Impact of Delivery Mode on Morbidity in Preterm Infants with Very Low Birth Weights (<1500 Grams)

The mode of delivery and gestational age for very-low-birth-weight (VLBW) preterm infants are not yet well established and are constant topics of debate. Objective: To analyze the impact of delivery mode on morbidity in preterm infants weighing less than 1500 g. Results: Among 21,957 births, 81 were analyzed;53 were delivered vaginally, and 28 were delivered by cesarean section. The median maternal age, gestational age and body mass index among those delivered vaginally and by cesarean section were 20 years and 22.5 years, 27.6 weeks and 30.1 weeks, and 26.0 kg/m2 and 27.8 kg/m2, respectively. With respect to neonatal blood gas parameters, for those born vaginally and by cesarean section, the median pH was 7.32 and 7.24, the pCO2 was 41.5 mmHg and 51.1 mmHg, and the pO2 was 22.3 mmHg and 16 mmHg. The median fetal weight among those born by cesarean section and vaginally were 1180 g and 955 g, respectively. The median Apgar scores at the first and fifth minutes among those born by cesarean section and vaginally were 5.00 and 8.00 and 4.50 and 7.00, respectively. Conclusion: There was no significant difference between the results of vaginal and cesarean delivery for VLBW infants. Thus, further studies on this subject are needed.

Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia in Premature Infants with Very Low Birth Weight: A Single Centre Retrospective Study in China

To investigate bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) and its treatment with dexamethasone (DEX) in premature infants with birth weight (BW) < 1500 g. We retrospectively reviewed the records of preterm infants admitted to the Division of Neonatology, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University between September 2011 and December 2014. Patients were excluded if they needed oxygen therapy but were lost to follow-up at ≤36 weeks post-menstrual age (PMA) or <56 days after birth, or they had severe congenital anomalies. The incidence of BPD was 18% (37/212). Gestational age (GA) was <32 weeks in all BPD patients. GA, BW, and Apgar scores were lower and hospitalization duration and pulmonary surfactant (PS) use were higher in the BPD group than in the non-BPD group (P < 0.05). Risk factors for BPD included neonatal respiratory distress syndrome, neonatal pneumonia, positive sputum culture, pulmonary hemorrhage, respiratory failure. Multivariate logistic regression revealed that GA (odds ratio [OR]: 0.479, P = 0.004) and neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (OR: 6.146, P = 0.043) were independent risk factors for BPD. DEX was administered to 26 patients after the diagnosis of BPD. After one and two weeks of DEX treatment, the oxygen requirement had significantly reduced compared to the week prior to treatment (P < 0.05), while during treatment, the weight gain rate and weight gain efficiency slower significantly than that during either of the two preceding weeks (P < 0.001). These results suggest that low GA was the most important risk factor for BPD, DEX reduced oxygen dependency but decreased weight gain.

Application of prolonging small feeding volumes early in life to prevent of necrotizing enterocolitis in very low birth weight preterm infants

Objective:To study the effects of prolonging small feeding volumes early in life on the incidence of necrotizing enterocolitis(NEC)in very low birth weight(VLBW)preterm infants.Methods:A total of 128 VLBW infants who could not be breastfed were assigned into the experimental group(63 cases)and the control group(65 cases)using a random number table.The experiment group was fed 12 mL/(kg·d)on day 1 which was increased to 24 mL/(kg·d)for the first 10 study days.The control group was fed 12 mL/(kg·d)for the first 14e48 hours.Then,the feeding volume increased by 24-36 mL/(kg·d)up to 140e160 mL/(kg·d)and maintained until the 10th day after birth.The incidence of feeding intolerance and NEC,duration of hospitalization,time to full enteral feedings,incidence of intrahepatic cholestasis,and the levels of gastrin and motilin in serum were assessed.Results:The incidence of feeding intolerance was significantly lower in the experimental group compared with the control group(15.87% vs.33.84%).There was a significant reduction in the incidence of NEC between the experimental and control groups(7.9% vs.16% in the control group).Conclusion:A protocol that prolongs small feeding volumes early in life can reduce the incidence and severity of NEC,but still warrants further study.

