Clinical Chorioamnionitis and Neurodevelopment at 5 Years of Age in Children Born Preterm: The EPIPAGE-2 Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the association between clinical chorioamnionitis and neurodevelopmental disorders at 5 years of age in children born preterm. STUDY DESIGN: EPIPAGE 2 is a national, population-based cohort study of children born before 35 weeks of gestation in France in 2011. We included infants born alive between 240/7 and 346/7 weeks after preterm labor or preterm premature rupture of membranes. Clinical chorioamnionitis was defined as maternal fever before labor (>37.8°C) with ≥2 of the following criteria: maternal tachycardia, hyperleukocytosis, uterine contractions, purulent amniotic fluid, or fetal tachycardia. The primary outcome was a composite, including cerebral palsy, coordination disorders, cognitive disorders, sensory disorders, or behavioral disorders. We also analyzed each of these disorders separately as secondary outcomes. We performed a multivariable analysis using logistic regression models. We accounted for the nonindependence of twins and missing data by generalized estimating equation models and multiple imputations, respectively. RESULTS: Among 2927 children alive at 5 years of age, 124 (3%) were born in a context of clinical chorioamnionitis. Overall, 8.2% and 9.6% of children exposed and unexposed, respectively, to clinical chorioamnionitis had moderate-to-severe neurodevelopmental disorders. After multiple imputations and multivariable analysis, clinical chorioamnionitis was not associated with the occurrence of moderate-to-severe neurodevelopmental disorders (aOR, 0.9; 95% CI, 0.5-1.8). CONCLUSIONS: We did not find any association between clinical chorioamnionitis and neurodevelopmental disorders at 5 years of age in children born at <35 weeks of gestation after preterm labor or preterm premature rupture of membrane.

Mortality and neurodevelopmental outcomes at 2 years' corrected age of very preterm infants with necrotising enterocolitis or spontaneous intestinal perforation: The EPIPAGE-2 cohort study.

PURPOSE: The primary objective was to evaluate the impact of necrotising enterocolitis (NEC) and spontaneous intestinal perforation (SIP) on mortality and neurodevelopmental outcomes at 2 years' corrected age (CA) in infants born before 32 weeks' gestation (WG). METHODS: We studied neurodevelopment at 2 years' CA of infants with NEC or SIP who were born before 32 WG from the EPIPAGE-2 cohort study. The primary outcome was death or the presence of moderate-to-severe motor or sensory disability defined by moderate-to-severe cerebral palsy or hearing or visual disability. The secondary outcome was developmental delay defined by a score < 2 SDs below the mean for any of the five domains of the Ages and Stages Questionnaire. RESULTS: At 2 years' CA, 46% of infants with SIP, 34% of infants with NEC, and 14% of control infants died or had a moderate-to-severe sensorimotor disability (p < 0.01). This difference was mainly due to an increase in in-hospital mortality in the infants with SIP or NEC. Developmental delay at 2 years' CA was more frequent for infants with SIP than controls (70.8% vs 44.0%, p = 0.02) but was similar for infants with NEC and controls (49.3% vs 44.0%, p = 0.5). On multivariate analysis, the likelihood of developmental delay was associated with SIP (adjusted odds ratio = 3.0, 95% CI 1.0-9.1) but not NEC as compared with controls. CONCLUSION: NEC and SIP significantly increased the risk of death or sensorimotor disability at 2 years' CA. SIP was also associated with risk of developmental delay at 2 years' CA.

Timing of antenatal corticosteroids and survival without neurologic disabilities at 5½ years in children born before 35 weeks of gestation.

BACKGROUND: The efficacy of antenatal corticosteroids for neonatal preterm complications wanes beyond 7 days after treatment. The neurodevelopmental effects of longer treatment-to-birth intervals have not been adequately evaluated. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess the impact of antenatal corticosteroid timing on survival without moderate or severe neurologic disabilities at 5½ years. STUDY DESIGN: This was a secondary analysis of the EPIPAGE-2 study, a national population-based cohort (France) that recruited neonates in 2011 and followed them up at 5½ years (results first reported in 2021). Participants were children born alive between 24+0 and 34+6 weeks, with a complete corticosteroid course, delivery >48 hours after the first injection, and neither limitation of care decided before birth nor severe congenital malformation. The study included 2613 children, 2427 of whom were alive at 5½ years; 71.9% (1739/2427) had a neurologic assessment at this age; 1537 had a clinical examination (complete for 1532), and 202 were assessed with a postal questionnaire. Exposure was defined as the interval between the first injection of the last antenatal corticosteroid course and delivery in days, studied in 2 categories (days 3-7 and after day 7), in 4 categories (days 3-7, 8-14, 15-21, and after day 21), and continuously in days. The main outcome was survival at 5½ years without moderate/severe neurologic disabilities, defined as moderate/severe cerebral palsy, or unilateral or bilateral blindness or deafness, or Full-Scale Intelligence Quotient 2 standard deviations below the mean. A multivariate analysis with a generalized estimated equation logistic regression model assessed the statistical association between the main outcomes and the interval from the first corticosteroid injection of the last course to birth. Multivariate analyses were adjusted for potential confounders, defined with a directed acyclic graph: gestational age in days, number of corticosteroid courses, multiple pregnancy, and cause of prematurity in 5 categories. Because neurologic follow-up was complete in only 63.2% of cases (1532/2427), the analyses used imputed data. RESULTS: Among 2613 children, 186 died between birth and 5½ years. Overall survival was 96.6% (95% confidence interval, 95.9-97.0), and survival without moderate or severe neurologic disabilities was 86.0% (95% confidence interval, 84.7-87.0). Survival without moderate or severe neurologic disabilities was lower after day 7 (85.0%) than during the interval from day 3 to day 7 (87.0%) (adjusted odds ratio, 0.70; 95% confidence interval, 0.54-0.89). CONCLUSION: The association of a >7-day interval between antenatal corticosteroid administration and birth with a lower rate of survival without moderate or severe neurologic disabilities among children aged 5½ years emphasizes the importance of better targeting women at risk of preterm delivery to optimize the timing and thus benefits of treatment.

