Aim: To estimate the incidence of maternal fever during labour and to analyze the maternal and perinatal outcome of women with intrapartum fever.

Materials and Methods: A prospective cohort study of women at 37 gestational weeks and above who presented in active labour with temperature ≥38 °c was conducted. A group of similar patients who did not develop maternal fever were the controls.

Results: During the period of six months there were total 6620 deliveries in our hospital, of which 212 patients developed intrapartum fever constituting 3.2 % of all hospital deliveries. The causes of intrapartum fever were due to intraamniotic infection which occurred in 26% of cases, while 20% had respiratory infection, 20 % had urinary infection and in 34%, no source of infection could be identified. There was no maternal mortality in the present study but hospital stay was significantly increased in the febrile group. In the febrile group, 30% had vaginal delivery compared to 67% in the non febrile group. Instrumental deliveries, Caesarean sections, fetal tachycardia, Meconium stained liquor, low Apgar score and NICU admissions were increased in the febrile group.

Conclusion: Irrespective of the etiology, maternal intrapartum fever carries risk for both the mother and to the newborn. Rapid resolution of fever is essential to reduce maternal and fetal adverse outcomes.

Keywords: Intrapartum fever, intraamniotic infection, NICU Admissions.

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Dr Deepthy Balakrishnan

GMC Trivandrum