Neurally adjusted ventilator assist in very low birth weight infants:Current status

Continuous improvements in perinatal care have resultedin increased survival of premature infants.Their immature lungs are prone to injury with mechanical ventilation and this may develop into chronic lung disease(CLD) or bronchopulmonary dysplasia.Strategies to minimize the risk of lung injury have been developed and include improved antenatal management(education,regionalization,steroids,and antibiotics),exogenous surfactant administration and reduction of barotrauma by using exclusive or early noninvasive ventilatory support.The most frequently used mode of assisted ventilation is pressure support ventilation that may lead to patientventilator asynchrony that is associated with poor outcome.Ventilator-induced diaphragmatic dysfunction or disuse atrophy of diaphragm fibers may also occur.This has led to the development of new ventilation modes including neurally adjusted ventilatory assist(NAVA).This ventilation mode is controlled by electrodes embedded within a nasogastric catheter which detect the electrical diaphragmatic activity(Edi) and transmit it to trigger the ventilator in synchrony with the patient's own respiratory efforts.This permits the patient to control peak inspiratory pressure,mean airway pressure and tidal volume.Back up pressure control(PC) is provided when there is no Edi signal and no pneumatic trigger.Compared with standard conventional ventilation,NAVA improves blood gas regulation with lower peak inspiratory pressure and oxygen requirements in preterm infants.NAVA is safe mode of ventilation.The majority of studies have shown no significant adverse events in neonates ventilated with NAVA nor a difference in the rate of intraventricular hemorrhage,pneumothorax,or necrotizing enterocolitis when compared to conventional ventilation.Future large size randomized controlled trials should be established to compare NAVA with volume targeted and pressure controlled ventilation in newborns with mature respiratory drive.Most previous studies and trials were not sufficiently large and did not include longterm patient oriented outcomes.Multicenter,randomized,outcome trials are needed to determine whether NAVA is effective in avoiding intubation,facilitating extubation,decreasing time of ventilation,reducing the incidence ofCLD,decreasing length of stay,and improving long-term outcomes such as the duration of ventilation,length of hospital stay,rate of pneumothorax,CLD and other major complications of prematurity.In order to prevent barotrauma,next generations of NAVA equipment for neonatal use should enable automatic setting of ventilator parameters in the backup PC mode based on the values generated by NAVA.They should also include an upper limit to the inspiratory time as in conventional ventilation.The manufacturers of Edi catheters should produce smaller sizes available for extreme low birth weight infants.Newly developed ventilators should also include leak compensation and high frequency ventilation.A peripheral flow sensor is also essential to the proper delivery of all modes of conventional ventilation as well as NAVA.

Study on the Relationship between Nursing Staffing and Nosocomial Infection in Very Low Birth Weight Infants

Background: At present, there is no domestic research on the relationship between nurse staffing and hospital infection in very low birth weight infants. In this paper, we will explore the relationship between nurses of very low birth weight (VLBW) infants in neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and nosocomial infections. Methods: The clinical data of 280 very low birth weight infants born in our hospital from January 2010 to January 2020 were collected, and the chi-square test and multiple logistic regression analysis were used to study the nursing staff of each very low birth weight infant who was admitted to the NICU The relationship between the number of infections and hospital infections. Results: On average, each nurse needs to care for 4.3 very low birth weight infants (lowest to highest: 2.50 - 8.42). In the univariate analysis, the higher the incidence of urinary tract infection (P < 0.05), the multivariate logistic regression analysis of neonatal nosocomial infection showed that nurse staffing was significantly related to the incidence of urinary tract infection (OR = 1.78;95% confidence interval, 1.17 - 2.35, P < 0.05). However, there was no significant correlation between nurse staffing and bloodstream infection (OR = 0.91;95% confidence interval, 0.74 - 1.06, P > 0.05) or Ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP) infection (OR = 1.17;95% confidence interval, 0.94 - 1.47, P > 0.05). Conclusion: Our research shows that in the neonatal intensive care unit, the reasonable deployment of nursing staff is an important factor in preventing urinary tract infections in very low birth weight infants. It is important for improving the survival rate of very low birth weight infants and reducing the occurrence of sequelae.