Tocolysis after preterm prelabor rupture of membranes and 5-year outcomes: a population-based cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The administration of tocolytics after preterm prelabor rupture of membranes remains a controversial practice. In theory, reducing uterine contractility should delay delivery and allow for optimal antenatal management, thereby reducing the risks for prematurity and adverse consequences over the life course. However, tocolysis may be associated with neonatal death or long-term adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes, mainly related to prolonged fetal exposure to intrauterine infection or inflammation. In a previous study, we showed that tocolysis administration was not associated with short-term benefits. There are currently no data available to evaluate the impact of tocolysis on neurodevelopmental outcomes in school-aged children born prematurely in this clinical setting. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate whether tocolysis administered after preterm prelabor rupture of membranes is associated with neurodevelopmental outcomes at 5.5 years of age. STUDY DESIGN: We used data from a prospective, population-based cohort study of preterm births recruited in 2011 (referred to as the EPIPAGE-2 study) and for whom the results of a comprehensive medical and neurodevelopmental assessment of the infant at age 5.5 years were available. We included pregnant individuals with preterm prelabor rupture of membranes at 24 to 32 weeks' gestation in singleton pregnancies with a live fetus at the time of rupture, birth at 24 to 34 weeks' gestation, and participation of the infant in an assessment at 5.5 years of age. Exposure was the administration of any tocolytic treatment after preterm prelabor rupture of membranes. The main outcome was survival without moderate to severe neurodevelopmental disabilities at 5.5 years of age. Secondary outcomes included survival without any neurodevelopmental disabilities, cerebral palsy, full-scale intelligence quotient, developmental coordination disorders, and behavioral difficulties. A propensity-score analysis was used to minimize the indication bias in the estimation of the treatment effect on outcomes. RESULTS: Overall, 596 of 803 pregnant individuals (73.4%) received tocolytics after preterm prelabor rupture of membranes. At the 5.5-year follow-up, 82.7% and 82.5% of the children in the tocolysis and no tocolysis groups, respectively, were alive without moderate to severe neurodevelopmental disabilities; 52.7% and 51.1%, respectively, were alive without any neurodevelopmental disabilities. After applying multiple imputations and inverse probability of treatment weighting, we found no association between the exposure to tocolytics and survival without moderate to severe neurodevelopmental disabilities (odds ratio, 0.93; 95% confidence interval, 0.55-1.60), survival without any neurodevelopmental disabilities (odds ratio, 1.02; 95% confidence interval, 0.65-1.61), or any of the other outcomes. CONCLUSION: There was no difference in the neurodevelopmental outcomes at age 5.5 years among children with and without antenatal exposure to tocolysis after preterm prelabor rupture of membranes. To date, the health benefits of tocolytics remain unproven, both in the short- and long-term.

