnionitis with the fetal response was significantly more common in infants with surgical NEC vs. medical NEC (35.4% vs. 15.3%; p = 0.02). On regression model, infants with multiple placental pathologies (OR 2.16; 95% CI 1.01 − 4.73; p = 0.04) and maternal vascular malperfusion (OR 2.2; 95% CI 1.12 − 4.51; p = 0.02) had higher odds of either medical or surgical NEC than controls.
Conclusion
Infants with multiple placental lesions, including placental inflammatory and vascular lesions, were at higher risk of medical or surgical NEC in the postnatal period.
Acknowledgment
The Mississippi Clinical and Translational Center (MCCTR) for supporting the NEC research.
Acknowledgments
We would like to thank Dr. Redline from Case Western University and Dr. Suhas G. Kallapur from UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital for all the guidance for the project. We would also like to thank the Mississippi Center for Clinical/Translational Research for supporting the N.E.C. research.
Conflicts of interest
The authors disclose no conflicts.
Category of study
Clinical science.
Consent
Patient consent is not required as per IRB.
Author contribution
PMG and INM designed the study; PMG, JLP, MAYA, INM, LB, AO, JW, KA, YAH, CR collected and analyzed the data; PMG and INM wrote the manuscript. All the authors contributed to and approved the manuscript.