Prevention of peripherally inserted central catheter-related infections in very low-birthweight infants by using a central line bundle guideline with a standard checklist

Objective:To investigate the effectiveness and feasibility of using a central line bundle(CLB)guideline with a standard checklist in the prevention of peripherally inserted central catheter(PICC)-related infections(CRIs)in very low-birth-weight infants(VLBWIs).Methods:Fifty-seven VLBWIs who underwent PICC insertion at a hospital in Qingdao,China,between November 2012 and June 2013,were monitored with the CLB guideline and a standard checklist.Fifty-three VLBWIs who underwent PICC insertion were monitored by standard hospital procedures.The incidence of CRIs was compared between the two groups.Results:The incidence of infection significantly decreased from 10.0%catheter days in the control group to 2.2%catheter days in the study group(p<0.05).The indwelling catheter time significantly increased in the study group compared to the control group(31.9±15.0days vs.24.8±7.4 days,respectively,p<0.05).Colonization infections also decreased from 6.9% catheter days in the control group to 2.2%catheter days in the study group(p<0.05).The incidence of catheter-related bloodstream infections decreased from 3.1%catheter days in the control group to 0%catheter days in the study group.Conclusion:The use of a CLB guideline with a standard checklist could be an effective and feasible protocol for preventing CRIs and prolonging indwelling catheter timein VLBWIs.

Effect of Aggressive Early High-Dose Intravenous Amino Acid Infusion and Early Trophic Enteral Nutrition on Very Low Birth Weight Infants

Objective: Very-low-birth-weight (VLBW) preterm infants are at risk of growth delay if they do not receive adequate nutritional support. This study evaluated the effect of aggressive early high-dose amino acid infusion plus early enteral trophic feeding on growth in VLBW infants within the first day of life. Study Design: The effect of a high-dose 3 g amino acid (HAA)/kg/d regimen beginning on the first day of life was compared with that of low-dose amino acid (LAA) supplementation at a dose of 0.5 or 1.0 g/kg/d. The primary outcome measures were the days of regained birth weight and achieved full enteral feeding. Result: Compared with the 19 infants in the LAA group, the 17 infants in the HAA group achieved significantly earlier full enteral feeding (7.8 ± 3.6 vs. 15.2 ± 8.9, p = 0.003) and regained birth weight (13.3 ± 3.8 vs. 17.5 ± 7.9, p = 0.047). In addition, shorter parenteral nutrition time was achieved by HAA administration (p Conclusion: Aggressive early simultaneous amino acid administration plus enteral feeding during the first few days of life for preterm infants was associated with improved weight gain and earlier full enteral feeding.

A Clinical Analysis of Physical and Neurological Development in very Low Birth Weight Infants with MEIR(Massage,Exercises,Intelligence training,and Rehabilitation training)

Objective:This study aimed to investigate the application of MEIR(Massage,Exercises,Intelligence training,and Rehabilitation training)in Chinese VLBW infants and to observe its effects on infants’growth and deve1opment.Methods:Clinical data of 92 VLBW infants who were treated at the neonatal intensive care unit(NICU)of Loudi Centra1 Hospital were retrospectively analyzed.The patients were grouped as the MEIRgroup(n=47)and controls(n=45).Physical and neurodevelopment deve1opment were compared between the two groups.Results:There were differences in height and weight and head circumference between the two groups at all corrected ages(all P<0.05).Abnormal motions,reflexes,muscular tension,audio-visual reactions,and posture,and the total numbers of abnormalities of 3-,6-,9-and 12-corrected month-old infants in the MElRgroup were 1ower than in the control group(all P<0.05).The mental development index and psychomotor development index of 6-and 12-corrected month infants in the MEIR group were higher than in the control group(all P<0.05).Conclusion:MEIR could improve the physical and neurological developments of VLBW infants,reduce the incidence of adverse events,and improve their growth and development.