Early skin-to-skin contact and risk of late-onset-sepsis in very and extremely preterm infants.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the association between exposure to early skin-to-skin contact (SSC) and incidence of late-onset sepsis (LOS) in extremely and very preterm infants. METHODS: Observational study using the national population-based EPIPAGE-2 cohort in 2011. A propensity score for SSC exposure was used to match infants with and without exposure to SSC before day 4 of life and binomial log regression used to estimate risk ratios and CIs in the matched cohort. The primary outcome was at least one episode of LOS during hospitalization. Secondary outcomes were the occurrence of any late-onset neonatal infection (LONI), LOS with Staphylococcus or Staphylococcus aureus, incidence of LOS and LONI per 1000 central venous catheter days. RESULTS: Among the 3422 included infants, 919 were exposed to early SSC. The risk ratio (RR) for LOS was 0.86 (95% CI, 0.67-1.10), for LONI was 1.00 (95% CI, 0.83-1.21), and for LOS with Coagulase-negative Staphylococcus or Staphylococcus aureus infection was 0.91 (95% CI, 0.68-1.21) and 0.77 (95% CI, 0.31-1.87). The incidence RR for LOS per-catheter day was 0.87 (95% CI, 0.64-1.18). CONCLUSION: Early SSC exposure was not associated with LOS or LONI risk. Thus, their prevention should not be a barrier to a wider use of SSC. IMPACT: Kangaroo Mother Care decreased neonatal infection rates in middle-income countries. Skin-to-skin contact is beneficial for vulnerable preterm infants but barriers exist to its implementation. In a large population-based study using a propensity score methods, we found that skin-to-skin contact before day 4 of life was not associated with a decreased risk of late-onset-sepsis in very and extremely preterm infants. Early skin-to-skin contact was not associated with an increased risk of any late-onset-neonatal-infection, in particular with staphylococcus. The fear of neonatal infection should not be a barrier to a wider use of early skin-to-skin contact in this population.

Circumstances, causes and timing of death in extremely preterm infants admitted to NICU: The EPIPAGE-2 study.

AIM: To describe the circumstances, causes and timing of death in extremely preterm infants. METHODS: We included from the EPIPAGE-2 study infants born at 24-26 weeks in 2011 admitted to neonatal intensive care units (NICU). Vital status and circumstances of death were used to define three groups of infants: alive at discharge, death with or without withholding or withdrawing life-sustaining treatment (WWLST). The main cause of death was classified as respiratory disease, necrotizing enterocolitis, infection, central nervous system (CNS) injury, other or unknown. RESULTS: Among 768 infants admitted to NICU, 224 died among which 89 died without WWLST and 135 with WWLST. The main causes of death were respiratory disease (38%), CNS injury (30%) and infection (12%). Among the infants who died with WWLST, CNS injury was the main cause of death (47%), whereas respiratory disease (56%) and infection (20%) were the main causes in case of death without WWLST. Half (51%) of all deaths occurred within the first 7 days of life, and 35% occurred within 8 and 28 days. CONCLUSION: The death of extremely preterm infants in NICU is a complex phenomenon in which the circumstances and causes of death are intertwined.

Early Antibiotic Exposure and Adverse Outcomes in Very Preterm Infants at Low Risk of Early-Onset Sepsis: The EPIPAGE-2 Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the association between early empirical antibiotics and neonatal adverse outcomes in very preterm infants without risk factors for early-onset sepsis (EOS). STUDY DESIGN: This is a secondary analysis of the EPIPAGE-2 study, a prospective national population-based cohort that included all liveborn infants at 22-31 completed weeks of gestation in France in 2011. Infants at high risk of EOS (ie, born after preterm labor or preterm premature rupture of membranes or from a mother who had clinical chorioamnionitis or had received antibiotics during the last 72 hours) were excluded. Early antibiotic exposure was defined as antibiotic therapy started at day 0 or day 1 of life, irrespective of the duration and type of antibiotics. We compared treated and untreated patients using inverse probability of treatment weighting based on estimated propensity scores. RESULTS: Among 648 very preterm infants at low risk of EOS, 173 (26.2%) had received early antibiotic treatment. Early antibiotic exposure was not associated with death or late-onset sepsis or necrotizing enterocolitis (OR, 1.04; 95% CI, 0.72-1.50); however, it was associated with higher odds of severe cerebral lesions (OR, 2.71; 95% CI, 1.25-5.86) and moderate-severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) (OR, 2.30; 95% CI, 1.21-4.38). CONCLUSIONS: Early empirical antibiotic therapy administrated in very preterm infants at low risk of EOS was associated with a higher risk of severe cerebral lesions and moderate-severe BPD.

