Spontaneous rupture of membranes before the onset of labor at term is commonly referred to as PROM (either premature or preterm rupture of membranes) and occurs in about 8% of term pregnancies. PROM is associated with an increased risk of infection. Many controversies exist regarding the optimal management of PROM, including the choice of induction or expectant management, use of digital vagina...

Correspondence: Dr. Roxana Elena Bohîlţea e-mail: r.bohiltea@ yahoo.com Premature rupture of fetal membranes is associated with a substantial fetal morbidity and mortality. Immediate actions that can improve the future neonatal outcome are the administration of antenatal corticosteroid therapy, infection prophylaxis, tocolytic drugs and insurance of an appropriate neonatal nursery level. One of...

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of cervical colonization by genital mycoplasmas in patients with preterm premature rupture of the membranes (PPROM). METHOD We studied 225 women between 24 and 36 weeks of gestation with PPROM. Cervical swabs were obtained for genital mycoplasmas and standard vaginal smears of bacterial culture were performed at the time of pa...

In order to assess racial differences in rates of idiopathic preterm labour, preterm premature rupture of membranes, and medically indicated preterm delivery, the authors analysed data on 388 preterm (< 37 completed weeks of gestation) births (7.9% of all births) occurring between 1 September 1988 and 31 August 1989, in three central North Carolina counties. The crude relative risk (RR) of pret...

The objective of this study was to identify possible changes in mRNA and protein expression of high-mobility group box protein 1 (HMGB1) and its suggested receptors - receptor for advanced glycation end-products (RAGE) and Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) and TLR4 - in human cervix during pregnancy, term and preterm labor. Cervical biopsies were taken from 58 women: 20 at preterm labor, 24 at term l...

Preterm birth is defined as birth before the completion of 37 weeks of gestation. The frequency of preterm birth in the United States increased from 10.7% in 1992 to 12.3% in 2003. 1 Preterm births can be categorized as those undertaken because of a specific indication or as spontaneous preterm births. Indicated preterm births occur when a health care provider delivers a baby because of medical...

This study was done to evaluate the prevalence of rectovaginal colonization with group B streptococci among pregnant women who delivered in our center. Also maternal and neonatal complications were compared between colonized and noncolonized groups. Rectovaginal cultures were obtained from 1197 pregnant women with gestational ages greater than 24 weeks who were admitted to the labor room of Zei...

BACKGROUND Little is known about the relationship between maternal occupational physical exertion and leisure time physical activity (LTPA) with preterm delivery (PTD) among Thai women, a population that differs in many respects from women in Western countries. OBJECTIVES To evaluate associations of maternal occupational physical exertion and LTPA with PTD in aggregate and in subgroups (i.e.,...

Histologic chorioamnionitis occurs in approximately 50–60% of women with preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM). This condition is thought to represent antenatal inflammation/infection, which contributes to impending preterm birth and neonatal sepsis, chronic lung disease, and brain injury. Early and accurate diagnosis of chorioamnionitis is important, although it is limited by the fact...

Objectives: To study cervical colonization in women with premature rupture of membranes and the influence of infection on preterm newborns. Methods: Prospective analysis. Results: 167 (38.66%) from 432 preterm deliveries were complicated with premature prelabour rupture of the membranes (PPROM). Organisms which induce chorioamnionitis and newborns infections mostly belong to group B streptococc...