Childhood Outcomes After Induction of Labor or Expectant Management for Preterm Prelabor Rupture of Membranes: A 10-Year Follow-up of the PPROMEXIL Trials

( Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2023;228:588.e1–588.e13) Managing late preterm prelabor rupture of membranes (PPROM) between 34+0 and 36+6 weeks’ gestation helps balance the advantages of extending the pregnancy with the risk of intra-amniotic infection. Two Dutch PPROM Expectant Management Versus Induction of Labor (PPROMEXIL) trials were conducted between 2007 and 2011. These randomized controlled studies analyzed induction of labor (IOL) compared to expectant management (EM) in pregnant women with late PPROM. While neonatal sepsis risks were similar between both groups, children at 2 years of age did show slightly higher neurodevelopmental delays with EM compared to IOL. Long-term data on child development beyond age 2 in children born after late PPROM are lacking. The aim of this PPROMEXIL follow-up study was to evaluate the effects of IOL versus EM on child outcomes.