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Breastfeeding is associated with a reduced later obesity risk, relative to feeding convention infant formula. Breastfeeding induces less weight gain during the first two years of life, which predicts less obesity up to adulthood. We tested the hypothesis that a high infant protein supply promotes weight gain and obesity risk, mediated by increased plasma amino acids and growth factors, insulin and insulin like growth factor 1 (IGF-1). A large multi-centre double blind trial randomized formula-fed infants to conventional bottle milk with a high protein content, or an intervention formula with a reduced protein content more similar to levels provided with human milk...

Early enteral feeding is a potentially modifiable risk factor for necrotising enterocolitis (NEC) and late onset sepsis (LOS), however enteral feeding practices for preterm infants are highly variable. High-quality evidence is increasingly available to guide early feeding in preterm infants. Meta-analyses of randomised trials indicate that early trophic feeding within 48 h after birth and introduction of progressive enteral feeding before 4 days of life at an advancement rate above 24 ml/kg/day can be achieved in clinically stable very preterm and very low birthweight (VLBW) infants, without higher mortality or incidence of NEC...

AIM: Postnatal hypoglycaemia in newborn infants remains an important clinical problem where prolonged periods of hypoglycaemia are associated with poor neurodevelopmental outcome. The aim was to develop an evidence-based national guideline with the purpose to optimise prevention, diagnosis and treatment of hypoglycaemia in newborn infants with a gestational age ≥35 + 0 weeks. METHODS: A PubMed search-based literature review was used to find actual and applicable evidence for all incorporated recommendations...

Exogenous surfactant replacement is the most effective evidence-based therapy for respiratory distress syndrome in preterm infants. The mode of administration has evolved in the last decade towards less invasive techniques that aim to effectively provide an adequate dose of surfactant, while allowing spontaneous respiration to continue, and with the support of continuous positive airway pressure. Surfactant delivery via aerosolisation, pharyngeal instillation, and laryngeal mask are being actively pursued in research, but have not yet been adopted to any significant degree in clinical practice...

Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD) of prematurity is a multifactorial disorder commonly observed in very low birth weight (VLBW, <1,500 g) newborns, with a greater incidence in those extremely low birth weight (ELBW, <1,000 g). MBD is characterized by biochemical and radiological findings related to bone demineralization. Several antenatal and postnatal risk factors have been associated to MBD of prematurity, although the main pathogenetic mechanism is represented by the reduced placental transfer of calcium and phosphate related to preterm birth...

Pain in newborn children should be prevented due to negative short- and long-term consequences. A good understanding of the development of the nociceptive system in newborns is necessary to enable optimal pain assessment, and most importantly to treat and prevent pain adequately in neonates. So far, preclinical juvenile animal studies have led to a tremendous amount of information regarding the development of the nociceptive system. In addition, they have made clear that the developmental stage of the nociceptive system may influence the mechanism of action of different classes of analgesics...

Non-invasive ventilation and especially the application of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) has become standard for the treatment of premature infants with respiratory problems. However, CPAP failure may occur due to respiratory distress syndrome, that is, surfactant deficiency. Less invasive surfactant administration (LISA) aims to provide an adequate dose of surfactant while the infant is breathing spontaneously, thus avoiding positive pressure ventilation support. Using a thin catheter for surfactant application allows infants to maintain function of the glottis and continue spontaneous breathing, whereas the INtubate-SURfactant-Extubate (INSURE) procedure is connected with sedation/analgesia, regular intubation and a (brief) period of positive pressure ventilation...

BACKGROUND: Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) complicates the clinical course of preterm infants and increases the risk of adverse outcomes. Indomethacin has been the standard treatment to close a PDA but is associated with renal, gastrointestinal, and cerebral side effects. Ibuprofen has less effect on blood flow velocity to important organs. OBJECTIVES: Primary objectivesTo determine the effectiveness and safety of ibuprofen compared to placebo/no intervention, or other cyclo-oxygenase inhibitor drugs in the prevention of PDA in preterm infants...

OBJECTIVE: To examine changes in blood pressure (BP), cardiac output (CO) and cerebral regional oxygen saturation (rScO2) with administration of premedication for neonatal intubation. DESIGN: Pilot, prospective, observational study. Oxygen saturation, heart rate, CO, rScO2 and BP data were collected. Monitoring began 5 min prior to premedication and continued until spontaneous movement. SETTING: Single-centre, level 3 neonatal intensive care unit PATIENTS: 35 infants, all gestational ages...

