AIM: To compare the efficacy and tolerance of betamethasone (BTM) and hydrocortisone (HC) in weaning extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) from the ventilator. METHODS: Monocentric, retrospective, cohort analysis based on prospective, standardized collection of data between 2005 and 2011 in ELBW receiving postnatal steroids (PS) ...

Many phenols are known to mimic or antagonize hormonal activities and may adversely affect fetal growth. A study of 567 pregnant women was conducted to investigate the relationship between prenatal phenol exposure and birth outcomes, including birth weight, length, and gestational age. We measured the concentrations of bisphenol A, benzophenone-3, ...

OBJECTIVES:: To determine whether longitudinal measurements of fecal S100A12, a damage associated molecular pattern protein, which is released from neutrophils or monocytes under stress, can detect very low birth weight (VLBW) infants at risk of intestinal distress apart from necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). METHODS:: This prospective study included 46 VLBW infants ...

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this paper is to analyze the impact of low birth weight (LBW) and very low birth weight (VLBW) on health care utilization in childhood and early adolescence. DATA/METHODS: Using Austrian health insurance administrative panel data linked to the Austrian birth register, we estimate the effects of ...

Abstract Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is a potent mitogen and morphogen expressed in fetal organs. It requires activation by specific serine proteases. The role of activated HGF during fetal development has not been evaluated. We hypothesized that the serum levels of activated HGF would be increased in preterm neonates. Cord ...

WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN ABOUT THIS SUBJECT: Children from low socioeconomic households are at greater risk of obesity. Children predominantly breastfed have a reduced risk of early childhood obesity. Yet, it is not known how feeding patterns mediate the relationship between social class and obesity. WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS: Based ...

: Normal nasolabial anatomy has received little attention in infants younger than 1 year. However, the notion of an ideal lip and nose is critical to reconstruction of this region, especially for cleft lip and nose repair. The purpose of this study was to quantitatively define the normal nasolabial anatomy ...

Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is the most common chronic lung disease in infants. Its treatment imposes considerable healthcare burden and costs in the perinatal and early childhood period and patients are usually left with lifelong deficits in lung function. Evidence exists for different pathophysiologic pathways that can promote the structural changes ...

OBJECTIVE:Infant mortality rates (IMR) and neonatal mortality rates (NMR) in the United States have not decreased recently. The purpose of this study was to determine the contributions of birth weight and gestational age subgroups to the IMR and NMR in the United States.METHODS:We used the most recent (1983-2005) US linked ...

OBJECTIVES: To review the maternal and fetal outcome of triplet, quadruplet and quintuplet gestations following ART, which were managed at a hospital over 11 years. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective chart review of 150 triplet, 27 quadruplet, and 6 quintuplet pregnancies between January 2001 and December 2011. 25 women aged 50-56 years with triplet ...

Objective:Determine the incidence of refeeding syndrome, defined by the presence of hypophosphatemia in very-low-birth-weight (VLBW) infants with intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) compared with those without IUGR.Study design:In this retrospective cohort study, VLBW infants admitted over a 10-year period (271 IUGR and 1982 non-IUGR) were evaluated for specific electrolyte abnormalities in ...

PURPOSE: To study the association between congenital heart diseases (CHD) and in-hospital mortality and morbidity of very preterm/very low birth weight (VLBW) infants. METHODS: The area-based prospective cohort study ACTION included all infants with gestational age (GA) 22-31 weeks or birth weight <1,500 g admitted to neonatal care between July 2003 and ...

Objectives:Low birth weight (LBW) has been associated with common adult-onset chronic diseases, including obesity, cardiovascular disease, type II diabetes and some cancers. The etiology of LBW is multi-factorial. However, recent evidence suggests exposure to antibiotics may also increase the risk of LBW. The mechanisms underlying this association are unknown, although ...

AIM: The use of plain radiographs provides limited information on the placement of peripherally inserted central catheters. Moreover, changes in upper extremity positioning cause migration of the catheters in neonates. This study aimed to investigate the use of echocardiography for determining catheter tip position, compared with plain radiographs, in low ...

Previous studies suggest that maternal characteristics may be associated with neonatal outcomes. However, the influence of maternal characteristics on birth weight (BW) has not been adequately determined in Korean populations. We investigated associations between maternal characteristics and BW in a sample of 813 Korean women living in the Seoul metropolitan ...

Background: Fullterm small-for-gestational-age children (SGAs) are known for their ability to catch up on growth. Nevertheless, increased risk of growth restriction remains. Evidence on preterm SGA children's growth is lacking. Objective: To determine absolute gains in height and weight, relative growth, and growth restriction in preterm SGAs from 0 to ...

PURPOSE:This study was designed to determine the incidence rate of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) in extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infants in the middle Black Sea region of Turkey. METHODS:The charts of 1,719 preterm infants were reviewed between January 2003 and September 2011. Of them, 225 (13.1%) infants with birth ...