Neonatal Nutrition and Later Outcomes of Very Low Birth Weight and Preterm Infants <32 Gestational Age at a Tertiary Care Hospital of Portugal

Premature infants, especially those born with less than 1500 g, often exhibit slow overall growth. Lack of early nutritional support is an important element. The present authors describe parenteral nutritional practices in a tertiary hospital and evaluate postnatal growth of preterm infants under 32 weeks of gestational age or with a birth weight < 1500 g. For population study, we examined 431 newborn files. Their median gestational age was 29.7 weeks. Of them, 25.4% were small for gestational age (SGA). 77.5% received parenteral nutrition (PN), 54.5% of which was provided on the first day. The average time was 14.7 days. The average weight gain by the 30th day was 425 g. At discharge, 37% were rd month 20% had their weight under P3, decreasing to 10% by the 12th month. Children who initiated PN in the first 24 hours of life had significantly better weight on the 30th day of their life (p th month of corrected age (p = 0.038). And they had better Body Mass Index (BMI) in the 3rd (p = 0.012) and 12th (p = 0.023) months. Despite better feeding practices, there is still significant failure in post natal growth. Early introduction of PN was associated with an improved weight gain, which suggests that nutrition that included amino acids may be critical during the first 24 hours of life.

Associated Factors to Immunization Timeliness and Completion in Preterm and Low Birth Weight Infants at Essos Hospital Center Yaounde

Introduction: Vaccination is very often delayed in premature and low birth weight infants. However, timely vaccination is even more important in this population because of their increased susceptibility to infection. Objective: To assess immunization practice and factors associated with vaccine promptness and completeness in former preterm and low-birth-weight infants. Methods: We conducted a retrospective analytical cross-sectional study (January 2017 to February 2019). Main Measurement: Promptness and completeness at each contact, Statistical analysis was performed using R software version 3.6.2, logistic regression was used to estimate the Odds Ratio (OR) and their 95% Confidence Interval (CI). Results: We recruited 310 children aged 12 to 36 months born before 37 weeks with low birth weight, 163 (52.6%) of whom were female. Two hundred and fifty-three had received the vaccines at the indicated age, with promptness rate of 81.6%, and 97.7% had completed routine immunization at 9 months. The mean age at vaccination initiation was 6 days ± 11 and the mean weight at vaccination initiation was 2233 g ± 494. High prematurity and very low birth weight were associated with a high rate of vaccine delay: 61.5% [OR: 15.56;(CI: 3.22 - 118.52;p = 0.002)] and 66.7% [OR: 19.19;(CI: 4.67 - 92.52;p < 0.001)] respectively. Distance > 5 km with EHC [OR: 3.48;(CI: 1.68 - 7.47;p = 0.001)] was associated with poor vaccination. Women in common-law unions had the lowest vaccine readiness rate (60.6%), (OR: 3.36;CI: 1.006 - 10.70;p = 0.038). The frequency of occurrence of post immunization adverse events was 24.5%, with fever type in 94.7%. Conclusion: Almost all premature and/or low-birth-weight children hospitalized at Essos Hospital Center had completed routine immunization at 9 months, and the majority had received the vaccines in a timely manner. Similar study is needed in rural area.

Rescue case of low birth weight infant with acute hepatic failure

We report a case involving a rescued low birth weight infant(LBWI) with acute liver failure. Case: The patient was 1594 g and 32^(3/7) gestational wk at birth. At the age of 11 d, she developed acute liver failure due to gestational alloimmune liver disease. Exchange transfusion and high-dose gamma globulin therapy were initiated, and body weight increased with enteral nutrition. Exchange transfusion was performed a total of 33 times prior to living donor liver transplantation(LDLT). Her liver dysfunction could not be treated by medications alone. At 55 d old and a body weight of 2946 g, she underwent LDLT using an S2 monosegment graft from her mother. Three years have passed with no reports of intellectual disability or liver dysfunction. LBWIs with acute liver failure may be rescued by LDLT after body weight has increased to over 2500 g.

