Placental inflammatory response is associated with poor neonatal growth: preterm birth cohort study.

Objective: We sought to determine whether placental markers of intrauterine inflammation were associated with poor weight gain among premature infants in the neonatal period.

Methods: We reviewed 697 preterm births prospectively enrolled as part of an ongoing molecular epidemiological study. Placental markers and serial weight gain were analyzed for premature infants who were hospitalized for >/=21 days (N = 256).