Abstract Objective Determine by ultrasound the dimensions and depth of the right internal jugular vein (RIJV) in low birth weight newborns, assess the differences in weight and determine the relationship of the vein with the carotid artery. Methods We performed a vascular assessment of the RIJV in 100 low birth ...

To assess the global effect of preterm birth on fetal metabolism and maternal-fetal nutrient transfer, we used a mass spectrometric based chemical phenotyping approach on cord blood obtained at the time of birth. We sampled umbilical venous, umbilical arterial, and maternal blood from mothers delivering very-low-birth-weight (VLBW, with a median ...

Abstract Objective: To determine the occurrence of hypoglycemic episodes in very low birth weight preterm infants under total enteral nutrition and identify potential risk factors. Methods: In this single centre cohort study, we analyzed the patients' charts of preterm infants with a gestational age <32 weeks (n=98). Infants were analyzed ...

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to compare the growth of infants born to women with antenatal major depressive disorder, either untreated or treated with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants, and infants born to a nondepressed, nonmedicated comparison group across the first year of life. METHOD In this ...

AIMS: To describe incidence, presentation, treatment and short term outcomes of severe neonatal hypernatraemia (SNH, sodium ≥160 mmol/l). METHODS: Prospective, population based surveillance study over 13 months using the British Paediatric Surveillance Unit. Cases were >33 weeks gestation at birth, fed breast or formula milk and <28 days of age ...

OBJECTIVE:Research is required to monitor changes in the nature of neurobehavioral deficits in extremely preterm (EP) or extremely low birth weight (ELBW) survivors. This study examines cognitive, academic, and behavioral outcomes at age 8 years for a regional cohort of EP/ELBW children born in 1997.METHODS:The EP/ELBW cohort comprised all live ...

Numerous papers have investigated the distribution of birth weight. This interest arises from the association between birth weight and the future health condition of the child. Birth weight distribution commonly differs slightly from the Gaussian distribution. The distribution is typically split into two components: a predominant Gaussian distribution and an ...

BACKGROUND:The measurement of head circumference (HC) at birth reflects intrauterine brain development. HC charts currently used in Canada are either dated, mixed-gender, nonrepresentative of lower gestational ages (GAs), or reflective of other populations.METHODS:To create both birth weight and HC curves, we combined weight and HC data from the Canadian Neonatal ...

OBJECTIVE: To determine the role of viral infections in causing fetal and infant death. STUDY DESIGN: We assessed a well-validated population database of fetal (≥20 weeks gestation) and infant death for infective deaths and deaths from viruses over a 21-year period (1988-2008). We analyzed by specific viral cause, timing (late ...

BackgroundLow birth weight (LBW) is associated with increased morbidity and mortality for the newborn and risk of chronic disease in adulthood. Choline plays an essential role in the integrity of cell membranes, methylation reactions and memory development. We examined whether choline, betaine and dimethylglycine (DMG) concentrations were associated with LBW ...

Abstract Objective: To investigate the association between exposure to second stage of labor and duration of second stage, and risk of intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) among infants delivered < 30 weeks of gestation. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study among 158 singleton vertex deliveries (97 vaginal and 61 cesarean). Multivariable ...

The piglet's fetal growth is highly dependant on its placenta, and the newborn piglet birth weight is highly associated with post partum death. However, there is little information available in the literature on the assessment of the placenta in relation to post partum death in piglets. The aim of this ...

The fetal origins hypothesis emphasizes the life-long health impacts of prenatal conditions. Birth weight, birth length, and gestational age are indicators of the fetal environment. However, these variables often have missing data and are subject to random and systematic errors caused by delays in measurement, differences in measurement instruments, and ...

Background:Because environmental insults and genetic factors account for the variance in the risk of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) in very low birth weight (VLBW; birth weight < 1,500 g) preterm infants, the search for BPD biomarkers has begun to focus on the regulators of non-coding RNA such as microRNAs (miRNAs). Therefore, ...

Abstract In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 80 lactating mothers were randomly divided into two groups to receive daily supplement of synbiotic (n = 40) or a placebo (n = 40) for 30 days. Information on dietary intake was collected and anthropometric measurements were taken using standard calibrated instruments. Data analysis was carried out ...

Background:Higher cortical function during sensory processing can be examined by recording specific somatosensory evoked magnetic fields (SEF) with magnetoencephalography (MEG). We evaluated whether, in extremely low gestational age (ELGA) infants, abnormalities in SEFs in MEG at term age are associated with adverse neurodevelopment at two years of corrected age.Methods:SEFs to ...

Endogenous endophthalmitis is a rare but potentially blinding complication of neonatal sepsis. Early diagnosis and aggressive treatment are essential to avoid vision loss. Therapeutic options include systemic and intravitreal antibiotics, as well as vitrectomy in selected cases. We report a series of 6 premature very low birth weight neonates who ...

