AIM: To evaluate the effect of the interaction between fetal sex and obstetric variables on the risk of neurodevelopmental impairment among preterm infants. METHOD: A cohort study of 394 male and 360 female surviving infants born at 24 to 33 completed weeks of gestational age. Neurological examination and cognitive assessment ...

A large proportion of very preterm infants receive treatment for hypotension. The definition of hypotension is unclear, and, currently, there is no evidence that treating it improves outcomes or, indeed, which treatment to choose among the available alternatives. Assessment of circulatory adequacy of the preterm infant requires a careful clinical ...

There is limited data describing how preterm and term infants breathe spontaneously immediately after birth. We studied spontaneously breathing infants >or=29 wk immediately after birth. Airway flow and tidal volume were measured for 90 s using a hot wire anemometer attached to a facemask. Twelve preterm and 13 term infants ...

OBJECTIVE: To examine the temporal relationship between early enteral nutrition (EN) and coagulase-negative staphylococcal (CoNS)-related late-onset bacteremia (LOB) in very low birth weight (VLBW) neonates. STUDY DESIGN: Multivariate analyses performed on a large retrospective cohort of neonates admitted to a tertiary care neonatal unit. RESULTS: Due to the predominance and ...

BACKGROUND: Infants born preterm are at increased risk of adverse health and developmental outcomes. Mortality and morbidity after preterm birth impose a burden on finite public sector resources. This study considers the economic consequences of preterm birth from birth to adult life and compares the costs accruing to those born ...

Preterm birth is the leading cause of neonatal mortality and morbidity and long-term disability of non-anomalous infants. Previous studies have identified a prior early spontaneous preterm birth as the risk factor with the highest predictive value for recurrence. Two recent double blind randomized placebo controlled trials reported lower preterm birth ...

This prospective case-control study was carried out in patients admitted in Government Lady Goschen Hospital, Mangalore to study the risk factors associated with spontaneous preterm birth after 28 weeks and its neonatal outcome when compared with term birth. One hundred women who were admitted in labour of gestational age 28 ...

BACKGROUND: Late-preterm infants are known to have greater morbidity and costs compared with term infants during the neonatal period, but less is known about whether these differences continue beyond this period. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine the most common causes and costs of rehospitalization and other ...

BACKGROUND: Little is known about exposure of preterm infants to excipients during routine clinical care. OBJECTIVE: To document excipient exposure in vulnerable preterm babies in a single centre, taking into account chronic lung disease (CLD) as a marker of illness severity. DESIGN: Excipient exposure after treatment with eight oral liquid ...

OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to evaluate the indications for late preterm birth and compare outcomes by gestational age among late preterm (34-36 weeks) and term (> or = 37 weeks) neonates at our institution. STUDY DESIGN: This was a retrospective analysis of delivery indications and short-term neonatal ...

Several studies have suggested an association between maternal periodontal disease and preterm delivery, but this has not been a consistent finding. In 2006-2007, the authors examined the relation between maternal periodontal disease and preterm delivery among 467 pregnant Thai women who delivered a preterm singleton infant (<37 weeks' gestation) and ...

OBJECTIVE: Increasing numbers of infants born preterm survive into adulthood. Previous studies have reported increased levels of neurologic and cognitive disabilities in these children. In this study, we analyzed the effect of having been born preterm on psychiatric morbidity. METHODS: A Swedish national cohort of 545628 individuals born in 1973-1979 ...

AIMS: To identify associations between reactive airway disease (RAD), eczema, and gastroesophageal reflux (GERD) and antenatal/neonatal variables. METHODS: This is a retrospective observational cohort analysis of former preterm (PT) infants evaluated at the Regional Neonatal Follow-up Program in the Lower Hudson Valley Region of New York. Subjects <2 years evaluated ...

BACKGROUND: Recent studies suggest that a low antioxidant level in preterm infants may predispose them to increased oxidative stress and results in hyperbilirubinemia, whereas glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) activity was found to be higher in preterm infants than in term infants. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate (1) the oxidative effect of alpha-naphthol on ...

Preterm birth is still the major cause of neonatal mortality and morbidity despite major improvements in neonatal care in the developed countries. Among survivors, the risk of severe consequences is inversely related to the gestational age at delivery. Appropriate antenatal intervention should delay delivery long enough to reduce perinatal consequences ...

BACKGROUND: Surfactant protein (SP) C has been shown to be expressed also outside pulmonary alveoli. Certain SP-C gene (SFTPC) polymorphisms associate with lung diseases and very preterm birth. AIMS: We investigated the association of SFTPC single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs4715 with factors affecting spontaneous preterm birth and characterized the SP-C ...

