Gestational age at preterm premature rupture of membranes: A risk factor for neonatal white matter damage

Objective Gestational age at delivery and spontaneous prematurity are independent risk factors for white matter damage (WMD). However, among infants delivered spontaneously after preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM), latency of PPROM has been inconsistently correlated with risk of WMD. We have explored whether gestational age at membrane rupture is independently associated with WMD. Study design Using a cohort of 196 liveborn singleton nonanomalous neonates born at 24.0 to 33.6 weeks from January 1993 to December 2002 after pPROM and who survived 7 days, we compared the characteristics of those who developed WMD (n = 15) with those who did not (n = 181) using Fisher exact test, Student t test, and logistic regression analysis, with a 2-tailed P Results Stepwise logistic regression analysis demonstrated that gestational age at PPROM ( P P  = .016), latency interval ( P  = .69), gestational age at delivery ( P  = .99), and birth weight ( P  = .62). Conclusion Among premature infants born at