Neurodevelopment at 5 years of age for preterm-born children according to mode of conception: a cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Preterm delivery is a risk factor for suboptimal neurodevelopment. Pregnancies conceived after medically assisted reproduction-which includes in vitro fertilization, with or without intracytoplasmic insemination, and induction of ovulation followed by intrauterine insemination or timed intercourse-have a higher risk of preterm delivery. Few studies have evaluated the outcome at >2 years of age of such preterm-born children. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate neurodevelopmental outcome at 5½ years of age of children born preterm according to the mode of conception (spontaneous vs medically assisted reproduction). STUDY DESIGN: A total of 4349 children born between 24 and 34 weeks of gestation who survived to 5½ years of age in the 2011 French prospective national cohort study "EPIPAGE-2" were included: 814 in the medically assisted reproduction group (433 by in vitro fertilization, with or without intracytoplasmic insemination, and 381 by induction of ovulation) and 3535 in the spontaneously conceived group. The studied neurodevelopmental outcomes were sensory (hearing and vision) impairments, cerebral palsy, cognition, and developmental coordination disorders. Multivariate analyses were performed with generalized estimating equation models adjusted for gestational age, antenatal steroids, and social characteristics. All analyses were performed following multiple imputation. Sensitivity analyses were performed with the populations of singletons and cases with complete data. RESULTS: No differences in cerebral palsy (adjusted odds ratio, 1.00; 95% confidence interval, 0.67-1.49), neurodevelopmental impairment (adjusted odds ratio, 1.09; 95% confidence interval, 0.82-1.45), or developmental coordination disorders (adjusted odds ratio, 0.75; 95% confidence interval, 0.50-1.12) were found between children born following medically assisted reproduction and children born following spontaneous conception after adjustment for sociodemographic factors. For proportions of children with an intelligence quotient below 1 and 2 standard deviations, there were no differences between those born after medically assisted reproduction and those born after spontaneous pregnancy (respectively, adjusted odds ratio, 0.99; 95% confidence interval, 0.80-1.23 and adjusted odds ratio, 1.14; 95% confidence interval, 0.83-1.56). In subgroup analyses, no differences were observed between children born following induction of ovulation or in vitro fertilization and those conceived spontaneously. Sensitivity analyses were consistent with the main results. CONCLUSION: In this cohort of preterm-born children, there was no evidence of an impact of the mode of conception on neurodevelopmental outcomes at 5½ years of age.

Mediolateral episiotomy and risk of obstetric anal sphincter injuries and adverse neonatal outcomes during operative vaginal delivery in nulliparous women: a propensity-score analysis.

BACKGROUND: The potential protective effect of mediolateral episiotomy for obstetrical anal sphincter injuries (OASIs) remains controversial during operative vaginal delivery because of the difficulties to take into account the risk factors and clinical conditions at delivery; in addition, little is known about the potential benefits of mediolateral episiotomy on neonatal outcomes. The objectives were to investigate the associations between mediolateral episiotomy and both OASIs and neonatal outcomes, using propensity scores. METHODS: We performed a retrospective population-based observational study from a perinatal registry that includes all births in a French region between 2010 and 2017. All nulliparous women with singleton pregnancy delivering by operative vaginal deliveries at 37 weeks gestational age or later were included. Inverse-probability-of-treatment weighting with propensity scores was used to minimize indication bias. OASIs was defined as third and fourth-degree tears according to Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Two neonatal outcomes were studied: condition at birth (5-min Apgar score less than 7 and/or umbilical artery pH less than 7.10), and admission to neonatal intensive care unit. RESULTS: The study population consisted of 7589 women; 2880 (38.0%) received mediolateral episiotomy. After applying propensity scores, episiotomy was associated with a lower rate of OASIs in forceps/spatula delivery (2.3 vs 6.8%, Risk Ratio (RR) 0.38, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 0.28-0.52) and in vacuum delivery (1.3 vs 3.4%, RR 0.27, 95% CI 0.20-0.38) as compared with no episiotomy. Mediolateral episiotomy was associated with better condition at birth in case of forceps/spatula delivery (4.5 vs 8.8%, RR 0.56, 95% CI 0.39-0.81). In cases of fetal distress (40.7%), mediolateral episiotomy was associated with better condition of infant at birth in women who delivered by forceps/spatula (4.2 vs 13.5%, RR 0.52, 95% CI 0.31-0.89). No association was found with neonatal unit admission (RR 0.93, 95% CI 0.50-1.74). CONCLUSIONS: Use of mediolateral episiotomy was associated with a lower rate of OASIs during operative vaginal delivery, and in infants it was associated with better condition at birth following forceps/spatula delivery.

Neurodevelopmental Outcomes after Premedication with Atropine/Propofol vs Atropine/Atracurium/Sufentanil for Neonatal Intubation: 2-Year Follow-Up of a Randomized Clinical Trial.

This study followed 173 newborn infants in the PREmedication Trial for Tracheal Intubation of the NEOnate multicenter, double-blind, randomized controlled trial of atropine-propofol vs atropine-atracurium-sufentanil for premedication before nonemergency intubation. At 2 years of corrected age, there was no significant difference between the groups in death or risk of neurodevelopmental delay assessed with the Ages and Stages Questionnaire. Trial registration Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT01490580.

Full compliance with Respiratory syncytial virus prophylaxis was associated with fewer respiratory-related hospital admissions in preterm children: A cohort study.