OBJECTIVE: Preterm birth is an important indicator of neonatal wellbeing. Infants born preterm are at higher risk for severe morbidity and mortality. Apart from medical risk factors, social factors are also associated with preterm birth. This study aims to provide knowledge on factors which have a predictive role in relation ...

While multiple lines of evidence suggest the importance of genetic contributors to risk of preterm birth, the nature of the genetic component has not been identified. We perform segregation analyses to identify the best fitting genetic model for gestational age, a quantitative proxy for preterm birth. Because either mother or ...

One of the goals of Healthy People 2010 (set in 1998) was to reduce preterm birthrates from 11.6% to 7.6%. However, in 2004, the preterm birthrate of 12.5% was actually higher than the rate in 1998. Approximately 65% of this increase in prematurity rate is attributed to the increasing birthrate ...

BACKGROUND: In some women, an episode of preterm labour settles and does not result in immediate preterm birth. Subsequent treatment with tocolytic agents such as oxytocin receptor antagonists may then have the potential to prevent the recurrence of preterm labour, prolonging gestation, and preventing the adverse consequences of prematurity for ...

Very preterm birth (<32 weeks' gestation) occurs in approximately 2% of livebirths but is a leading cause of infant mortality and morbidity in the United States. African-American women have a 2-fold to 3-fold elevated risk compared with non-Hispanic white women for reasons that are incompletely understood. This paper reviews the ...

Immaturity of motility, intestinal epithelial barrier function and absorptive capacity may play a role in the pathophysiology of intestinal diseases in preterms. We determined the gastric electrical activity and emptying, and intestinal permeability, in preterm newborns to verify if a maturation pattern exists in preterm newborns during the first month ...

OBJECTIVE: To explore birth rate, delivery mode, medical problems, requirement of respiratory support, and acute outcomes of late preterm infants in Zhejiang province in eastern China. METHODS: Eleven tertiary hospitals were recruited. Clinical data of every nursery admission from January to December 2007 were collected and analyzed. RESULTS: During the ...

Viability means "the quality or state of being able to live, grow and develop." Limit of viability has been changed along with the advancement of perinatal and neonatal medicine. The viability limit defined in the Japanese Motherhood Protection Act was amended from 24 to 22 completed weeks of gestation in ...

AIMS: To evaluate the association between the presence of bacterial pathogens in the amniotic cavity at the time of preterm delivery and neuromotor outcome at two years adjusted age in preterm infants born at < or =33 weeks' gestation. METHODS: The cohort included 114 preterm infants, born at 23-33 weeks' ...

The aim of this study was to examine changes in activities of cytochrome c oxidase (CCO), glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH), Cu-Zn superoxide dismutase (Cu-Zn SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), glutathione (GSH) levels and copper (Cu), zinc (Zn) and selenium (Se) concentrations, and to assess the possible differences between preterm placentas, placentas from ...

To assess socioeconomic inequalities in survival and provision of neonatal care among very preterm infants. Prospective cohort study in a geographically defined population. Former Trent health region of the United Kingdom (covering about a twelfth of UK births). All infants born between 22+0 and 32+6 weeks' gestation from 1 January ...

The onset of preterm labor has been proposed to have survival value and to be adaptive in nature. This hypothesis would predict that induced preterm birth may be associated with higher rates of complications than spontaneous preterm birth. The purpose of this study was to determine if there is a ...

Women's health care providers are increasingly aware that chronic stressors--such as poverty, ongoing perceived stress and anxiety, intimate partner violence, and experiences of racism--are associated with an increased incidence of preterm birth in the United States. It is important to increase our understanding of the explanatory pathways involved in these ...

Circulating endothelial cells may serve as novel markers of angiogenesis. These include a subset of hem-endothelial progenitor cells that play a vital role in vascular growth and repair. The presence and clinical implications of circulating RNA levels as an expression for hematopoietic and endothelial-specific markers have not been previously evaluated ...

BACKGROUND: Preterm birth and other pregnancy complications have been linked to maternal stress during pregnancy. We investigated the association between maternal exposure to severe life events and risk of preterm birth. METHODS: Mothers of all singleton live births (n = 1.35 million births) in Denmark between 1 January 1979 and ...

Preterm birth is one of the leading causes of infant mortality and the leading cause of infant morbidity in the United States. It accounts for >70% of neonatal deaths and almost half of long-term neurological disabilities. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is collaborating with state health departments, ...

To measure postural control in extremely preterm infants with a birth weight of less than 1,500 g in comparison to full-term infants at 7 years of age and healthy adults. On a Balance Master computerized force plate, static and dynamic postural control was measured in 21 full-term 7-year-old children, 44 ...

The timing of birth necessitates the coupling of fetal maturation with the onset of parturition, and occurs at characteristic, but divergent gestations between mammals. Preterm birth in humans is an important but poorly understood outcome of pregnancy that uncouples fetal maturation and birth timing. The etiology of preterm birth is ...

