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Background: Unplanned extubations (UEs) continue to be one of the most common adverse events in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Management of endotracheal tubes (ETTs) can be particularly challenging in neonates due to the unique needs and physical characteristics of this patient population. Purpose: The purpose of this quality improvement project was to decrease the rate of UEs from 0.76 to less than 0.5 per 100 ventilator days in an urban level III NICU in the Midwest, United States. Methods: A newly formed interprofessional team created an evidence-based, standardized, bedside nurse-led care bundle for intubations and ETT care in the NICU. This project also created standardized, clear, closed-loop communication for the transition of bedside staff at shift change. Results: The UE rate decreased from 0.76 to 0 per 100 ventilator days, reaching the goal of less than 0.5 per 100 ventilator days, during the 10-week project implementation period from December 2021 to February 2022. Implications for Practice and Research: Many NICUs focus on reducing UEs due to the impact on healthcare resource utilization, acute complications, and long-term outcomes for infants. The development of a standardized, nurse-led care bundle for ETTs decreased the rate of UEs. Future research is needed to study the potential for generalization to different units and beyond the scope of the neonatal population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: To describe the prevalence of use of breastmilk and explore demographic characteristics and clinical outcomes associated with breastmilk provision in infants born <29 weeks' gestational age in Australia, New Zealand and Singapore. Methods: This is a secondary analysis of data from a randomised controlled trial, which enrolled 1273 infants in 13 neonatal units across Australia, New Zealand and Singapore from 2012 to 2015. Infants were classified as formula‐fed, donor milk‐fed or mother's milk‐fed at their first enteral feed and separately, at hospital discharge. Results: The percentage of infants receiving mother's own milk differed between centres both at first feed (79% to 100%), and at hospital discharge (47.1% to 71.6%). Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and Southeast Asian heritage, drug use and smoking were associated with lower rates of fully breastmilk feeding at hospital discharge. There was no significant difference in growth outcomes, length of stay and feeding tolerance between feeding groups. Conclusions: Achieving high breastmilk feeding rates at hospital discharge for all preterm infants born <29 weeks' gestational age at hospital discharge is possible; however, targeted support for mothers who are Indigenous, Southeast Asian and/or using recreational drugs and/or smoking and/or experiencing social disadvantage may be needed. A better understanding and shared knowledge of practice variations within neonatal units with high breastfeeding rates could improve breastmilk access and equity for preterm infants. Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry: ACTRN12612000503820. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Surveillance of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) is an essential component of hospital infection prevention and control systems. We aimed to assess the quality of the data compiled by the Brazilian HAI Surveillance System from pediatric (PICUs) and neonatal intensive care units (NICUs), between 2012 and 2021. Methods: Data Quality Review, including adherence, completeness, internal consistency, consistency over time, and consistency of population trend, were computed at both national and state levels based on quality metrics from World Health Organization Toolkit. Incidence rates (or incidence density) of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) and central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI) were obtained from the Brazilian National Nosocomial Infections Surveillance (NNIS) system. Data on sepsis-related mortality, spanning the period from 2012 to 2021, were extracted from the Brazilian National Health Service database (DATASUS). Additionally, correlations between sepsis-related mortality and incidence rates of VAP or CLABSI were calculated. Results: Throughout the majority of the study period, adherence to VAP reporting remained below 75%, exhibiting a positive trend post-2016. Widespread outliers, as well as inconsistencies over time and in population trends, were evident across all 27 states. Only four states maintained consistent adherence levels above 75% for more than 8 years regarding HAI incidence rates. Notably, CLABSI in NICUs boasted the highest reporting adherence among all HAIs, with 148 periods out of 270 (54.8%) exhibiting reporting adherence surpassing 75%. Three states achieved commendable metrics for CLABSI in PICUs, while five states demonstrated favorable results for CLABSI in NICUs. Conclusions: While adherence to HAI report is improving among Brazilian states, an important room for improvement in the Brazilian NNIS exists. Additional efforts should be made by the Brazilian government to improve the reliability of HAI data, which could serve as valuable guidance for hospital infection prevention and control policies.