Cut-Off Points of Head, Chest, and Arm Circumferences to Identify Low Birthweight: Meta-Analysis

Background: The cut-off points of newborn anthropometric variables to identify low birthweight (i.e., birthweight Methods: Meta-analysis was performed to summarize cut-off points in studies judged as good quality based on the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies tool (QUADAS). PubMed (MEDLINE) and nine other databases were searched (January, 2015). PubMed related-citations and references of potentially eligible articles and related reviews were also investigated. The Egger test was used to assess publication bias. Results: With respect to head, chest, and arm circumferences, the cut-off points that involved no publication bias could be summarized based on the data from large numbers of newborns (=21,793, 8917, and 12,912, respectively) in relatively sufficient numbers of studies (=17, 15, and 19, respectively). The optimal cut-off points to identify low birthweight were 33.0 cm (95% confidence interval [CI], 32.8 - 33.2), 30.4 cm (95% CI, 30.3 - 30.6), and 9.3 cm (95% CI, 9.1 - 9.4) for head circumference, chest circumference, and arm circumference, respectively. The summarized cut-off point of birth height, i.e., 47.2 cm (95% CI, 46.7 - 47.7), used to identify low birthweight involved publication bias (n = 13). Conclusion: The cut-off points were determined to identify low birthweight using head, chest, and arm circumferences.

Gut microbiota in preterm infants receiving breast milk or mixed feeding

BACKGROUND Preterm birth is the leading cause of mortality in newborns,with very-low-birthweight infants usually experiencing several complications.Breast milk is considered the gold standard of nutrition,especially for preterm infants with delayed gut colonization,because it contains beneficial microorganisms,such as Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria.AIM To analyze the gut microbiota of breastfed preterm infants with a birth weight of 1500 g or less.METHODS An observational study was performed on preterm infants with up to 36.6 wk of gestation and a birth weight of 1500 g or less,born at the University Hospital Dr.JoséEleuterio González at Monterrey,Mexico.A total of 40 preterm neonates were classified into breast milk feeding(BM)and mixed feeding(MF)groups(21 in the BM group and 19 in the MF group),from October 2017 to June 2019.Fecal samples were collected before they were introduced to any feeding type.After full enteral feeding was achieved,the composition of the gut microbiota was analyzed using 16S rRNA gene sequencing.Numerical variables were compared using Student’s t-test or using the Mann–Whitney U test for nonparametric variables.Dominance,evenness,equitability,Margalef’s index,Fisher’s alpha,Chao-1 index,and Shannon’s diversity index were also calculated.RESULTS No significant differences were observed at the genus level between the groups.Class comparison indicated higher counts of Alphaproteobacteria and Betaproteobacteria in the initial compared to the final sample of the BM group(P<0.011).In addition,higher counts of Gammaproteobacteria were detected in the final than in the initial sample(P=0.040).According to the Margalef index,Fisher’s alpha,and Chao-1 index,a decrease in species richness from the initial to the final sample,regardless of the feeding type,was observed(P<0.050).The four predominant phyla were Bacteroidetes,Actinobacteria,Firmicutes,and Proteobacteria,with Proteobacteria being the most abundant.However,no significant differences were observed between the initial and final samples at the phylum level.CONCLUSION Breastfeeding is associated with a decrease in Alphaproteobacteria and Betaproteobacteria and an increase of Gammaproteobacteria,contributing to the literature of the gut microbiota structure of very low-birth-weight,preterm.

Delivery room resuscitation and short-term outcomes of extremely preterm and extremely low birth weight infants: a multicenter survey in North China

