Search

Congenital myopathies, such as nemaline myopathy, may present with hypotonia and respiratory failure in the neonatal period. Respiratory function can be further compromised in affected infants by the development of chylous effusions. We present the case of a preterm male infant born at 326/7 weeks' gestation, who was profoundly hypotonic and required intubation at birth. His clinical course progressed from acute to chronic respiratory failure with mechanical ventilation dependence. He developed bilateral chylous pleural effusions during the newborn period. Whole exome sequencing identified an ACTA1 gene mutation leading to the presumed diagnosis of nemaline myopathy. This case highlights the need to include congenital myopathies in the differential for a preterm newborn with hypotonia and respiratory failure.

A female infant is delivered at 38 weeks and 3 days to a 32-year-old gravida 2, para 1 woman via a low transverse cesarean section. At delivery, the neonate is noted to have a spontaneous cry, appropriate respiratory effort, and active movement of all extremities; however, her initial heart rate is noted to be 40 beats/min. After drying and stimulation, her oxygen saturation on pulse oximetry is noted to remain at 60% at 3 minutes after birth. Blow-by oxygen is started. Despite this intervention, she develops nasal flaring and subcostal retractions. Facial continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is initiated with positive end-expiratory pressure of 5 mm Hg and then the infant is transitioned to nasal CPAP. Oxygen concentration is titrated to 100% and oxygen saturations on pulse oximetry increase to greater than 90%. Her work of breathing normalizes. Apgar scores are noted to be 6 and 8 at 1 and 5 minutes, respectively. Despite effective ventilation and oxygen saturations, the infant’s heart rate remains between 40 and 50 beats/min. A 12-lead electrocardiogram is obtained, which confirms the diagnosis (Fig 1). Figure 1. Electrocardiogram of patient obtained on date of birth. ### Diagnosis This infant’s presentation was concerning for a cardiac anomaly, given the intractable bradycardia despite adequate respiratory support, and oxygen saturations. Electrocardiographic findings were consistent with complete heart block (congenital atrioventricular block, third degree). She began receiving an isoproterenol infusion starting at 0.15 μg/kg per minute to increase ventricular rate. On day 1 after birth, isoproterenol was discontinued to obtain baseline hemodynamics and heart …

Objective To compare the risk of in-hospital mortality and morbidity between outborn and inborn neonates treated with whole body hypothermia. Methods The association of outborn birth status with in-hospital mortality and morbidity, prior to NICU discharge or transfer, was assessed in a large historical cohort of neonates who had therapeutic hypothermia initiated on the day of birth. The cohort was restricted to neonates born at ≥35 weeks gestational age from 2007 to 2018. Since the sample was non-random, inverse probability weighting (IPW) derived from propensity scores was used to reduce imbalance in baseline maternal and neonatal characteristics between outborn and inborn neonates. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to assess the association between outborn status and in-hospital mortality. Results There were 4447 neonates included in the study (2463 outborn). Outborn status was not significantly associated with an increased risk of in-hospital mortality in the unadjusted cohort (HR = 1.17, 95% CI 0.97–1.42, p = 0.10) or IPW cohort (HR = 1.09, 95% CI 0.95–1.26, p = 0.22). However, in the IPW cohort, outborn neonates were significantly more likely to have seizures (28% vs 24%, p = 0.006), anticonvulsant exposure (46% vs 41%, p = 0.002), and gastrostomy tube placement (5.8% vs 3.8%, p = 0.009) during their newborn hospitalization. Conclusion Outborn status was not significantly associated with increased in-hospital mortality among neonates treated with whole body hypothermia. However, outborn neonates were more likely to have seizures, receive anticonvulsant treatment, and undergo gastrostomy tube placement. Further study is needed to better understand the etiologies of these outcome disparities and potential implications for long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes.

Extravasation or vascular erosion into the retroperitoneum is a rare complication of central venous lines in the neonate. We present a case of a premature infant with a history of stage III necrotizing enterocolitis and deep vein thrombus who experienced an acute deterioration while advancing on enteral nutrition post-operatively. Imaging revealed a large retroperitoneal fluid collection accompanied by hydronephrosis. The underlying cause was extravasation of parenteral nutrition from a lower extremity peripherally inserted central catheter. Lower extremity venous catheters, including peripherally inserted central cathers, carry a risk of complications. Whether abdominal surgery and venous thrombosis increases the risk of vascular erosion is an area for future investigation.