Background: Cranial ultrasound is frequently performed in neonatal intensive care units and acquiring 2-dimensional (D) images requires significant training. Three-D ultrasound images can be acquired semi-automatically. Objective: This proof-of-concept study aimed to demonstrate that 3-D study image quality compares well with 2-D. If this is successful, 3-D images could be acquired in remote areas and read remotely by experts. Materials and methods: This was a prospective study of 20 neonates, who underwent both routine 2-D and 3-D cranial ultrasounds. Images were reconstructed into standard views extracted from the 3-D volume and evaluated by three radiologists blinded to the acquisition method. The radiologists assessed for the presence of anatomical landmarks and overall image quality. Results: More anatomical structures were identified in the 3-D studies (P<0.01). There was a trend that 3-D ultrasound demonstrated better image quality in the coronal plane, and 2-D in the sagittal plane, only reaching statistical significance for two coronal views and two sagittal views. Conclusion: Overall, this study has demonstrated that 3-D cranial ultrasound performs similarly to 2-D and could be implemented into neonatal practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: There is variability in clinical practice regarding the number of radiographic views required to accurately determine umbilical venous catheter (UVC) tip position. Some units prefer performing a single anteroposterior (AP) view and others do both AP and lateral views. The aim of this study was to compare the need for one versus two radiographical views to accurately determine UVC tip position. Methods: Radiographs of 382 infants (all gestations) from two level six neonatal units were included in the study. Patients with congenital anomalies and those who had adjustment of UVC position between AP and lateral films being performed were excluded. Six clinicians reviewed anonymized AP only images and documented UVC tip position. Subsequently, they reviewed both AP and lateral views and again documented the UVC tip position. Results were compared to the expert consensus which was taken from the consensus of two paediatric radiologists. Results: The study population had a mean gestational age of 32.8 weeks and birth weight of 2190 g, with 58% males. The UVC tip positions were accurately determined 76% times by the AP view alone and 82% times by using both the AP and lateral views (P < 0.001). The low placed UVC tip position which is the most inappropriate for use was more accurately determined by two images (78% times) rather than single image (70% times) (P < 0.001). Conclusions: Utilising both AP and lateral views was superior in accurately determining UVC tip position to AP view alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surveillance of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) is an essential component of hospital infection prevention and control systems. We aimed to assess the quality of the data compiled by the Brazilian HAI Surveillance System from pediatric (PICUs) and neonatal intensive care units (NICUs), between 2012 and 2021. Data Quality Review, including adherence, completeness, internal consistency, consistency over time, and consistency of population trend, were computed at both national and state levels based on quality metrics from World Health Organization Toolkit. Incidence rates (or incidence density) of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) and central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI) were obtained from the Brazilian National Nosocomial Infections Surveillance (NNIS) system. Data on sepsis-related mortality, spanning the period from 2012 to 2021, were extracted from the Brazilian National Health Service database (DATASUS). Additionally, correlations between sepsis-related mortality and incidence rates of VAP or CLABSI were calculated. Throughout the majority of the study period, adherence to VAP reporting remained below 75%, exhibiting a positive trend post-2016. Widespread outliers, as well as inconsistencies over time and in population trends, were evident across all 27 states. Only four states maintained consistent adherence levels above 75% for more than 8 years regarding HAI incidence rates. Notably, CLABSI in NICUs boasted the highest reporting adherence among all HAIs, with 148 periods out of 270 (54.8%) exhibiting reporting adherence surpassing 75%. Three states achieved commendable metrics for CLABSI in PICUs, while five states demonstrated favorable results for CLABSI in NICUs. While adherence to HAI report is improving among Brazilian states, an important room for improvement in the Brazilian NNIS exists. Additional efforts should be made by the Brazilian government to improve the reliability of HAI data, which could serve as valuable guidance for hospital infection prevention and control policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hypoglycaemia in term infants is very common. Deciding on appropriate investigations and management is often challenging. The aims of this article are to help with understanding when, how and why to investigate symptoms of hypoglycaemia in full-term infants (born ≥37 weeks' gestational age). