MMP9 and chorioamnionitis: While the presence of histologically confirmed chorioamnionitis did not significantly increase NEC risk in our cohort, neonates who developed NEC and were exposed to chorioamnionitis had markedly higher IL3 levels compared with those with NEC without chorioamnionitis (355.46 pg/ml vs 107.13 pg/ml, p = 0.063); this is also true of MMP9 levels (191.5 ng/ml vs 108.67 ng/ml in those with NEC and no chorioamnionitis).