Meningitis and chosen complications of neonatal period in preterm neonates born to single or multiple pregnancies

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between meningitis and neonatal period of complications such as massive intraventricular hemorrhage and into brain tissue, hypoxic-ischemic white matter injury, retinopathy of prematurity 3-5º and deafness in infants born prematurely, from single and multiple pregnancies. Material: The retrospective study covered 460 preterm infants born to single pregnancies and 280 infants born prematurely with multiple pregnancies, hospitalized in the Clinic of Neonatology PUM in the years: 2005–2008. Results: There were no statistically significant differences between the frequency of occurrence: peri/intraventricular hemorrhages (IVH) IIIº and IVº, hypoxic-ischemic injury in white matter, retinopathy of prematurity 3-5º and hearing loss in newborns of both groups. Meningitis was diagnosed in 35 (7.92%) newborns from singleton pregnancy, and in 9 (3.25%) with a multiple pregnancy. It was found that the risk of meningitis was significantly greater in infants with body weight less than 1000 grams (OR 4.18), and born under 28 weeks of gestation (OR =5.07), regardless of group affiliation. We found a statistically significant correlation between the occurrence of meningitis and neonatal complications such as IVH IIIº and IVº (OR-5, 56), hypoxic-ischemic white matter injury (OR - 18.93) and retinopathy of prematurity (7.45) in newborns with both single and multiple pregnancies. There was no effect of meningitis on the incidence of hearing loss. Conclusion: There exists a significant association between the occurrence of meningitis and some neonatal complications such as massive intraventricular hemorrhage, hypoxic-ischemic changes in white matter of the brain and retinopathy of prematurity 3-5º, leading to disturbances in the further development of the prematurely born child. The incidence of meningitis in newborn infants is inversely proportional to the duration of pregnancy.