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To build and validate checklist content for neonatal perioperative nursing care in cardiac surgery. Methods: This is methodological research, developed from October 2020 to September 2021, in two sequential stages: checklist item construction based on an integrative literature review and content validity by seven experts in neonatology, selected from a search in resumes. For analysis, the Content Validity Index was used, considering values ≥ 0.8. Results: A checklist was created with 57 structured items for pre-, intra- and postoperative interventions in cardiac surgery, with care actions designated according to the legal competence of nursing professional (technician and nurse) categories. In the validity process, 24 items were modified and four were excluded. The minimum level of agreement among experts for the items was 0.86, except for one item (0.75). Conclusion: The checklist achieved content validity with a satisfactory standard for use in the perioperative period of cardiac surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To analyze human milk sufficiency in Neonatal Intensive Care Units in the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo according to the number of premature babies, estimated demand for human milk and actual consumption. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study, carried out at Human Milk Collection Stations and Human Milk Banks registered with the São Paulo Network of Human Milk Banks in 2017. Data from 2017 census vital statistics were used to identify premature baby distribution in Regional Health Care Networks. Results: 100% of Human Milk Collection Stations and 84.6% of Human Milk Banks in São Paulo participated in the study. Pasteurized human milk distribution insufficiency was identified between estimated demand and actual consumption by premature babies. During the study period, only the Center and Southeast regions met 100% of human milk coverage, followed by the Greater ABC region, with 44.62%. Conclusion: Most Human Milk Collection Stations and Human Milk Banks in the metropolitan region of São Paulo do not assist all premature children. The management of these units can contribute to encouraging donor recruitment and collected human milk optimization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this study was to investigate perceptions of fatherhood among fathers of high-risk neonates and their confidence regarding neonatal care. Methods A study was conducted of 100 fathers whose neonates had been admitted to a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) for at least 48 hours. Perceptions of fatherhood, neonatal characteristics, and fathers' confidence regarding neonatal care were measured using a self-reported questionnaire. The survey took approximately 10 minutes to complete and was completed anonymously. The factors that affected fathers' confidence regarding neonatal care were analyzed using multiple regression. Results The scores for positive and negative perceptions of fatherhood were relatively high at 4.27 and 3.42 out of 5 points, respectively. A positive perception of fatherhood was found to influence fathers' confidence regarding neonatal care. Conclusion NICU nurses should encourage fathers to effectively perform their parenting roles by implementing educational programs and interventions to promote positive perceptions of fatherhood and fathers' confidence regarding neonatal care after discharge.

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Aim: To characterise parathyroid hormone (PTH) concentrations in infants at high risk for metabolic bone disease, in order to assist clinical decisions around the use of PTH for screening. Methods: Infants born under 28 weeks' postmenstrual age or with birthweight under 1.5 kg in a tertiary neonatal unit in the UK were included. Clinical guidance was to assess PTH concentration in the first 3 weeks after birth. Clinical information was extracted from prospective records. Results: Sixty‐four infants had mean birth gestation of 26 weeks and birthweight of 882 g. Median PTH (sent on median day 18 of life) was 9.2 pmol/L (interquartile range 5.3–17 pmol/L). Sixty‐seven per cent of infants had a PTH greater than 7 pmol/L. For 22% of the infants, raised PTH was not accompanied by abnormal phosphate or alkaline phosphatase. Eighty‐nine per cent of infants tested were insufficient or deficient for 25‐hydroxyvitamin D. Conclusions: Universal screening highlights the high frequency of high PTH in this high‐risk population, implying a need for calcium supplementation. A considerable number of infants would not be identified as showing potential signs of metabolic bone disease if the assessment excludes the use of PTH. The high level of 25‐hydroxyvitamin D deficiency may be a confounder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The sparse literature on the effect of a preterm delivery on parents' quality of life (QoL) yields inconsistent results, restricting their analysis to mothers. The present study aimed to assess the effect of a very preterm delivery on parents' gender-specific perception of QoL, 4 to 6 months after birth. Methods: A total of 117 parents of very preterm infants hospitalized at birth in a level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, and 214 parents of never hospitalized full-term infants born in a public maternity, both located in the North of Portugal, participated in the study, 4 to 6 months after delivery (November 2013–June 2015). The Portuguese version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life – BREF Inventory was applied and scores were transformed to reflect a 0 to 100 scale. Results: The mean [standard deviation (SD)] of overall QoL ranged between 72.1 (13.3) among mothers of full-term infants and 74.6 (12.5) among mothers of very