Maternal floor infarction of the placenta: association with central nervous system injury and adverse neurodevelopmental outcome.

Overview

OBJECTIVE: To compare cranial ultrasound studies and neurodevelopmental outcome of preterm infants affected by maternal floor infarction (MFI) of the placenta to gestational age-matched controls over an 8-year period from a single institution. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective case/control study. RESULTS: Compared to gestational age-matched controls, infants born to mothers with MFI had a higher incidence of CNS injury on neonatal cranial ultrasound examinations and at follow-up were more likely to have a suspicious or abnormal neurologic examination. MFI cases had lower developmental scores in all areas tested and were more likely to have neurodevelopmental impairment. CONCLUSION: Infants born to mothers with MFI should have serial neonatal cranial ultrasound examinations to detect CNS injury and neurodevelopmental assessment during early childhood.

Journal of perinatology : official journal of the California Perinatal Association Journal