OBJECTIVE: There is no evidence for the participation of the human fetus in the
mechanisms responsible for the onset of preterm labor. We propose that preterm labor in the
setting of infection results from the actions of proinflammatory cytokines secreted as part of
the fetal and/or maternal host response to microbial invasion. The objective of this study was
to determine whether a systemic fetal inflammatory response, defined as an elevation of fetal
plasma interleukin-6 concentrations, has a temporal relationship with the commencement of …