preterm infants. The perception of QoL was not significantly different among parents of very preterm and full-term infants, according to gender. The highest scores were observed in the psychological and physical dimensions, for both mothers and fathers. Conclusions for Practice: The lack of differences on the perception of QoL among mothers and fathers of very preterm and full-term infants, highlights the need to deeply understand and explore the influence of accommodation mechanisms, the extended family/community and health policies on parental QoL trajectories. Significance: What is Already Known on this Subject? The effect of a preterm delivery on parents' QoL yields inconsistent results, mainly due to a considerable heterogeneity regarding the operationalization of QoL, the use of different units of analysis, and different periods of data collection. Also, most studies restrict their analysis to mothers, with few attempts to assess parents's QoL during mother's return-to-work period. What this Study adds? Parents who experience increased family burden and distress after a very preterm delivery do not perceived their QoL 4–6 months after delivery differently than parents of full-term infants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this scoping review was to map and organize the previous studies conducted among fathers whose infants experienced admission to neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) in South Korea. A scoping review was conducted based on Arksey and O'Malley using the JBI template. The review was described by PRISMA-ScR. The studies were reviewed through five electronic databases (PubMed, CINAHL, Web of Science, RISS and KMbase) since 1996. Each study was analyzed, extracted, and summarized into the following domains: general characteristics (language, design, data collection methods, intervention, data collection site, and time) and fathers' characteristics (types of fathers, mean age, variables related to the fathers, and measurements). A total of 290 studies were identified after screening titles and abstracts, and 32 full-text articles were retrieved for eligibility. Finally, 15 articles were included in the review. Four themes were derived after review: paternal stress, paternal attachment, fathers' adaptation, and fathers' support needs. Infants' hospitalization in NICUs causes stress for fathers but they overcome difficulties and play multiple roles as guardians, caregivers, and decision-makers of their spouses and infants over time. Paternal attachment increases significantly after participating in tactile and educational interventions. Fathers rely on nurses and they want to receive support from nurses. It is necessary for NICU nurses to understand and support fathers whose infants are hospitalized in NICUs. Medical institutions should provide nursing interventions and education for fathers to relieve their stress, help their adaptation, and improve attachment. • When infants were hospitalized in the NICU, fathers experienced a high level of stress. • Fathers have difficulty forming attachments and showed low attachment in visual perception to their infants. • Fathers in this study felt a role burden as they were given multiple new roles when their infants were hospitalized in NICU. • Fathers recognized NICU nurses as their supporters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation Neonatal Life Support Task Force undertook a scoping review of the literature to identify evidence relating to neonatal cardiopulmonary resuscitation.Methods: MEDLINE complete, EMBASE and Cochrane database of Systematic reviews were searched from inception to November 2021. Two authors screened titles and abstracts and full text reviewed. Studies were eligible for inclusion if they were peer-reviewed and assessed one of five aspects of chest compression in the newborn infant including: (1) heart rate thresholds to start chest compressions (CC), (2) compression to ventilation ratio (C:V ratio), (3) CC technique, (4) oxygen use during CC and 5) feedback devices to optimise CC.Results: Seventy-four studies were included (n=46 simulation, n=24 animal and n=4 clinical studies); 22/74 were related to compression to ventilation ratios, 29/74 examined optimal technique to perform CC, 7/74 examined oxygen delivery and 15/74 described feedback devices during neonatal CC.Conclusion: There were very few clinical studies and mostly manikin and animal studies. The findings either reinforced or were insufficient to change previous recommendations which included to start CC if heart rate remains <60/min despite adequate ventilation, using a 3:1 C:V ratio, the two-thumb encircling technique and 100% oxygen during CC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Precision medicine is the mainstream trend of contemporary medical development, and the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) has become one of the important application scenarios of precision medicine. However, there is still an insufficient level of the clinical interpretation of disease genomes, and the bench-to-bedside translation of precision medicine in the NICU has not reached a satisfactory level. With reference to the current application of precision medicine in infants and young children, this article discusses how to achieve optimal results in the bench-to-bedside translation of precision medicine from the three aspects of emphasizing the early screening and diagnosis of genetic diseases, establishing a multi-omics integration platform, and applying machine learning techniques.

