Early neonatal complications in pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus and the effects of glycemic control on neonatal infection

BACKGROUND Gestational diabetes mellitus(GDM)has become increasingly prevalent globally.Glycemic control in pregnant women with GDM has a critical role in neonatal complications.AIM To analyze the early neonatal complications in GDM,and examine the effect of blood glucose control level on neonatal infection.METHODS The clinical data of 236 pregnant women with GDM and 240 healthy pregnant women and newborns during from March 2020 to December 2021 the same period were retrospectively analyzed,and the early complications in newborns in the two groups were compared.The patients were divided into the conforming glycemic control group(CGC group)and the non-conforming glycemic control group(NCGC group)based on whether glycemic control in the pregnant women with GDM conformed to standards.Baseline data,immune function,infectionrelated markers,and infection rates in neonates were compared between the two groups.RESULTS The incidence of neonatal complications in the 236 neonates in the GDM group was significantly higher than that in the control group(P<0.05).Pregnant women with GDM in the NCGC group(n=178)had significantly higher fasting plasma glucose,2 h postprandial blood glucose and glycated hemoglobin A1C levels than those in the CGC group(n=58)(P<0.05).There were no differences in baseline data between the two groups(P>0.05).Additionally,the NCGC group had significantly decreased peripheral blood CD3^(+),CD4^(+),CD8^(+)T cell ratios,CD4/CD8 ratios and immunoglobulin G in neonates compared with the CGC group(P<0.05),while white blood cells,serum procalcitonin and C-reactive protein levels increased significantly.The neonatal infection rate was also significantly increased in the NCGC group(P<0.05).CONCLUSION The risk of neonatal complications increased in pregnant women with GDM.Poor glycemic control decreased neonatal immune function,and increased the incidence of neonatal infections.

Prognostic value of circulating tumor cells in esophageal cancer

AIM To perform a meta-analysis of the related studies to assess whether circulating tumor cells(CTCs) can be used as a prognostic marker of esophageal cancer.METHODS Pub Med, Embase, Cochrane Library and references in relevant studies were searched to assess the prognostic relevance of CTCs in patients with esophageal cancer. The primary outcome assessed was overall survival(OS). The meta-analysis was performed using the random effects model, with hazard ratio(HR), risk ratio(RR) and 95% confidence intervals(95%CIs) as effect measures.RESULTS Nine eligible studies were included involving a total of 911 esophageal cancer patients. Overall analyses revealed that CTCs-positivity predicted disease progression(HR = 2.77, 95%CI: 1.75-4.40, P < 0.0001) and reduced OS(HR = 2.67, 95%CI: 1.99-3.58, P < 0.00001). Further subgroup analyses demonstrated that CTCs-positive patients also had poor OS in different subsets. Moreover, CTCs-positivity was also significantly associated with TNM stage(RR = 1.48, 95%CI: 1.07-2.06, P = 0.02) and T stage(RR = 1.44, 95%CI: 1.13-1.84, P = 0.003) in esophageal cancer.CONCLUSION Detection of CTCs at baseline indicates poor prognosis in patients with esophageal cancer. However, this finding relies on data from observational studies and is potentially subject to selection bias. Prospective trials are warranted.

Magnesium sulfate and fetal neuroprotection: overview of clinical evidence

Antenatal administration of magnesium sulfate is an important part of the neuroprotective strategy for preterm infants. Strong evidence from five randomized controlled trials and five meta-analyses has demonstrated that magnesium sulfate, when administered before preterm delivery, significantly reduces the risk of cerebral palsy at two years. Through secondary analyses of randomized controlled trials and other original clinical studies, this state-of-the-art review highlights the absence of serious adverse effects in both pregnant women and neonates, as well as the impact of maternal body mass index and preeclamptic status on the maternal and neonatal magnesium levels, which could influence the magnitude of the neuroprotective effect. Although antenatal magnesium sulfate is a cost-effective strategy, some practice surveys have demonstrated that the use of magnesium sulfate is not sufficient and that its use is heterogeneous, differing among different maternity wards. Since 2010, an increasing number of obstetrical societies have recommended its use to improve the neurological outcomes of preterm infants, especially the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics and World Health Organization in 2015, and France in 2017. Considering the neuroprotective impact of magnesium sulfate when administered before delivery, postnatal administration should be considered, and its effects should be assessed using randomized controlled trials.

