premature infant

BACKGROUND: Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), a potentially blinding disease, is increasing worldwide because of the increased survival of extremely preterm and preterm infants born where oxygen monitoring and ROP screening programs are insufficient. Repeated retinal examinations are stressful for infants, and laser photocoagulation treatment for sight-threatening ROP is destructive. The use of anti-VEGF agents instead of lasers is widespread but requires a long-term follow-up because of late recurrence of the disease...

INTRODUCTION: Premature infants require specialized care, and nurses need to have specific skills and knowledge to provide this care effectively. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact of an on-the-job training program on the improvement of nurses' knowledge and practice related to creation of a healing environment and clustering nursing procedures. METHODS: From January to April 2022, a study utilizing a one-group pre- and post-test design was conducted at NICUs in governmental hospitals...

INTRODUCTION: Infants born <31 weeks gestational age with birth weight ≤ 1,500 grams receive routine eye examinations to screen for Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) while in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) to help prevent vision threatening complications; however, preterm infants' sensory systems are underdeveloped, and repeated exposure to painful stimuli is associated with worse developmental outcomes. METHODS: An interdisciplinary NICU team designed a collaborative eye exam model (CEEM) incorporating best practice recommendations for infant pain control during exams...

BACKGROUND: There exists limited agreement on the recommendations for the treatment of transitional circulatory instability (TCI) in preterm neonates OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy of various interventions used to treat TCI METHODS: Medline and Embase were searched from inception to 21st July 2023. Two authors extracted the data independently. A Bayesian random effects network meta-analysis was used. Recommendations were formulated using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluations (GRADE) framework...

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to investigate the perinatal factors and early neonatal outcomes of abnormal birth weight (ABW) in Hangzhou, China from 2015 to 2021. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was designed to analyse the data of 76 847 newborns, in which the case groups included 3042 cases of low birth weight (LBW) and 2941 cases of fetal macrosomia (MAC), and 70 864 cases of normal weight were as the reference group. RESULTS: The incidence of LBW and MAC was 3...

BACKGROUND: Iatrogenic pharyngoesophageal perforation (IPEP) is one of the complications of gastric tube insertion and it tends to occur more frequently in premature infants. Although the frequency is significantly low, attention should be paid as it can lead to serious outcomes with high mortality. This study will help raise awareness with respect to early diagnosis, management, and prevention. METHODS: We performed a retrospective cohort study of all very low birth weight infants diagnosed with IPEP between 1993 and 2022...

BACKGROUND: Evaluating the ABO/RhD blood group and the direct antiglobulin Coombs test (DAT) at birth is recommended good practice, but there is variability in its universal implementation. This study aims to show the comparative results in various variables of clinical impact during the hospital stay of neonates with positive DAT compared with those with negative DAT, based on the systematic detection of the ABO/RhD group and DAT at birth. METHODS: Newborns between 2017 and 2020 in a high-risk pregnancy care hospital were included...

BACKGROUND: Vitiligo is a multifactorial disease characterized by the progressive loss of melanocytes. The worldwide prevalence ranges from 0.5% to 2%, and in children from 0% to 2.16%. The objective of this study was to determine the variables associated with progression of vitiligo. METHODS: A retrospective cohort was carried out where a random sample of records of pediatric patients with vitiligo from January 2016 to December 2020 was analyzed. The variables were studied: age at onset, sex, hereditary family history, personal history of thyroid diseases, time of evolution, classification, Köebner phenomena, mucosal vitiligo, halo nevus, premature graying and the presence of other dermatoses...

BACKGROUND: Pink coloration of breast milk is uncommon and it´s associated with colonization by Serratia marcescens, which is most frequently isolated in intensive care settings. Misinterpretation of the pink coloration may lead to premature cessation of breastfeeding. The objective is to present four cases of pink discoloration. METHODS: Two retrospective and two prospective cases of pink discoloration in breast milk are described, which were reported to the lead author...

OBJECTIVE: To ascertain how screening for preterm birth is performed among obstetricians working in public and private practice in a middle-income country. METHODS: Cross-sectional study of 265 obstetrician-gynecologists employed at public and private facilities. An online questionnaire was administered, with items designed to collect data on prematurity screening and prevention practices. RESULTS: The mean age of respondents was 44.5 years; 78...