Background:Delivery room resuscitation assists preterm infants,especially extremely preterm infants(EPI)and extremely low birth weight infants(ELBWI),in breathing support,while it potentially exerts a negative impact on the lungs and outcomes of preterm infants.This study aimed to assess delivery room resuscitation and discharge outcomes of EPI and ELBWI in China.Methods:The clinical data of EPI(gestational age[GA]<28 weeks)and ELBWI(birth weight[BW]<1000 g),admitted within 72 h of birth in 33 neonatal intensive care units from five provinces and cities in North China between 2017 and 2018,were analyzed.The primary outcomes were delivery room resuscitation and risk factors for delivery room intubation(DRI).The secondary outcomes were survival rates,incidence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia(BPD),and risk factors for BPD.Results:A cohort of 952 preterm infants were enrolled.The incidence of DRI,chest compressions,and administration of epinephrine was 55.9%(532/952),12.5%(119/952),and 7.0%(67/952),respectively.Multivariate analysis revealed that the risk factors for DRI were GA<28 weeks(odds ratio[OR],3.147;95%confidence interval[CI],2.082–4.755),BW<1000 g(OR,2.240;95%CI,1.606–3.125),and antepartum infection(OR,1.429;95%CI,1.044–1.956).The survival rate was 65.9%(627/952)and was dependent on GA.The rate of BPD was 29.3%(181/627).Multivariate analysis showed that the risk factors for BPD were male(OR,1.603;95% CI,1.061–2.424),DRI(OR,2.094;95% CI,1.328–3.303),respiratory distress syndrome exposed to≥2 doses of pulmonary surfactants(PS;OR,2.700;95%CI,1.679–4.343),and mechanical ventilation≥7 days(OR,4.358;95% CI,2.777–6.837).However,a larger BW(OR,0.998;95% CI,0.996–0.999),antenatal steroid(OR,0.577;95%CI,0.379–0.880),and PS use in the delivery room(OR,0.273;95%CI,0.160–0.467)were preventive factors for BPD(all P<0.05).Conclusion:Improving delivery room resuscitation and management of respiratory complications are imperative during early management of the health of EPI and ELBWI.

Fish oil-containing lipid emulsions prevention on parenteral nutrition-associated cholestasis in very low birth weight infants:a meta-analysis

Background The effect of fish oil-containing lipid emulsions on preventing parenteral nutrition-associated cholestasis(PNAC)in very low birth weight(VLBW)infants is not known.Thus,we conducted a meta-analysis to identify any preven-tion effect.Methods PubMed,EMBASE,and CENTRAL were searched up to 26 January 2021 for studies related to the preventive effect of fish oil-containing lipid emulsions and fish oil-free lipid emulsions on cholestasis in VLBW infants.Revman 5.3 was used to synthesize the results.A fixed-effect model was used to summarize the data when the heterogeneity was non-significant(I2<50%),and a random-effects model was used when the heterogeneity was significant(I2>50%).Results Of 728 articles,11 randomized controlled trials met the inclusion criteria.The meta-analysis indicated that fish oil-containing lipid emulsion reduced the occurrence of PNAC significantly with risk ratio(RR)=0.53,95%confidence interval(CI)0.36-0.80,P=0.002.The heterogeneity was non-significant with I2=23%.Subgroup analysis based on par-enteral nutrition duration and median birth weight was performed.The synthesis results for patients with parenteral nutri-tion duration exceeding 14 days revealed I2=35%(P=0.15)and pooled RR=0.47,95%CI 0.30-0.73,P=0.0008;and for patients with duration less than 14 days revealed I2=0%(P=0.72)and pooled RR=1.14,95%CI 0.39-3.35,P=0.81.The synthesis for patients with birth weight more than 1000 g revealed I2=0%(P=0.41)and pooled RR=0.55,95%CI 0.26-1.18,P=0.12;and for patients with birth weight below 1000 g revealed I2=44%(P=0.11)and pooled RR=0.53,95%CI 0.33-0.85,P=0.009.Conclusions The fish oil-containing lipid emulsion can reduce the occurrence of PNAC in VLBW infants based on the avail-able original randomized controlled trial studies,especially for patients with parenteral nutrition duration exceeding 14 days and extremely low birth weight infants.Future studies should be performed before a definitive conclusion can be established.

