ABSTRACT
Objective:To study the clinical characteristics and risk factors of intrauterine Ureaplasma urealyticum (UU) infection in very low birth weight preterm infants.Methods:From March 2019 to February 2022, very low birth weight preterm infants with gestational age 28~32 weeks admitted to our hospital were enrolled in this single-center retrospective study. According to the UU test results of respiratory tract samples obtained within 24 h after admission, the infants were assigned into the UU group (UU-PCR positive) and the non-UU group (UU-PCR negative). SPSS 26.0 statistical software was used to compare the clinical characteristics, laboratory indices, and complications between the two groups. Risk factors of UU infection were calculated.Results:A total of 327 preterm infants were included: 45 in the UU group and 282 in the non-UU group. No significant differences existed in gender, gestational age, birth weight and delivery pattern between the two groups ( P>0.05). Compared with the non-UU group, the UU group had significantly higher incidences of premature rupture of membranes (PROM) and chorioamnionitis, elevated white blood cell and platelet counts, procalcitonin and C-reactive protein levels, total duration of oxygen use and ventilation, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, necrotizing enterocolitis and metabolic osteopathy ( P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that PROM ( OR=5.444, 95% CI 2.749-10.781, P<0.001) and chorioamnionitis ( OR=2.161, 95% CI 1.048-4.454, P=0.037) were independent risk factors for UU infection. Conclusions:PROM and chorioamnionitis are risk factors for UU infection in very low birth weight preterm infants. For high-risk premature infants, the UU test should be completed as soon as possible after birth.