AIM: Although well documented in randomised trials, the efficacy of prophylaxis against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in real-word conditions is less studied. The objective was to assess the impact of partial versus full RSV prophylaxis for acute respiratory infections (ARIs) and ARI-related hospital admissions in preterm children. METHODS: This study included children born preterm in 2011 in France who were eligible for RSV prophylaxis and received at least one palivizumab dose from October 2011 to March 2012. Full prophylaxis was defined as receiving at least one palivizumab dose for each month of RSV exposure in the community. Children with full and partial prophylaxis were matched, and odds of ARIs and ARI-related hospital admission were compared by logistic regression. RESULTS: Full prophylaxis concerned 861/1083 (80%) children. As compared with full prophylaxis, partial prophylaxis was not associated with ARI occurrence (odds ratio OR 1.3, 95% confidence interval CI 0.9-1.9) but was significantly associated with ARI-related hospital admission during the RSV epidemic (OR 1.9, 95% CI 1.2-2.9). CONCLUSION: During the 2011-2012 RSV epidemic, hospital admission rates were higher for preterm children with partial than full RSV prophylaxis. Improving compliance could help alleviate the burden of RSV on healthcare systems.

Thresholds of glycemia, insulin therapy, and risk for severe retinopathy in premature infants: A cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Hyperglycemia in preterm infants may be associated with severe retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) and other morbidities. However, it is uncertain which concentration of blood glucose is associated with increased risk of tissue damage, with little consensus on the cutoff level to treat hyperglycemia. The objective of our study was to examine the association between hyperglycemia and severe ROP in premature infants. METHODS AND FINDINGS: In 2 independent, monocentric cohorts of preterm infants born at <30 weeks' gestation (Nantes University Hospital, 2006-2016, primary, and Lyon-HFME University Hospital, 2009-2017, validation), we first analyzed the association between severe (stage 3 or higher) ROP and 2 markers of glucose exposure between birth and day 21-maximum value of glycemia (MaxGly1-21) and mean of daily maximum values of glycemia (MeanMaxGly1-21)-using logistic regression models. In both the primary (n = 863 infants, mean gestational age 27.5 ± 1.4 weeks, boys 52.5%; 38 with severe ROP; 54,083 glucose measurements) and the validation cohort (n = 316 infants, mean gestational age 27.4 ± 1.4 weeks, boys 51.3%), MaxGly1-21 and MeanMaxGly1-21 were significantly associated with an increased risk of severe ROP: odds ratio (OR) 1.21 (95% CI 1.14-1.27, p < 0.001) and OR 1.70 (95% CI 1.48-1.94, p < 0.001), respectively, in the primary cohort and OR 1.17 (95% CI 1.05-1.32, p = 0.008) and OR 1.53 (95% CI 1.20-1.95, p < 0.001), respectively, in the validation cohort. These associations remained significant after adjustment for confounders in both cohorts. Second, we identified optimal cutoff values of duration of exposure above each concentration of glycemia between 7 and 13 mmol/l using receiver operating characteristic curve analyses in the primary cohort. Optimal cutoff values for predicting stage 3 or higher ROP were 9, 6, 5, 3, 2, 2, and 1 days above a glycemic threshold of 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, and 13 mmol/l, respectively. Severe exposure was defined as at least 1 exposure above 1 of the optimal cutoffs. Severe ROP was significantly more common in infants with severe exposure in both the primary (10.9% versus 0.6%, p < 0.001) and validation (5.2% versus 0.9%, p = 0.030) cohorts. Finally, we analyzed the association between insulin therapy and severe ROP in a national population-based prospectively recruited cohort (EPIPAGE-2, 2011, n = 1,441, mean gestational age 27.3 ± 1.4, boys 52.5%) using propensity score weighting. Insulin use was significantly associated with severe ROP in overall cohort crude analyses (OR 2.51 [95% CI 1.13-5.58], p = 0.024). Adjustment for inverse propensity score (gestational age, sex, birth weight percentile, multiple birth, spontaneous preterm birth, main pregnancy complications, surfactant therapy, duration of oxygen exposure between birth and day 28, digestive state at day 7, caloric intake at day 7, and highest glycemia during the first week) and duration of oxygen therapy had a large but not significant effect on the association between insulin treatment and severe ROP (OR 0.40 [95% CI 0.13-1.24], p = 0.106). Limitations of this study include its observational nature and, despite the large number of patients included compared to earlier similar studies, the lack of power to analyze the association between insulin use and retinopathy. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, we observed that exposure to high glucose concentration is an independent risk factor for severe ROP, and we identified cutoff levels that are significantly associated with increased risk. The clinical impact of avoiding exceeding these thresholds to prevent ROP deserves further evaluation.

Perceived maternal information on premature infant's pain during hospitalization: the French EPIPAGE-2 national cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Parents of preterm neonates wish greater involvement in pain management; little is known about factors associated with this involvement. We aim to describe perceived maternal information on infants' pain during hospitalization (PMIP), to study associations between PMIP and mothers' attitudes during painful procedures, and to identify individual and contextual factors associated with PMIP. METHODS: Analyses of questionnaires from the French national cohort study of preterm neonates, EPIPAGE-2. PMIP was derived from mothers' answers to questions about information perceived on both pain assessment and management. RESULTS: Among 3056 eligible neonates born before 32 weeks, 1974, with available maternal reports, were included in the study. PMIP was classified as "sufficient," "little, not sufficient," or "insufficient, or none" for 22.7, 45.9, and 31.3% of neonates, respectively. Mothers reporting PMIP as "sufficient" were more frequently present and more likely comforting their child during painful procedures. Factors independently associated with "sufficient" PMIP were high maternal education, gestational age <29 weeks, daily maternal visits, perception of high team support, and implementation of the neonatal and individualized developmental care and assessment program. CONCLUSION: Perceived maternal information on premature infants' pain reported as sufficient increased maternal involvement during painful procedures and was associated with some units' policies.