Mortality and Morbidity of Extremely Low Birth Weight Infants in the Mainland of China： A Multi-center Study

Background： With the progress ofperinatal medicine and neonatal technology, more and more extremely low birth weight （ELBW） survived all over the world. This study was designed to investigate the short-term ontcomes of ELBW infants during their Neonatal Intensive Care Unit （NICU） stay in the mainland of China. Methods： All infants admitted to 26 NICUs with a birth weight （BW） 〈1000 g were included between January 1,2011 and December 31,2011. All the data were collected retrospectively from clinical records by a prospectively designed questionnaire. The data collected from each NICU transmitted to the main institution where the results were aggregated and analyzed. Categorical variables were performed with Pearson Chi-square test. Binary Logistic regression analysis was used to detect risk factors. Results： A total of 258 ELBW infants were admitted to 26 NICUs, of whom the mean gestational age （GA） was 28.1 ± 2.2 weeks, and the mean BW was 868 ± 97 g. The overall survival rate at discharge was 50.0%. Despite aggressive treatment 60 infants （23.3%） died and another 69 infants （26.7%） died after medical care withdrawal. Furthermore, the survival rate was significantly higher in coastal areas than inland areas （53.6% vs. 35.3%, P = 0.019）. BW 〈750 g and GA 〈28 weeks were the largest risk factors, and being small for gestational age was a protective factor related to mortality. Respiratory distress syndrome was the most common complication. The incidence of patent ductus arteriosus, intraventricular hemorrhage, periventricular leukomalacia, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, retinopathy of prematurity was 26.2%, 33.7%, 6.7%, 48.1%, and 41.4%, respectively. Ventilator associated pneumonia was the most common hospital acquired infection during hospitalization. Conclusions： Our study was the first survey that revealed the present status of ELBW infants in the mainland of China. The mortality and morbidity of ELBW infants remained high as compared to other developed countries.

Respiratory management of extremely low birth weight infants: survey of neonatal specialists

Background:To investigate strategies used for the management of respiratory distress syndrome(RDS)and bronchopulmonary dysplasia(BPD)in extremely low birth weight(ELBW)infants.Methods:A survey of neonatal specialists working in US academic institutions with fellowship training programs.Results:Eighty percent(72/89)of the identifi ed academic institutions had at least one physician who responded to the survey.Among respondents,85%(171/201)agreed or strongly agreed to use continuous positive airway pressure(CPAP)initially for the management of RDS,and the majority agreed or strongly agreed to use a fraction of inspired oxygen(FiO2)≥0.4 and a mean airway pressure(MAP)≥10 cm H2O as a criteria for surfactant therapy;and 73%(146/200)sometimes or always used caffeine to prevent BPD.Only 25%(50/202)sometimes or almost always used steroids to prevent or treat BPD.Identified indications to use steroids were 3 or more extubation failures or inability to extubate beyond 8 weeks of age.Conclusions:Variability in treatment strategies of ELBW is common among neonatal specialists.However,the majority of the respondents agreed or strongly agreed to use early CPAP for the management of RDS,consider a FiO2≥0.4 and a MAP≥10 cm H2O as criteria for surfactant therapy,and sometimes or almost always used caffeine to prevent BPD.Steroids continue to have a role in the management of BPD in infants who are diffi cult to extubate.

Neurodevelopmental in Relation to Breastfeeding–Experiences among Hungarian Preterm Infants at 12 Months of Corrected Age:Empirical Study

Preterm and low birth weight infants are at higher risk of neurodevelopmental outcomes;breastfeeding offers sev-eral beneficial aspects for them.This study aimed to describe the average neurodevelopmental outcomes of pre-term infants and examine the associations between neurodevelopment and breastfeeding among Hungarian preterm infants at 12 months of corrected age.154 preterm infants with low birth weight(<2500 g)and their mothers were participated in this study.Bayley-III Screening Test(Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Develop-ment Screening Test,Third Edition)was administered to measure the cognitive,language and motor skills of infants;breastfeeding data was obtained through parental anamnesis.To analyze data,independent sample t-test or the Welch t-test,Mann-Whitney tests,Chi-square tests of independence and Spearman’s rank correlation test were used to.Concerning the risk of developmental delay,Receptive and Expressive language and Fine motor subscales were the lowest.Examination of the associations between breastfeeding and neurodevelopmental per-formance identified significantly higher cognitive(U=2047.5;P=0.023)andfine motor(U=2096.0;P=0.037)skills in infants who were breastfed.We found significant positive correlations between the duration of breastfeeding and cognitive,expressive language andfine motor skills.The study draws the attention to the importance of breastfeeding and early screening.Further research is required to examine the casual relationship between neurodevelopmental outcomes and breastfeeding.