Purpose Nursing students are susceptible to medication safety incidents in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) related to a lack of communication experience. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the impact of a NICU medication safety simulation (NMSS) focusing on communication clarity, patient hand-off confidence, and patient safety competency in senior-year nursing students. Methods The study utilized a nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest design. In total, 60 nursing students were assigned to two groups. The experimental group participated in the NMSS, which included three medication error scenarios. Pairs of students completed the scenarios together in 10 to 20 minutes. Data were analyzed using the chi-squared test, independent t test, and ANCOVA. Results The experimental group showed significant improvements in communication clarity (p=.015), and patient safety competency (p

Rationale: Antenatal inflammation, usually associated with chorioamnionitis, is a major cause of premature birth. As inflammation could depress respiratory drive, we have examined the effect of clinical chorioamnionitis (CCA) on spontaneous breathing in premature infants at birth.Methods: Infants with CCA born <30 weeks' gestation were matched with control infants based on gestational age (±6 days), birth weight (±300 g), antenatal corticosteroids, sex and general anaesthesia. The primary outcome was breathing effort, assessed as minute volume (MV) of spontaneous breathing. We also measured tidal volume (Vt), respiratory rate (RR) and apnoea in the first 5 min and additional physiological parameters in the first 10 min after start of respiratory support.Results: Ninety-two infants were included (n=46 CCA infants vs n=46 controls; median (IQR) gestational age 26+4 (25+0-27+6) vs 26+6 (25+1-28+3) weeks). MV and Vt were significantly lower (MV: 43 (17-93) vs 70 (31-119) mL/kg/min, p=0.043; Vt: 2.6 (1.9-3.6) vs 2.9 (2.2-4.8) mL/kg/breath, p=0.046), whereas RR was similar in CCA infants compared with controls. Incidence of apnoea was higher (5 (2-6) vs 2 (1-4), p=0.002), and total duration of apnoea was longer (90 (21-139) vs 35 (12-98) s, p=0.025) in CCA infants. CCA infants took significantly longer to reach an oxygen saturation >80% (3:37 (2:10-4:29) vs 2:25 (1:06-3:52) min, p=0.016) and had a lower oxygen saturation at 5 min (77 (66-92) vs 91 (68-94) %, p=0.028), despite receiving more oxygen (62 (48-76) vs 54 (43-73) %, p=0.036).Conclusion: CCA is associated with reduced breathing effort and oxygenation in premature infants at birth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To determine the impact of supplemental bovine lactoferrin on the gut microbiome and metabolome of preterm infants.Design: Cohort study nested within a randomised controlled trial (RCT). Infants across different trial arms were matched on several clinical variables. Bacteria and metabolite compositions of longitudinal stool and urine samples were analysed to investigate the impact of lactoferrin supplementation.Setting: Thirteen UK hospitals participating in a RCT of lactoferrin.Patients: 479 infants born <32 weeks' gestation between June 2016 and September 2017.Results: 10 990 stool and 22 341 urine samples were collected. Analyses of gut microbiome (1304 stools, 201 infants), metabolites (171 stools, 83 infants; 225 urines, 90 infants) and volatile organic compounds (314 stools, 117 infants) were performed. Gut microbiome Shannon diversity at 34 weeks corrected age was not significantly different between infants in the lactoferrin (mean=1.24) or placebo (mean=1.06) groups (p=0.11). Lactoferrin receipt explained less than 1% variance in microbiome compositions between groups. Metabolomic analysis identified six discriminative features between trial groups. Hospital site (16%) and postnatal age (6%) explained the greatest variation in microbiome composition.Conclusions: This multiomic study identified minimal impacts of lactoferrin but much larger impacts of hospital site and postnatal age. This may be due to the specific lactoferrin product used, but more likely supports the findings of the RCT in which this study was nested, which showed no impact of lactoferrin on reducing rates of sepsis. Multisite mechanistic studies nested within RCTs are feasible and help inform trial interpretation and future trial design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There is limited information about the mortality and neurodevelopmental outcomes of very preterm infants (<32 weeks) with spontaneous intestinal perforation (SIP).Objective: To explore the association between SIP and neurodevelopmental outcomes and mortality in very preterm infants.Data Sources: Medline, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, EMCARE and MedNar.Study Selection: Databases were searched until September 2021. Studies comparing outcomes of 'SIP' versus 