The results represent persistent microglial activation during the critical second trimester, leading not only to predominantly white matter injury but also to gray matter injury.34,35,36,37,38 A recent study showed a significant association among HCA, IL-8 dysregulation, and altered early white matter development in preterm infants.39 Indeed, large population-based studies that included mostly term or near-term infants showed that exposure to chorioamnionitis may confer increased rates of impairment, including cerebral palsy, autism, intellectual disability, and behavioral disorders.40,41,42. This evidence concerns the gene CXCL8 and Intellectual disability.