Background: Dietary dextrose and fructose may promote vascular inflammation and endothelial dysfunction. In certain infant populations, altered postprandial mesenteric hyperemia (PPH) may increase risk for feeding intolerance. Objective: To compare superior mesenteric artery (SMA) PPH following feeds of lactose-containing (LC) formula vs lactose-free (LF; dextrose + sucrose) formula. Methods: In ...

Niemann-Pick type C (NPC; OMIM 257219) disease is a neurodegenerative lysosomal storage disorder characterized by accumulation of unesterified cholesterol in the lysosomal/late endosomal system. This autosomal recessive disorder occurs in approximately 1/150,000 births. The broad clinical spectrum ranges from a prenatal severe presentation to an adult-onset chronic neurodegenerative disease. Data ...

OBJECTIVE: The aims of this study were to evaluate the prevalence and the clinical predictors of dysphagia and to determine the characteristics of videofluoroscopic swallowing study findings in infants after open heart procedures. DESIGN: This study is a retrospective review of 146 infants who underwent open heart surgery. The infants ...

To evaluate the consistency of the Hammersmith Infant Neurological Examination scores of very-low-birth-weight infants at 6 and 12 months of age and its correlation to cranial ultrasonography findings, we designed a prospective study between January 2005 and January 2008, in the tertiary Neonatal Unit of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece. ...

The Breastfeeding, Antiretrovirals, and Nutrition (BAN) Study randomized HIV-infected mothers and their infants to receive either maternal lipid-based nutrient supplements (LNS) during lactation or no LNS and then to 1 of 3 antiretroviral drug (ARV) arms (maternal, infant, or no drugs). Assigned interventions were provided from 0 to 28 wk ...

Fetal growth restriction and abnormal Doppler flow studies are commonly associated. Neonatal outcomes are not well known particularly in developing countries, where the burden of the disease is the highest. To determine outcomes of preterm infants with history of absent/reversed end-diastolic umbilical artery Doppler flow (AREDF) vs. infants with forward ...

We hypothesized that creatine supplementation would reduce birth intervals, stillbirth rate, and preweaning survival in pigs because of its reported improvement of athletic performance in humans. In Exp. 1, gilts (n = 42) and first parity sows (n = 75) were mated at estrus. Beginning on d 110 of gestation, ...

Background: Vitamin A supplementation (VAS) is recommended to prevent bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). Our objective was to evaluate the effect of VAS on vitamin A (VA) status. We hypothesized that VAS would improve VA status in extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infants. Materials and Methods: Retrospective chart review of infants 1 ...

Transepidermal water loss (TEWL) is a simple noninvasive measurement of inside-out skin barrier function. The goal of this research was to establish normal values for TEWL in early life using data gathered from the Cork BASELINE Birth Cohort Study. TEWL was recorded in a standardized fashion using a well-validated open-chamber ...

Piglet birth weight and litter uniformity were studied in sows of different parities and crossbred lines in relation to 1) the weaning-to-pregnancy interval (WPI); and 2) sow body condition changes (in BW and backfat thickness) during lactation and gestation in sows with a short WPI (≤ 7d). At the IPG ...

Infant responses to adult-defined unattractive male body shapes versus attractive male body shapes were assessed using visual preference and habituation procedures. Looking behavior indicated that 9-month-olds have a preference for unattractive male body shapes over attractive ones; however, this preference is demonstrated only when head information is obscured. In contrast, ...

To assess the occurrence of small for gestational age (SGA) infants and perinatal and maternal outcomes in singleton pregnancies with normal and poor maternal weight gain. Pregnant women with normal pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) and attending the antenatal clinic at King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital (KCMH) between 2006 and 2010 ...

BACKGROUND: Many studies have shown a relationship between birth weight discordance and adverse perinatal outcomes. This study aimed to investigate the perinatal risk factors and neonatal complications of discordant twins who are admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit. METHODS: A total of 87 sets of twins were enrolled in ...

To identify risk factors for intestinal perforation in very-low-birth-weight (VLBW) infants with necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). Retrospective case-control study over a 10-year period, using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses to compare all VLBW infants treated for perforated NEC, with two age and weight-matched groups: infants with non-perforated NEC and infants ...

To determine the association between assisted human reproduction and male reproductive disorders in infants conceived by this means. Between January 2008 and December 2011, 15,332 neonates were born in our hospital. We assessed the birth weight, gestational age, and other characteristics of the 7752 male infants and determined the association ...

Adequate nutrition is paramount for premature infants. Longitudinal information is scant on the effects of early nutrition and later growth. The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of early energy and protein provision in premature infants on adolescent body composition and blood pressure. In 2007-2008 we obtained ...