出生缺陷与出生体重、胎龄的相关性

目的分析不同出生体重及胎龄围产儿的出生缺陷发生率,为进一步完善出生缺陷监测系统和降低出生缺陷发生率提供新的科学依据。方法对2003年10月1日至2015年9月30日西安市各级开设产科的医疗保健机构出生的孕28周~生后7 d所有围产儿进行出生缺陷监测并收集相关资料。结果2003至2015年共监测围产儿1236937例,其中出生缺陷儿10619例,出生缺陷发生率为8.59‰。2003至2015年西安市出生缺陷医院监测系统共收集出生体重<2500 g出生缺陷患儿3306例,出生孕周≥28周且<37周的出生缺陷患儿3473例,出生孕周≥42周的出生缺陷患儿共224例。2003至2015年低出生体重儿出生缺陷率显著高于正常体重儿(χ^(2)=37097.79,P<0.001)。2003至2015年早产儿(<37周)出生缺陷率显著高于正常产期儿(χ^(2)=24998.24,P<0.001),过期产儿出生缺陷率(≥42周)显著高于正常产期儿(χ^(2)=196.40,P<0.001)。低体重儿出生缺陷常见缺陷类型前5位依次是先天性脑积水、脊柱裂、先天性心脏病、无脑畸形、唇裂合并腭裂。正常体重儿出生缺陷出生结局以活产为主(占68.60%),而低体重儿出生缺陷出生结局以死胎为主(占54.72%),低体重儿出生缺陷与正常体重儿出生缺陷出生结局比较,差异有统计学意义(χ^(2)=647.59,P<0.001)。正常产期儿出生缺陷出生结局以活产为主(占77.38%),过期产儿出生缺陷出生结局以活产为主(占83.93%),而早产儿出生缺陷出生结局以死胎为主(占57.79%)。早产儿与正常产期儿出生缺陷出生结局比较,差异有统计学意义(χ^(2)=2025.08,P<0.001),早产儿与过期产儿出生缺陷出生结局比较,差异有统计学意义(χ^(2)=245.39,P<0.001),正常产期儿与过期产儿出生缺陷出生结局比较差异有统计学意义(χ^(2)=16.28,P=0.001)。结论早产儿、低出生体重儿及过期产儿出生缺陷发生率显著高于正常产期儿,低体重儿与正常体重儿、早产儿与正常产期儿、早产儿与过期产儿、正常产期儿与过期产儿出生缺陷出生结局比较,差异均有统计学意义。

Longitudinal Evaluation Nocturnal Sleep Behaviors of Healthy and Well Developed Children Born Prematurely

The aim of the study is to examine nocturnal sleep measures of healthy and well developed pre-term infants by birth weight when they were averaged 15 corrected months and became elementary school children. Sleep measures were collected by actigraphs (Micro-mini RC, Ambulatory Monitoring Inc., New York, USA). Nocturnal sleep quality of children born as extremely low birth weight (ELBW) was significantly inferior with that of children born as very low birth weight (VLBW) at 15 corrected months [number of night waking: 6.0 (4.5 - 8.0), ELBW 8.5 (7.0 - 10.3) (Z = 2.47, p < 0.01), wake after sleep onset: VLBW 99.0 (73.0 - 115.0) min, ELBW 146.5 (94.8 - 171.3) min (Z = 2.89, p < 0.01)]. However, these measures did not show any significant differences by birth weight at second data collection period [number of night waking: VLBW 0.0 (0.0-1.0), ELBW 1.0 (0.0 - 2.5) (Z = —0.62, n.s.), wake after sleep onset: VLBW 16.0 (8.0 - 27.0) min, ELBW 15.0 (6.0 - 32.5) min (Z = 0.00, n.s.)]. It was assumed that nocturnal measures were affected by the birth weight at the age of 15 corrected months in ELBW infants, but could not predict the future sleep problems at this point.