Preterm AND NICU

INTRODUCTION: Prechtl's method (GMA) is a test for the functional assessment of the young nervous system. It involves a global and a detailed assessment of the general movements (GMs) and has demonstrated validity. Data on the reliability of both assessments in the preterm period are scarce. This study aimed to evaluate the inter-rater reliability for the global and detailed assessments of the preterm writhing GMA. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study participants were 69 infants born at <37 gestational weeks and admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit...

BACKGROUND: A complete review of the development of neonatology in the last 40 years would probably require a compendium with several volumes, to bring to view the remarkable improvements in survival rates and neurodevelopmental outcomes of ill babies in Austria, most industrial countries and to some extent worldwide. The challenge I had to solve here was to integrate my own contributions to the field of neonatology during this period and particularly the contributions of my team from the Division of Neonatology and Pediatric Intensive Care Medicine, Department of Pediatrics and Adolescence Medicine, Medical University Vienna where I was working first as an intern and resident and later had the privilege to become head of department...

Background: Mother's own milk (MOM) provides health benefits for infants with very low birth weight (VLBW). This study aimed to describe the incidence and factors associated with low volumes of MOM (<50% of total diet volume) at discharge for VLBW infants. Methods: A prospective cohort study of infants with VLBW and gestational age of <30 weeks, who survived to discharge and had no contraindication to MOM. We conducted bivariate analyses to investigate associations with the volume of MOM at discharge, using chi-square, t , and Mann-Whitney tests...

BACKGROUND: To date, few studies have compared the effectiveness of exogenous surfactant therapy with Curosurf and Beraksurf in the treatment of respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) in preterm neonates. OBJECTIVE: Since surfactant has a significant impact on the treatment of neonates with RDS, this study was conducted to introduce a more effective method for treating preterm neonates with RDS. METHODS: The present clinical trial was conducted on 140 preterm neonates with RDS in the NICU department of two specialized university hospitals in Hamadan, western Iran...

BACKGROUND: Establishing successful lactation in mothers of very low birth weight (VLBW, <1500g) infants requires structured lactation support. Little is known about mothers' perspectives on lactation support in German neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). METHODS: This paper features a convergent mixed-method approach that includes a retrospective, cross-sectional questionnaire and interview data to showcase mothers' perceptions of lactation support in NICUs...

BACKGROUND: Neonates in the neonatal intensive care unit undergo frequent painful procedures. It is essential to reduce pain using safe and feasible methods. PURPOSE: To evaluate the effects of non-nutritional sucking, mother's voice, or non-nutritional sucking combined with mother's voice on repeated procedural pain in hospitalized neonates. METHODS: A quasi-experimental study was conducted in which 141 neonates were selected in a hospital in Changsha, China...

PURPOSE: To evaluate maternal and neonatal outcomes in patients with intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP). METHODS: Patients who gave birth in our hospital between January 2018 and March 2022 were retrospectively reviewed from the hospital database and patient file records. The study comprised 1686 patients, 54 in the ICP group and 1632 controls. Patients who had ICP after 20 weeks of gestation and were monitored and delivered at our facility were enrolled...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: National-level data on the incidence of red blood cell (RBC) transfusions and outcomes among very preterm infants (VPIs) are lacking in China. This study aims to describe the use and variation of RBC transfusion among VPIs in China. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cohort study was conducted among 70 tertiary hospitals participating in the Chinese Neonatal Network (CHNN) from 2019 to 2020 across China. All VPIs admitted to the CHNN neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) were included...

PURPOSE: Few guidelines exist for the perioperative management (PM) of neonates with surgical conditions (SC). This study examined the current neonatal PM in Italy. METHODS: We invited 51 neonatal intensive care units with pediatric surgery in their institution to participate in a web-based survey. The themes included (1) the involvement of the neonatologist during the PM; (2) the spread of bedside surgery (BS); (3) the critical issues concerning the neonatal PM in operating rooms (OR) and the actions aimed at improving the PM...

INTRODUCTION: Three widely referenced growth curves classify infant birth anthropometric measurements as small (SGA), appropriate (AGA), or large (LGA) for gestational age (GA) differently. We assessed how these differences in assignment affect the identification and prediction of neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) mortality risk in US preterm infants. METHODS: Birth data of infants admitted to NICUs from the Pediatrix Clinical Data Warehouse (2013-2018) were analyzed...

Background Thrombocytopenia is the most prevalent hematological condition in neonates that develops in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). This set of illnesses is caused by either decreased platelet production due to placental insufficiency, increased platelet breakdown (consumption), or a combination of the two causes. Based on platelet count, it is defined as mild, moderate, or severe thrombocytopenia, with early and late onset. Purpose The purpose of this study is to determine the prevalence of thrombocytopenia and the factors that contribute to it in newborns hospitalized in the neonatal critical care unit at the Maternity and Children Hospital in Al Ahsa, Saudi Arabia...