Maternal cumulative exposure to extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields, prematurity and small for gestational age: a pooled analysis of two birth cohorts.

BACKGROUND: Data on the effects of extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields (ELF-EMF) on pregnancy outcomes are inconclusive. OBJECTIVE: To study the relation between maternal cumulative exposure to ELF-EMF during pregnancy and the risk of prematurity or small for gestational age (SGA) in a pooled analysis of two French birth cohorts. METHODS: Elfe and Epipage2 are both population-based birth cohorts initiated in 2011 and included 18 329 and 8400 births, respectively. Health data and household, mother and child characteristics were obtained from medical records and questionnaires at maternity and during follow-up. A job exposure matrix was used to assess cumulative exposure to ELF-EMF during three periods: (1) until 15 weeks of gestation, (2) until 28 weeks of gestation and (3) until 32 weeks of gestation. Analyses were restricted to single live births in mainland France and to mothers with documented jobs (N=19 894). Adjusted logistic regression models were used. RESULTS: According to the period studied, 3.2%-4% of mothers were classified as highly exposed. Results were heterogeneous. Increased risks of prematurity were found among low exposed mothers for the three periods, and no association was observed among the most exposed (OR1=0.92 (95% CI 0.74 to 1.15); OR2=0.98 (95% CI 0.80 to 1.21); OR3=1.14 (95% CI 0.92 to 1.41)). For SGA, no association was observed with the exception of increased risk among the low exposed mothers in period 2 and the most exposed in period 3 (OR=1.25 (95% CI 1.02 to 1.53)). CONCLUSION: Some heterogeneous associations between ELF-EMF exposure and prematurity and SGA were observed. However, due to heterogeneity (ie, their independence regarding the level of exposure), associations cannot be definitely explained by ELF-EMF exposure.

Maternal employment and socio-economic status of families raising children born very preterm with motor or cognitive impairments: the EPIPAGE cohort study.

AIM: To describe maternal employment and the socio-economic status of the household up to 8 years after the very preterm birth of a child, according to the presence and type of motor or cognitive impairment. METHOD: A total of 1885 families from the French EPIPAGE cohort of children who were born very preterm between 1997 and 1998 were included. Motor and cognitive impairments were identified in children between the ages of 2 and 8 years in 770 families and were classified according to type. The 1115 families with children born very preterm without these impairments were considered the reference group. RESULTS: Mothers of children with severe motor or cognitive impairments were less often working at 5 years after the birth than the reference mothers (21% and 30% vs 57%; p<0.001). Those working before birth returned to work less often and those not working started to work less often after the birth than did reference mothers. At 8 years, mothers of children with severe impairments reported financial difficulties more often than mothers of children without impairments. INTERPRETATION: Despite a fairly protective regulatory framework in France, families of infants born very preterm with severe motor or cognitive impairments are socially underprivileged. Measures to maintain an acceptable standard of living for these families and their children are needed.

Intensity of perinatal care for extremely preterm babies and outcomes at a higher gestational age: evidence from the EPIPAGE-2 cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Perinatal decision-making affects outcomes for extremely preterm babies (22-26 weeks' gestational age (GA)): more active units have improved survival without increased morbidity. We hypothesised such units may gain skills and expertise meaning babies at higher gestational ages have better outcomes than if they were born elsewhere. We examined mortality and morbidity outcomes at age two for babies born at 27-28 weeks' GA in relation to the intensity of perinatal care provided to extremely preterm babies. METHODS: Fetuses from the 2011 French national prospective EPIPAGE-2 cohort, alive at maternal admission to a level 3 hospital and delivered at 27-28 weeks' GA, were included. Morbidity-free survival (survival without sensorimotor (blindness, deafness or cerebral palsy) disability) and overall survival at age two were examined. Sensorimotor disability and Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) result below threshold among survivors were secondary outcomes. Perinatal care intensity level was based on birth hospital, grouped using the ratio of 24-25 weeks' GA babies admitted to neonatal intensive care to fetuses of the same gestation alive at maternal admission. Sensitivity analyses used ratios based upon antenatal steroids, Caesarean section, and newborn resuscitation. Multiple imputation was used for missing data; hierarchical logistic regression accounted for births nested within centres. RESULTS: 633 of 747 fetuses (84.7%) born at 27-28 weeks' GA survived to age two. There were no differences in survival or morbidity-free survival: respectively, fully adjusted odds ratios were 0.96 (95% CI: 0.54 to 1.71) and 1.09 (95% CI: 0.59 to 2.01) in medium and 1.12 (95% CI: 0.63 to 2.00) and 1.16 (95% CI: 0.62 to 2.16) in high compared to low-intensity hospitals. Among survivors, there were no differences in sensorimotor disability or ASQ below threshold. Sensitivity analyses were consistent with the main results. CONCLUSIONS: No difference was seen in survival or morbidity-free survival at two years of age among fetuses alive at maternal hospital admission born at 27-28 weeks' GA, or in sensorimotor disability or presence of an ASQ below threshold among survivors. There is no evidence for an impact of intensity of perinatal care for extremely preterm babies on births at a higher gestational age.