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text., Introduction: Infants in neonatal intensive care units require painful and noxious stimuli as part of their care. Judicious use of analgesic medications, including opioids, is necessary. However, these medications have long- and short-term side effects, including potential neurotoxicity. This quality improvement project’s primary aim was to decrease opioid exposure by 33% in the first 14 days of life for infants less than 1,250 g at birth within 12 months. Methods: A multidisciplinary care team used Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control methodology to identify root causes of the quality gap including: (1) inconsistent reporting of objective pain scales; (2) variable provider prescribing patterns; and (3) variable provider bedside assessment of pain. These root causes were addressed by two interventions: (1) standardized reporting of the premature infant pain profile scores and (2) implementation of an analgesia management pathway. Results: Mean opioid exposure, measured in morphine equivalents, in infants less than 1,250 g at birth during their first 14 days of life decreased from 0.64 mg/kg/d (95% confidence interval 0.41–0.87) at baseline to 0.08 mg/kg/d (95% confidence interval 0.03–0.13) during the postintervention period (P < 0.001). There was no statistical difference in rates of days to full feedings, unintentional extubations, or central line removals between epochs. Conclusions: Following the implementation of consistent pain score reporting and an analgesia management pathway, opioid exposure in the first 14 days of life for infants less than 1,250 g was significantly reduced by 88%, exceeding the project aim.

TARP syndrome (talipes equinovarus, atrial septal defect, Robin sequence, and persistent left superior vena cava) is a rare X-linked condition. As more patients are identified through genetic testing, it is increasingly clear that the original TARP acronym does not fully describe the complete phenotypic spectrum of this syndrome. The presented patient had genetically confirmed TARP syndrome and demonstrated new findings of hydronephrosis and hemodynamically significant hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy. The patient also had physical findings common with previously reported individuals with TARP syndrome in the literature but not described by the TARP acronym. These features include central nervous system dysfunction, renal abnormalities, cardiac lesions other than atrial septal defect or persistent left superior vena cava, and distal limb defects other than talipes equinovarus. By adding to the known spectrum of the TARP phenotype, this report will aid clinicians as they care for patients with this rare condition.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Infants in NICUs are at risk for underimmunization. Adherence to the routine immunization schedule recommended by the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices minimizes the risk of contracting vaccine-preventable illnesses in this vulnerable population. From January 2015 to June 2017, only 56% (419 of 754) of the infants in our Mayo Clinic level IV NICU were fully up to date for recommended immunizations at the time of discharge or hospital unit transfer. We aimed to increase this rate to 80% within 6 months. METHODS: Using the quality improvement methodology of Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control, we analyzed baseline data, including provider and nursing surveys using a fishbone diagram, the 5 Whys, and a Pareto chart. We identified 3 major root causes of the quality gap: lack of provider knowledge of the routine immunization schedule, failure of providers to order vaccines when due, and hesitancy of parents toward vaccination. Using plan-do-study-act cycles, 5 improvement interventions were implemented. These included an intranet resource for NICU providers on the routine immunization schedule, an Excel-based checklist to track when immunizations were due, and provider education on parental vaccine hesitancy and vaccine safety. RESULTS: During the 19-month improve and control phases of the project, the fully immunized rate at the time of NICU discharge or transfer rose from a baseline of 56% (419 of 754) to 93% (453 of 488), with a P value CONCLUSIONS: Our NICU significantly improved infant immunization rates with a small number of interventions. These interventions may be generalizable to other NICUs with low infant immunization rates.

A four-month-old former premature male is incidentally found to have posterior-lateral rib fractures during evaluation of a febrile illness. This finding led to the initiation of a workup for nonaccidental trauma. A thorough history and physical exam ultimately led to the diagnosis, which was not related to abuse. This case highlights a rare sequela of patent ductus arteriosus repair, cautions medical teams to remain aware of how cognitive bias can affect diagnostic decision-making, and emphasizes the importance of a thorough history, physical exam, and medical record review in cases of suspected nonaccidental trauma.