Amniotic fluid infection, inflammation, and colonization in preterm labor with intact membranes

We confirmed previous reports that intraamniotic inflammation is associated with adverse perinatal outcomes whether or not intraamniotic microbes are detected. Colonization without inflammation appears relatively benign. Intraamniotic inflammation is not simply present or absent but also has degrees of severity that correlate with adverse outcomes. We propose the designation amniotic inflammatory response syndrome to denote the adverse outcomes that are associated with intraamniotic inflammation.