Treating aplasia cutis congenita in a newborn with the combination of ionic silver dressing and moist exposed burn ointment: A case report

BACKGROUND Aplasia cutis congenita (ACC) in newborns is a condition in which congenital defects or hypoplasia is present in part of the epidermis,dermis and even subcutaneous tissue (including muscle and bones).First reported by Cordon in 1767,ACC is a rare disease with a low incidence of 1/100000 to 3/10000.Currently,there are 500 cases reported worldwide.ACC can be accompanied by other malformations.The onset mechanism of the disease remains unknown but is thought to be correlated to factors such as genetics,narrow uterus,foetal skin and amniotic membrane adhesion,use of teratogenic drugs in early pregnancy and viral infection.CASE SUMMARY In August 2018,we treated a newborn with ACC on the left lower limbs using a combination of ionic silver dressing and moist exposed burn ointment (MEBO) and achieved a satisfactory treatment outcome.The skin defects were observed on the external genitals and on areas from the left foot to 3/4 of the upper left side.Subcutaneous tissue and blood vessels were observed in the regions with skin defects.The following treatments were provided.First,the wound was rinsed with 0.9% sodium chloride solution followed by disinfection with povidone-iodine twice.And then MEBO was applied to the wound at a thickness of approximately 1 mm.After applying ionic silver dressing,the wound was covered with sterile gauze.The wound dressing was replaced every 2-3 d.At the 4-mo follow-up,the treatment outcome was satisfactory.There was minimal scar tissue formation,and limb function was not impaired.CONCLUSION The combination of ionic silver dressing and MEBO to ACC is helpful.

Analysis of In-hospital Neonatal Death in the Tertiary Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in China： A Multicenter Retrospective Study

Background：Globally,the proportion of child deaths that occur in the neonatal period remains a high level of 37-41%.Differences of cause in neonate death exist in different regions as well as in different economic development countries.The specific aim of this study was to investigate the causes,characteristics,and differences of death in neonates during hospitalization in the tertiary Neonatal Intensive Care Unit （NICU） of China.Methods：All the dead neonates admitted to 26 NICUs were included between January 1,2011,and December 31,2011.All the data were collected retrospectively from clinical records by a designed questionnaire.Data collected from each NICU were delivered to the leading institution where the results were analyzed.Results：A total of 744 newborns died during the l-year survey,accounting for 1.2% of all the neonates admitted to 26 NICUs and 37.6% of all the deaths in children under 5 years of age in these hospitals.Preterm neonate death accounted for 59.3% of all the death.The leading causes of death in preterm and term infants were pulmonary disease and infection,respectively.In early neonate period,pulmonary diseases （56.5%） occupied the largest proportion ofpreterm deaths while infection （27%） and neurologic diseases （22%） were the two main causes of term deaths.In late neonate period,infection was the leading cause of both preterm and term neonate deaths.About two-thirds of neonate death occurred after medical care withdrawal.Of the cases who might survive if receiving continuing treatment,parents＇ concern about the long-term outcomes was the main reason of medical care withdrawal.Conclusions：Neonate death still accounts for a high proportion of all the deaths in children under 5 years of age.Our study showed the majority of neonate death occurred in preterm infants.Cause of death varied with the age of death and gestational age.Accurate and prompt evaluation of the long-term outcomes should be carried out to guide the critical decision.

Challenges and improvement in management of neonates born to mothers with COVID-19 in China

Objective:China was the first country suffering from the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and one of the countries with stringent mother-neonate isolation measure implemented.Now increasing evidence suggests that coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)should not be taken as an indication for formula feeding or isolation of the infant from the mother.Methods:We conducted a retrospective cohort study in 44 hospitals from 14 provinces in China to investigate the management of neonates whose mothers have confirmed or suspected COVID-19.In addition,65 members of Chinese Neonatologist Association(CNA)were invited to give their comments and suggestions on the clinical management guidelines for high-risk neonates.Results:There were 121 neonates born to 118 mothers suspected with COVID-19 including 42 mothers with SARS-CoV-2 positive results and 76 mothers with SARS-CoV-2 negative results.All neonates were born by caesarean section,isolated from their mothers immediately after birth and were formula-fed.Five neonates were positive for SARSCoV-2 at initial testing between 36 and 46 h after birth.Regarding the confusion on the clinical management guidelines,58.78%of the newborns were put into isolation,32.22%were subject to PCR tests,and 5.16%and 2.75%received breastfeeding and vaccination,respectively.Conclusion:The clinical symptoms of neonates born to mothers with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 were mild,though five neonates might have been infected in utero or during delivery.Given the favorable outcomes of neonates born to COVID-confirmed mothers,full isolation may not be warranted.Rather,separation of the mother and her newborn should be assessed on a case-by-case basis,considering local facilities and risk factors for adverse outcomes,such as prematurity and fetal distress.

Underweight and Obesity in Low Birth Weight Children in Early Infancy in Japan

Introduction: Although there are several reports on the prevalence of underweight or obesity in low birth weight (LBW, th percentile and ≥90th percentile of the body mass index (BMI), respectively, based on reference values for Japanese children. Results: LBW children had accelerated growth from birth to age 3.5 years, but at Age 5, both sexes had significantly lesser height and weight z-scores, with notably lesser BMI percentile scores for girls, compared with NBW children. The prevalence of underweight was significantly higher in the LBW children throughout the study period. There were no significant differences in the prevalence of obesity between the two groups, except for at birth. Multiple regression analysis revealed that small-for-gestational age was associated with underweight at Age 5 years. Conclusions: This study indicates that, up to Age 5, underweight is a more serious problem than obesity in LBW children. Our results suggest that careful observation of growth from early infancy is necessary to prevent the occurrence of underweight in early infancy.

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.