'no SIP or necrotising enterocolitis (NEC)' were included.Data Extraction: Neurodevelopmental outcomes at ≥1 year corrected age were extracted as the main outcome measure. Data were pooled separately for adjusted and unadjusted ORs using the random-effects model. The evidence level was assessed using the GRADE (Grading of Recommendations, Assessments, Development and Evaluations) framework.Results: Eighteen cohort studies (13 606 infants) were included. Meta-analysis of unadjusted ORs showed that SIP was significantly associated with increased odds of mortality, cerebral palsy, composite outcome of death or disability, visual impairment and hearing impairment. However, pooling of adjusted ORs (aOR) found significant associations only for mortality (aOR (95% CI) 2.27 (2.07 to 2.49); I2: 0%; four studies (n=10 695)), severe disability (aOR (95% CI) 2.06 (1.38 to 3.08); I2: 0%; two studies (n=321)) and composite outcome of 'death or disability' (aOR (95% CI) 2.18 (1.55 to 3.06); I2: 0%; two studies (n=321)). The level of evidence was 'low' or 'very low'.Limitations: Lack of information on aORs from many studies.Conclusions: SIP in very preterm infants is associated with higher odds of mortality, severe disability, and death or disability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The effect of prophylactic surfactant nebulisation (SN) is unclear. We aimed to determine whether prophylactic SN improves early lung aeration.Design: Parallel, randomised clinical trial, conducted between March 2021 and January 2022.Setting: Delivery room (DR) of a tertiary neonatal centre in Zurich, Switzerland.Patients: Preterm infants between 26 0/7 and 31 6/7 weeks gestation INTERVENTIONS: Infants were randomised to receive positive distending pressure alone or positive distending pressure and additional SN (200 mg/kg; poractant alfa) using a customised vibrating membrane nebuliser. SN commenced with the first application of a face mask immediately after birth.Main Outcome Measures: Primary outcome was the difference in end-expiratory lung impedance from birth to 30 min after birth (∆EELI30min). EELI correlates well with functional residual capacity. Secondary outcomes included physiological and clinical outcomes.Results: Data from 35 infants were collected, and primary outcome data were analysed from 32 infants (n=16/group). Primary outcome was not different between intervention and control group (median (IQR): 25 (7-62) vs 10 (0-26) AU/kg, p=0.21). ∆EELI was slightly higher in the intervention group at 6 and 12 hours after birth, particularly in the central areas of the lung. There were no differences in cardiorespiratory and clinical parameters. Two adverse events were noted in the intervention group.Conclusions: Prophylactic SN in the DR did not significantly affect ∆EELI30min and showed only minimal effects on lung physiology. Prophylactic SN in the DR was feasible. There were no differences in clinical outcomes.Trial Registration Number: NCT04315636. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background The 5-minute APGAR score is clinically used as a screening tool to assess how the newborn has reacted to previous care, remaining relevant for predicting neonatal survival. This study aimed to analyze the determinants of the 5th minute APGAR score, and the factors associated with the death and survival of newborns with low APGAR scores hospitalized in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at a referral public hospital in North Brazil. Methods This was a hospital-based retrospective case-control study with 277 medical records. Newborns who presented with a 1-minute APGAR score

Abstract Background Listening to music can reduce or manage stress, fatigue, and accompanying symptoms in mothers. Music increases oxytocin secretion which affects breast milk. This study aimed to examine the effect of lullaby on volume, fat, total protein and albumin concentration of breast milk in mothers of premature infants admitted to the NICU. Methods This clinical trial was performed on 100 primiparous mothers whose premature infants were hospitalized in the NICU of Ayatollah Rouhani Hospital from January 2020 to December 2020. Using block randomization method, the participants were divided into three groups: control (A), playing lullaby for mother (B) and playing lullaby for a mother while holding a photo of her own baby (C). The mothers of the intervention groups listened to lullabies through headphones for 30 minutes every morning for 6 days. On the first and the sixth day of birth, the volume of breast milk (ml) and two milliliters of breast milk samples of all three groups were measured and compared in terms of fat, albumin concentration and total protein (mg/DL). ANOVA, Paired T-Test and ANCOVA model (the included variables were: basic value of dependent variable, group type, Maternal age, Birth weight, Gestational age and Maternal weight) was