Scientific statements and publications have recommended the use of vasoconstrictors as the first-line pharmacologic choice for most cases of cardiogenic shock (CS), without the abundance of strong clinical evidence. One challenge of guidelines is that the way recommendations are stated can potentially lead to oversimplification of complex situations. Except for acute coronary syndrome with CS, in which maintenance of coronary perfusion pressure seems logical prior to revascularization, physiologic consequences of increasing afterload by use of vasoconstrictors should be analyzed...

BACKGROUND: The timely establishment of enteral feeds and a reduction in the number of feeding interruptions are key to achieving optimal nutrition in premature infants. Nutritional guidelines vary widely regarding feeding regimens and there is not a widely accepted consensus on the optimal feeding interval. PURPOSE: To critically examine the evidence to determine whether there is a relationship to feeding intervals and feeding outcomes in premature infants. METHODS: A systematic review of the literature in the following databases: PubMed, CINAHL, Embase and the Cochrane Library...

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of withholding feeds during transfusion on transfusion associated acute gut injury (TRAGI). STUDY DESIGN: Data were collected on 125 preterm infants before and after the practice of withholding feeds for 12-24 h during transfusion was instituted. Logistic regression was used to examine effects of withholding feeds on TRAGI rates. RESULTS: A total of 19 (15%) infants developed NEC; 6/19 (32%) had TRAGI...

BACKGROUND: Vitamin A (VA) supplementation reduces the risk of developing bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). However, a previous meta-analysis showed that VA had minimal efficacy for preventing BPD in very low birth weight infants (VLBWIs). AIMS: To elucidate the effects of VA supplementation for BPD prevention in extremely low birth weight infants (ELBWIs). STUDY DESIGN: This systematic review and meta-analysis followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines...

This article covers several aspects of the clinical management of neonatal hypoglycemia that have recently evolved, reviewing the evidence informing these recommended changes in practice. Topics covered include use of buccal dextrose gel, rationale for avoiding the traditional "mini dextrose bolus," and benefits of direct breastfeeding for the treatment of asymptomatic hypoglycemia in at-risk newborns. The reasons for increasing use of more accurate point-of-care devices for measuring neonatal glucose concentrations are discussed, as well as the implications of different published opinions regarding the determination of readiness for discharge and the most important considerations when making this determination...

Skillfully implemented mechanical ventilation (MV) may prove of immense benefit in restoring physiologic homeostasis. However, since hemodynamic instability is a primary factor influencing mortality in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), clinicians should be vigilant regarding the potentially deleterious effects of MV on right ventricular (RV) function and pulmonary vascular mechanics (PVM). During both spontaneous and positive pressure MV (PPMV), tidal changes in pleural pressure (PPL ), transpulmonary pressure (PTP , the difference between alveolar pressure and PPL ), and lung volume influence key components of hemodynamics: preload, afterload, heart rate, and myocardial contractility...

Over 50 years after its first description, Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia (BPD) remains a devastating pulmonary complication in preterm infants with respiratory failure and develops in 30-50% of infants less than 1000-gram birth weight. It is thought to involve ventilator- and oxygen-induced damage to an immature lung that results in an inflammatory response and ends in aberrant lung development with dysregulated angiogenesis and alveolarization. Significant morbidity and mortality are associated with this most common chronic lung disease of childhood...

Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) continues to be one of the most common complications of preterm birth and is characterized histopathologically by impaired lung alveolarization. Extremely preterm born infants remain at high risk for the development of BPD, highlighting a pressing need for continued efforts to understand the pathomechanisms at play in affected infants. This brief review summarizes recent progress in our understanding of the how the development of the newborn lung is stunted, highlighting recent reports on roles for growth factor signaling, oxidative stress, inflammation, the extracellular matrix and proteolysis, non-coding RNA, and fibroblast and epithelial cell plasticity...

Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a potentially devastating condition that preferentially affects premature and low birth weight infants, with approximately half requiring acute surgical intervention. Surgical consult should be considered early on, and deterioration despite maximal medical therapy or the finding of pneumoperitoneum are the strongest indications for emergent surgical intervention. There is no clear consensus on the optimal surgical approach between peritoneal drainage and laparotomy; the best course of action likely depends on the infant's comorbidities, hemodynamic status, size, disease involvement, and available resources...

Background Magnesium sulfate is an accepted intervention for fetal neuroprotection. There are some perceived differences in the international recommendations on the use magnesium sulfate for fetal neuroprotection in preterm labor. Content This systematic review analyses the available clinical guidelines for the use of magnesium sulfate for fetal neuroprotection and compares the recommendations, and assesses the quality of guidelines. This provides the consensus, differences and explores the areas for future collaborative research...

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