Volume of Neonatal Care and Survival without Disability at 2 Years in Very Preterm Infants: Results of a French National Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the relation between neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) volume and survival, and neuromotor and sensory disabilities at 2 years in very preterm infants. STUDY DESIGN: The EPIPAGE-2 (Etude Epidémiologique sur les Petits Âges Gestationnels-2) national prospective population-based cohort study was used to include 2447 babies born alive in 66 level III hospitals between 24 and 30 completed weeks of gestation in 2011. The outcome was survival without disabilities (levels 2-5 of the Gross Motor Function Classification System for cerebral palsy with or without unilateral or bilateral blindness or deafness). Units were grouped in quartiles according to volume, defined as the annual admissions of very preterm babies. Multivariate logistic regression analyses with population average models were used. RESULTS: Survival at discharge was lower in hospitals with lower volumes of neonatal activity (aOR 0.55, 95% CI 0.33-0.91). Survival without neuromotor and sensory disabilities at 2 years increased with hospital volume, from 75% to 80.7% in the highest volume units. After adjustment for gestational age, small for gestational age, sex, maternal age, infertility treatment, multiple pregnancy, principal cause of prematurity, parental socioeconomic status, and mother's country of birth, survival without neuromotor or sensory disabilities was significantly lower in hospitals with a lower volume of neonatal activity (aOR 0.60, 95% CI 0.38-0.95) than in the highest quartile hospitals. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that lower neonatal intensive care unit volume is associated with lower survival without an increase in disabilities at 2 years. These results could be useful to generate improvements of perinatal regionalization.

Intensity of perinatal care, extreme prematurity and sensorimotor outcome at 2 years corrected age: evidence from the EPIPAGE-2 cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Emerging evidence suggests intensity of perinatal care influences survival for extremely preterm babies. We evaluated the effect of differences in perinatal care intensity between centres on sensorimotor morbidity at 2 years of age. We hypothesised that hospitals with a higher intensity of perinatal care would have improved survival without increased disability. METHODS: Foetuses alive at maternal admission to a level 3 hospital in France in 2011, subsequently delivered between 22 and 26 weeks gestational age (GA) and included in the EPIPAGE-2 national prospective observational cohort study formed the baseline population. Level of intensity of perinatal care was assigned according to hospital of birth, categorised into three groups using 'perinatal intensity' ratios (ratio of 24-25 weeks GA babies admitted to neonatal intensive care to foetuses of the same GA alive at maternal admission to hospital). Multiple imputation was used to account for missing data; hierarchical logistic regression accounting for births nested within centres was then performed. RESULTS: One thousand one hundred twelve foetuses were included; 473 survived to 2 years of age (126 of 358 in low-intensity, 140 of 380 in medium-intensity and 207 of 374 in high-intensity hospitals). There were no differences in disability (adjusted odds ratios 0.93 (95% CI 0.28 to 3.04) and 1.04 (95% CI 0.34 to 3.14) in medium- and high- compared to low-intensity hospitals, respectively). Compared to low-intensity hospitals, survival without sensorimotor disability was increased in the population of foetuses alive at maternal admission to hospital and in live-born babies, but there were no differences when considering only babies admitted to NICU or survivors. CONCLUSIONS: No difference in sensorimotor outcome for survivors of extremely preterm birth at 2 years of age was found according to the intensity of perinatal care provision. Active management of periviable births was associated with increased survival without sensorimotor disability.

Preterm premature rupture of membranes at 22-25 weeks' gestation: perinatal and 2-year outcomes within a national population-based study (EPIPAGE-2).

