[Premature rupture of amnion--a risk to the low-weight newborn (author's transl)].

The effects of premature rupture of the amnion on postnatal morbidity of 87 low-weight newborns were studied and compared with the morbidity of 572 low-weight newborns who had been delivered on time. --Incidence of premature rupture was found to increase along with declining gestational age, but no relationship was found to exist with birth weight. --Incidence of postnatal depression was the same in either group. However, the incidence of disorders in respiratory adjustment was lower with significance among newborns delivered after premature rupture. Such decrease in incidence was pronounced particularly in the gestational age group between 34 and 37 weeks. --Incidence of infections was increased with significance among low-weight newborns. Yet, an analysis has shown that higher incidence in weight groups above 1,500 had been caused by trivial infections. An increased incidence of septiform infections was recorded only from newborns below 1,500 g in birth weight.