RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Clinical Chorioamnionitis contributes to maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality but the effect of histological chorioamnionitis is sparse in our environment. AIM: To determine the maternal and neonatal outcomes of histological chorioamnionitis amongst pregnant women and their babies. DESIGN OF THE STUDY: Cross sectional longitudinal study. SETTING: Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH), Jos, Nigeria. METHODOLOGY: Parturients were interviewed and examined as well as had their placenta examined histologically for chorioamnionitis. They and their babies were followed up for 6 weeks after delivery to monitor for any complications that may arise. RESULTS: A total of 148 parturients were enrolled from the labour ward of Jos University Teaching Hospital and of these 90 (60.8%) had histologic chorioamnionitis (HCA). As regards outcome, 9(10%) with histologic chorioamnionitis as well as 5(8.62%) of those without HCA had premature delivery. Low birth weight occurred in 12(13.33%) and 6(10.34 %) of those with HCA and without HCA respectively. In all, 1(1.47%) and 1(2.56%) of women with HCA and without HCA correspondingly had neonatal sepsis. Puerperal sepsis occurred in 2(2.94%) of those with HCA and 2(5.13%) of those without HCA. CONCLUSION: Our study has demonstrated that histological chorioamnionitis had no adverse maternal or neonatal effect. There is the need for more studies investigating the cause and the implication of histological chorioamnionitis.