AIM: For women, being underweight increases their susceptibility to osteoporosis, anemia, and other conditions and affects the weight of their infants and the well-being of future generations. This study examined the association between low pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) and low birthweight using health insurance claims data and health checkup data, including weight measurements. METHODS: We used health insurance claims data and health checkup data (JMDC, Tokyo, Japan) of women and their newborns in Japan between 2006 and 2020...

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BACKGROUND: Trigonocephaly occurs due to the premature fusion of the metopic suture, leading to a triangular forehead and hypotelorism. This condition often requires surgical correction for morphological and functional indications. Metopic ridges also originate from premature metopic closure but are only associated with mid-frontal bulging; their surgical correction is rarely required. Differential diagnosis between these two conditions can be challenging, especially in minor trigonocephaly...

OBJECTIVE: Understand how high-risk infants' development changes over time. Examine whether NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale (NNNS) profiles are associated with decrements in developmental outcomes between ages 2 and 3 years in infants born very preterm. STUDY DESIGN: The Neonatal Outcomes for Very preterm Infants (NOVI) cohort is a multisite prospective study of 704 preterm infants born <30 weeks' gestation across nine university and VON affiliated NICUs...

INTRODUCTION: Respiratory Distress Syndrome (RDS) is the most common respiratory disorder among premature infants. The use of surfactant has significantly reduced respiratory complications and mortality. There are two conventional methods for administering surfactant: Intubate-Surfactant-Extubate (INSURE) and Less Invasive Surfactant Administration (LISA). This study aims to compare the effects of surfactant administration using these two methods on the treatment outcomes of premature newborns...

BACKGROUND: Vitamin D deficiency has been suggested to be a risk factor for neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (RDS). This study aimed to evaluate the effect of 25 (OH) D administrations in pregnant women with findings of preterm labor on the incidence of RDS in their preterm neonates. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A randomized controlled clinical trial was conducted on pregnant mothers with gestational age (GA) of less than 34 weeks at risk of preterm delivery. 175 subjects were randomly assigned into two groups, including intervention (intramuscular injection of 50,000 units of 25(OH) D during 72 hours before delivery) and control (no injections)...

IMPORTANCE: Providing assisted ventilation during delayed umbilical cord clamping may improve outcomes for extremely preterm infants. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether assisted ventilation in extremely preterm infants (23 0/7 to 28 6/7 weeks' gestational age [GA]) followed by cord clamping reduces intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) or early death. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This phase 3, 1:1, parallel-stratified randomized clinical trial conducted at 12 perinatal centers across the US and Canada from September 2, 2016, through February 21, 2023, assessed IVH and early death outcomes of extremely preterm infants randomized to receive 120 seconds of assisted ventilation followed by cord clamping vs delayed cord clamping for 30 to 60 seconds with ventilatory assistance afterward...

BACKGROUND: Preterm preeclampsia is a pregnancy complication associated with myocardial dysfunction and premature cardiovascular disease morbidity and mortality. Left atrial (LA) strain is a noninvasive index of left ventricular end diastolic pressure and an early marker of heart failure risk. This study aimed to evaluate LA strain during the postpartum period in participants with and without preterm preeclampsia and to assess whether this varied in the presence of hypertension and/or cardiac dysfunction...

INTRODUCTION: Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) poses a significant threat to preterm infants, with nonspecific early manifestations complicating timely diagnosis. Therefore, this study aimed to develop a novel scoring system for early diagnosis of NEC, incorporating clinical and laboratory data with urinary caveolin-1 levels. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A single-center prospective cohort study was conducted at a tertiary hospital in East Java, Indonesia. NEC diagnosis was established by Bell's criteria and proven gut dysbiosis...

BACKGROUND: Transient symptomatic zinc deficiency (TSZD), an acquired type of zinc deficiency, is a rare, but probably underrecognized disease, extremely in breastfed premature with low birthweight infants. Its clinical manefestations are similar to Acrodermatitis enteropathica (AE), which is a genetic zinc absorption disorder caused by SLC39A4 gene mutations. This gene encodes a member of the zinc/iron-regulated transporter-like protein (ZIP) family. The encoded protein localizes to cell membranes and is required for zinc uptake in the intestine...