BACKGROUND: Carnitine palmitoyltransferase II (CPT II) deficiency is a rare inborn error of mitochondrial fatty acid metabolism with autosomal recessive pattern of inheritance. Its phenotype is highly variable (neonatal, infantile, and adult onset) on the base of mutations of the CPT II gene. In affected subjects, long-chain acylcarnitines cannot be subdivided into carnitine and acyl-CoA, leading to their toxic accumulation in different organs. Neonatal form is the most severe, and all the reported patients died within a few days to 6 months after birth...

OBJECTIVE: Infants who meet the screening guidelines for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) based on birth weight and gestational age undergo serial ophthalmological examinations for its detection and treatment. However, <10% of patients require treatment, and less than half develop ROP. Poor postnatal weight gain has been reported to be a strong indicator of ROP development; however, the information regarding this is unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the relationship between postnatal weight gain and ROP development in preterm infants...

PURPOSE: The transition from hospital to home can be challenging for parents of prematurely born infants. The aim of this ethnographic study was to describe a multidisciplinary and cross-sectoral discharge conference for families with premature infants transitioning from a neonatal intensive care unit to municipal healthcare services. DESIGN AND METHODS: An ethnographically/anthropologically inspired qualitative design was adopted. We conducted four participant observations of multidisciplinary and cross-sectoral discharge conferences and 12 semistructured interviews with four neonatologists, four nurses, and four health visitors who had attended one of the conferences...

BACKGROUND: The neonatal period faces the greatest risk of death as they are vulnerable to sepsis, birth asphyxia, hypoxic injuries etc. A substantial disparity exists in NMR between Nepal and other developed countries and among different provinces of Nepal as well. This study was conducted to describe the pattern of neonatal admission, and immediate hospital outcomes from NICU located in a remote part of Nepal. METHODS: This prospective study was conducted in The Province Hospital, Karnali, Nepal over a period of six months (June 2021 to Dec 2021 AD)...

BACKGROUND: Preterm birth is a major health issue due to its potential outcomes and socioeconomic impact. Prenatal counseling is of major importance for parents because it is believed that the risk of preterm birth is associated with a higher parental mental burden. Nowadays in France, the content and delivery of antenatal counseling is based on personal experience since there is a lack of official guidelines. The goal of the study was to evaluate maternal perception of antenatal information delivered in the setting of preterm births...

Introduction: Most recent clinical reports from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) concluded current evidence does not support routine universal administration of probiotics to preterm infants, particularly those with birth weight <1000 grams. Despite this, the use of probiotics is increasing in US neonatal intensive care units (NICU). Objectives: Collaborating with the Perinatal Neonatal Medicine of AAP, we conducted a national survey to obtain neonatologist opinion on probiotics use. Methods: Survey questionnaires were sent to 3000 neonatologists via email...

Listeriosis is a globally rare foodborne disease that causes fetal-placental infection, leading to adverse pregnancy outcome, while limited research among pregnant women is available in China. This study was therefore aimed at analyzing the incidence, clinical manifestations, and clinical outcome of listeriosis among pregnant women and its associated dietary behavior risk factors in prevention. A hospital-based case-control study had been conducted from January 2017 to December 2021. Clinical data, laboratory information, and questionnaires including dietary behaviors and personal hygiene were collected within 2 days after case diagnosis...

BACKGROUND: Extremely premature infants (EPIs) are those less than 32 weeks of gestational age. Preterm birth is the leading cause of neonatal death and poor prognosis, accounting for 25% of neonatal deaths, with extremely premature births accounting for 50% of all premature deaths. Continuous quality improvement (CQI) improves patient outcomes by changing and optimizing clinical practice including increasing participation of neonatologists in prenatal consultation, maintenance of normal body temperature in preterm infants, early use of pulmonary surfactant, reduction of mechanical ventilation time and intensive breastfeeding to reduce clinically avoidable adverse events...

There is evidence that music therapy combined with physical contact to parents stabilizes the vital signs of hospitalized preterm infants. Yet, there is no evidence for the difference between simple contact by touching the infant in the incubator or cod, or close physical contact during music therapy sessions (MT). Behavioral effects of the various forms of attention toward the infant during therapy need to be elucidated. Our study aimed to quantify the effects of hand touch contact (HTC) and close physical contact (CPC) during live performed MT in preterm infants regardless of gestational age on behavioral state (assessed via COMFORTneo scale) and vital signs...