BACKGROUND: Most clinical guidelines state that with early preterm premature rupture of membranes, obstetric and pediatric teams must share a realistic and individualized appraisal of neonatal outcomes with parents and consider their wishes for all decisions. However, we currently lack reliable and relevant data, according to gestational age at rupture of membranes, to adequately counsel parents during pregnancy and to reflect on our policies of care at these extreme gestational ages. OBJECTIVE: We sought to describe both perinatal and 2-year outcomes of preterm infants born after preterm premature rupture of membranes at 22-25 weeks' gestation. STUDY DESIGN: EPIPAGE-2 is a French national prospective population-based cohort of preterm infants born in 546 maternity units in 2011. Inclusion criteria in this analysis were women diagnosed with preterm premature rupture of membranes at 22-25 weeks' gestation and singleton or twin gestations with fetus(es) alive at rupture of membranes. Latency duration, antenatal management, and outcomes (survival at discharge, survival at discharge without severe morbidity, and survival at 2 years' corrected age without cerebral palsy) were described and compared by gestational age at preterm premature rupture of membranes. RESULTS: Among the 1435 women with a diagnosis of preterm premature rupture of membranes, 379 were at 22-25 weeks' gestation, with 427 fetuses (331 singletons and 96 twins). Median gestational age at preterm premature rupture of membranes and at birth were 24 (interquartile range 23-25) and 25 (24-27) weeks, respectively. For each gestational age at preterm premature rupture of membranes, nearly half of the fetuses were born within the week after the rupture of membranes. Among the 427 fetuses, 51.7% were survivors at discharge (14.1%, 39.5%, 66.8%, and 75.8% with preterm premature rupture of membranes at 22, 23, 24, and 25 weeks, respectively), 38.8% were survivors at discharge without severe morbidity, and 46.4% were survivors at 2 years without cerebral palsy, with wide variations by gestational age at preterm premature rupture of membranes. Survival at 2 years without cerebral palsy was low with preterm premature rupture of membranes at 22 and 23 weeks but reached approximately 60% and 70% with preterm premature rupture of membranes at 24 and 25 weeks. CONCLUSION: Preterm premature rupture of membranes at 22-25 weeks is associated with high incidence of mortality and morbidity, with wide variations by gestational age at preterm premature rupture of membranes. However, a nonnegligible proportion of children survive without severe morbidity both at discharge and at 2 years' corrected age.

Effect of Atropine With Propofol vs Atropine With Atracurium and Sufentanil on Oxygen Desaturation in Neonates Requiring Nonemergency Intubation: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Propofol or a combination of a synthetic opioid and muscle relaxant are both recommended for premedication before neonatal intubation but have yet to be compared. Objective: To compare prolonged desaturation during neonatal nasotracheal intubation after premedication with atropine-propofol vs atropine-atracurium-sufentanil treatment. Design, Setting, and Participants: Multicenter, double-blind, randomized clinical trial (2012-2016) in 6 NICUs in France that included 173 neonates requiring nonemergency intubation. The study was interrupted due to expired study kits and lack of funding. Interventions: Eighty-nine participants were randomly assigned to the atropine-propofol group and 82 to the atropine-atracurium-sufentanil group before nasotracheal intubation. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was prolonged desaturation (Spo2 <80% lasting > 60 seconds), using intention-to-treat analysis using mixed models. Secondary outcomes assessed the characteristics of the procedure and its tolerance. Results: Of 173 neonates randomized (mean gestational age, 30.6 weeks; mean birth weight, 1502 g; 71 girls), 171 (99%) completed the trial. Of 89 infants, 53 (59.6%) in the atropine-propofol group vs 54 of 82 (65.9%) in the atropine-atracurium-sufentanil group achieved the primary outcome (adjusted RD, -6.4; 95% CI, -21.0 to 8.1; P = .38). The atropine-propofol group had a longer mean procedure duration than did the atropine-atracurium-sufentanil group (adjusted RD, 1.7 minutes; 95% CI, 0.1-3.3 minutes; P = .04); a less frequent excellent quality of sedation rate, 51.7% (45 of 87) vs 92.6% (75 of 81; P < .001); a shorter median time to respiratory recovery, 14 minutes (IQR, 8-34 minutes) vs 33 minutes (IQR, 15-56 minutes; P = .002), and shorter median time to limb movement recovery, 18 minutes (IQR, 10-43 minutes) vs 36 minutes (IQR, 19-65 minutes; P = .003). In the 60 minutes after inclusion, Spo2 was preserved significantly better in the atropine-propofol group (time × treatment interaction P = .02). Of the atropine-propofol group 20.6% had head ultrasound scans that showed worsening intracranial hemorrhaging (any or increased intraventricular hemorrhage) in the 7 days after randomization vs 17.6% in the atropine-atracurium-sufentanil group (adjusted RD, 1.2; 95% CI, -13.1 to 15.5, P = .87). Severe adverse events occurred in 11% of the atropine-propofol group and in 20% of the atropine-atracurium-sufentanil group. Conclusions and Relevance: Among neonates undergoing nonemergency nasotracheal intubation, the frequency of prolonged desaturation did not differ significantly between atropine used with propofol or atropine used with atracurium and sufentanil. However, the study may have been underpowered to detect a clinically important difference, and further research may be warranted. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01490580, EudraCT number: 2009-014885-25.