Rates of preterm birth range from 5% to 13% of deliveries in developed countries. About two-thirds of preterm deliveries are due to spontaneous onset of preterm labour or preterm premature rupture of membranes. Approximately one-third follow induction of labour or caesarean section performed for maternal or fetal indications such as ...

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: To summarize some recent major epidemiological changes, evidence-based interventions, shifting paradigms, and national initiatives targeting the prevention of preterm birth in the United States. RECENT FINDINGS: Noteworthy epidemiological changes in preterm births include a shift from 40 to 39 weeks as the most common length of gestation ...

Preterm birth is a heterogeneous disorder that is responsible for significant neonatal morbidity and mortality. Intrauterine infection is implicated in a significant proportion of preterm birth-particularly in early gestation. Epidemiologic evidence supports a genetic component to infection overall and preterm birth in particular. Furthermore, a number of studies examining genes ...

Preterm labor after 34 weeks of gestation has shown no great difference from full-term labor in terms of neonatal morbidity and mortality when proper antepartum management (antibiotics or steroids treatment) is done. However, various studies have discussed different views on the risks and safety of preterm delivery at 32(+0)-33(+6) weeks ...

We sought to determine the risk of preterm (< 32 weeks) delivery as it relates to cervical dilatation at presentation of an initial preterm labor admission episode. We retrospectively reviewed the records of all patients presenting with preterm contractions at 22 to 32 weeks' gestation. Multiple regression was used to ...

OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to determine whether obstetric history affects the efficacy of therapeutic cerclage. STUDY DESIGN: Data were gathered prospectively on patients receiving therapeutic cerclage, defined as midtrimester presentation with a cervical length less than 2.5 cm and prior preterm delivery or cervical dilatation with visible membranes on sterile ...

AIM: The endothel dysfunction in early life may play a role in developmental programming of cardiovascular morbidity. The changes of dimethylarginines' plasma levels during the first month among preterm infants and their determinants had been investigated in our study. METHODS: Twenty preterm infants of healthy mothers were studied. Mean (+/-SD) ...

BACKGROUND: Executive function (EF) emerges in infancy and continues to develop throughout childhood. Executive dysfunction is believed to contribute to learning and attention problems in children at school age. Children born very preterm are more prone to these problems than their full-term peers. AIM: To compare EF in very preterm ...

The preterm birth rate in the USA is nearing 13%. The recent rise has been attributed to increased indicated preterm births and multiple births following artificial conceptions. There are few obstetrical interventions that successfully delay or prevent spontaneous preterm birth or reduce the risk factors leading to indicated preterm birth. ...

In recent years, there has been a major change in our thinking about the way neonates experience stress. This understanding has led to advances in anesthetic technique and the pre- and postoperative care of the surgical neonate. Stress can develop before birth due to placental insufficiency. This can lead to ...

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate oral micronized progesterone (OMP) to prevent preterm birth (PTB). METHODS: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of 150 women with at least one PTB who received 100 mg of OMP or placebo twice a day from recruitment (18-24 weeks) until 36 weeks or delivery. RESULTS: PTB occurred in ...

This article describes the short-term outcomes of late preterm neonates born between 34 and 36 (6/7) weeks gestational age (GA) in a 4-year period. A total of 1381/ 20554 (6.7%) births were between 34 and 36 weeks of GA and were predominantly Caucasian (87%). In all, 697/1381 (51%) were admitted ...

We measured fecal elastase-1 (FE1) levels in 34 preterm newborns (15 small-for-gestational-age and 19 appropriate-for-gestational-age) during the first 2 months of life and evaluated whether they were correlated with nitrogen loss in stools. FE1 increased over time, and values were similar in both groups of newborns. Fecal nitrogen was significantly ...

BACKGROUND: A recent clinical trial (Obstetrics and Periodontal Therapy [OPT] Study) demonstrated that periodontal therapy during pregnancy improved periodontal outcomes but failed to impact preterm birth. The present study evaluated seven target bacteria, Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans (previously Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans), Porphyromonas gingivalis, Treponema denticola, Tannerella forsythia (previously T. forsythensis), Prevotella intermedia, Campylobacter ...

To investigate white matter (WM) development, voxelwise analyses of diffusion tensor MRI (DTMRI) data, acquired from 12 very preterm and 11 preterm infants with gestational ages (GA) ranging from 25 to 29 and 29 to 32 weeks, respectively, and 10 newborn normal term infants were performed. T(2) relaxation measures were ...

The objective of our study was to evaluate the correlation of the cervical length at 20-25 weeks of gestation with the incidence of spontaneous preterm delivery in twins in a country with a high incidence of preterm delivery compared to other European countries. Cervical length was measured in 262 consecutive ...