The contribution of obstetric management to quality of life of surviving low birth weight infants is unclear. A possible association between maternal chorioamnionitis and development outcome was evaluated. One hundred twenty-seven mother/infant pairs with infant birth weight less than 2000 g were studied. The antenatal course was complicated by chorioamnionitis, premature rupture of membranes without chorioamnionitis, premature labor, or abruptio placenta. Analysis of variance was performed using these four diagnosis groups. After potentially confounding variables were taken into account, the overall difference in the four groups in Mental Development Index (Bayley Scales) was borderline (P= .138). However, significant differences remained between the group with chorioamnionitis and the group with premature rupture of membranes without chorioamnionitis (P= .017). The potential advantage of leaving infants in utero after premature rupture of membranes may be offset by disadvantage of chorioamnionitis with respect to future development in surviving infants.