used for analytical statistics. Results The difference between the mean compositions of breast milk before and after the intervention in three groups of A, B and C: in terms of the breast milk volume were 66.33 ± 4.80, 71.30 ± 4.18 and 75.91 ± 6.80 ml; in terms of triglyceride level was 177.84 ± 50.57, 210.72 ± 34.55 and 224.17 ± 12.97 mg/DL, cholesterol level was 14.57 ± 3.70, 21.96 ± 3.82 and 26.26 ± 5.16 mg/DL, albumin concentration was 0.90 ± 0.30, 1.22 ± 0.19 and 1.46 ± 0.28 mg/DL and total protein level was 1.61 ± 0.61, 2.20 ± 0.57 and 2.72 ± 0.30 mg/DL. Finally, the results of ANCOVA analysis for the effects of the intervention, taking into account the baseline values, showed that the intervention was effective and had the greatest effect on cholesterol levels. Conclusion In this small trial, there was a statistically significant association between trial arm and biochemical composition of breastmilk though further studies are needed to see if these changes result in meaningful clinical outcomes to the infant. Trial registration IRCT, IRCT20191114045439N1. Registered 14 January 2020- prospective, https://en.irct.ir/trial/43671

Objective: To analyze the profile of the compounded cardiovascular medicines prescribed in neonatology in Brazil. Data source: An integrative bibliographic review was carried out, including studies published in the last 20 years. The used descriptors were: Intensive Care Neonatal, Off-Label Use, Pharmaceutical Preparations, in the databases Virtual Health Library (VHL), PubMed, and Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO). Review articles and guidelines were excluded. The quality of the evidence was analyzed, and 10 articles were selected to integrate the study. Data synthesis: The profile of routine prescription in the neonatal unit was evaluated. The main cardiovascular medications prescribed as compounding formulation were: Spironolactone, Captopril, Furosemide, Hydrochlorothiazide, Propranolol, Amiodarone, Nifedipine, Carvedilol, Digoxin, Enalapril, Epinephrine, and Hydralazine. The drugs were obtained from adaptations of dosage forms, through the transformation of capsules or tablets into liquid formulations, as a solution, suspension, or syrup, as well as in the form of solutions prepared from active pharmaceutical ingredients. The compounding of medications made drug therapy possible in neonatology, considering that such medications do not have registration of the oral liquid dosage form in the country, despite being part of the List of Essential Medicines for Children of the Word Health Organization. Conclusions: It was possible to analyze the profile of compounded cardiovascular medicines prescribed in neonatology in Brazil. The results showed the need for the development of medications suitable for the neonatal population, and the standardization of operational procedures for preparing extemporaneous formulations in neonatology to increase drug safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aimed to investigate whether neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) in Brazilian hospitals use a protocol for weaning from noninvasive ventilation (NIV), how this ventilatory support is withdrawn, and whether there is consensus among the methods used by the institutions. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted from December 2020 to February 2021, based on responses to an electronic questionnaire, filled out by physical therapists working in NICU in Brazilian hospitals about the routine of physical therapy and the use of NIV and its weaning. Results: A total of 93 answers to the electronic questionnaire met the study criteria: 52.7% were from public health institutions, with an average of 15 NICU beds (15.2±15.9), 85% of the physical therapists worked exclusively in the NICU, 34.4% of the NICU had 24-h physical therapy care, 66.7% of the units use the continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) as ventilatory mode, and 72% the nasal prong as NIV interface; 90% of the NICU physical therapists answered that their NICU had no NIV weaning protocol, with various methods of weaning reported, the most cited being pressure weaning. Conclusions: Most Brazilian NICUs have no NIV weaning protocol. The most used method among institutions, with or without a protocol, is pressure weaning. Although most of the participating physical therapists work exclusively in NICU, many hospitals do not have the recommended workload, which can be one of the negative factors in the organization of protocols and in the progress of ventilatory weaning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence of nasal injury in preterm newborns (NB) using the Neonatal Skin Condition Score within 7 days of noninvasive ventilation (NIV) and to compare the incidence of injury in NB weighing ≥1,000 g and those weighing <1,000 g at the time of initiation of NIV support. Methods: This is a prospective, observational study carried out in a neonatal intensive care unit of a public hospital in Rio Grande do Sul from July 2016 to January 2021. Patients were stratified into two groups at the time of NIV initiation: group 1 (weight ≥1,000 g) and group 2 (weight <1,000 g). To assess the condition of nasal injury, a rating scale called the Neonatal Skin Condition Score was applied during the first seven consecutive days on NIV. Kaplan-Meier, log-rank test, and Cox proportional hazards regression were used to estimate the hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). Results: In total, 184 NB were evaluated. Nasal injury was reported in 55 (30%) NB. The risk of nasal injury was 74% higher in group 2 (19/45) than in group 1 (36/139) (HR: 1.74; 95%CI 0.99–3.03, p=0.048). Conclusion: The incidence of nasal injury in infants submitted to NIV by nasal mask was high, and the risk of this injury was greater in preterm infants weighing <1,000 g. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To describe the beginning, duration, location and who makes skin-to-skin contact in Brazilian neonatal units. Methods: This is a descriptive, longitudinal multicenter study, carried out from May 2018 to March 2020, in five reference neonatal units for Kangaroo Mother Care in Brazil, which included newborns weighing up to 1,800 grams. Maternal and newborn characteristics were collected from medical records and interviews. Skin-to-skin contact was recorded on cards attached to the bed, filled in by the team and fathers. Analysis occurred through descriptive statistics. Results: We included 405 newborns, 51.4% male, median gestational age of 31.4 weeks and birth weight of 1,412 grams. Regarding skin-to-skin contact time, the median daily contact frequency was 1.5 times (IQR: 1.2 - 2.4), the time/day was 147 min/day (IQR: 106.7 - 263.0) and the first contact at five days of life (IQR:4.0-8.0). The longest contact time/day was performed by mothers, with a median of 137.8 minutes per day (IQR:95.6-232.1), and the second stage of kangaroo Mother Care, kangaroo Intermediate Care Unit, was the place where contact was performed for the longest time, with a median of 184.4 minutes per day (IQR:124.7-455.4). Conclusion: In the units assessed, skin-to-skin contact is practiced intermittently, a few times a day, predominantly by mothers and with longer exposure time in the second stage. It is necessary to seek ways that allow more encounters between mother/father-child and that gives conditions of greater permanence of fathers in the hospital. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To analyze the stress-related factors of parents of newborns hospitalized in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study developed with 204 parents present in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in the state of Rio Grande do Sul. For data collection, we used an instrument to characterize participants and the Brazilian version of the Parental Stress Scale: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Data were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests. Results: The sociodemographic variables that were associated with higher levels of stress were sex, previous experience with neonatal unit, education and religion. And the clinical variables of newborns were hospitalization unit, respiratory and intravenous therapies and previous surgical procedure. Conclusion: Female participants, who had no previous experience with a neonatal unit, with higher education and religion, had higher levels of stress, as well as those who had their children hospitalized in the high-risk unit, with respiratory support, use of two intravenous devices and with previous history of surgical procedure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To translate, culturally adapt and validate the Preterm Infant Breastfeeding Behavior Scale (PIBBS) content Methods: This is a methodological study, whose steps were: initial translation; synthesis of translations; back-translation; review of translated versions; content validity; pre-test; and sending the documentation to the Cross-Cultural Adaptation Review Committee. Both the original scale and the translated and adapted scale have six items, and each item contains 03 to 06 sub-items with score scores ranging from 0 to 6. The total score can range from 0 to 20. For the validity step, the Content Validity Index (CVI) of all scale items was calculated. A minimum CVI of 0.8 was considered acceptable for assessing each item individually, and 0.90, for generally assessing the instrument. Results: The Brazilian version of PIBBS was called the " Escala Comportamental de Amamentação do Pré-Termo ". The scale was translated, adapted and its content was validated, achieving conceptual and idiomatic equivalence ranging from 83.3% to 100%. The CVI was 0.93. Conclusion: After translation, adaptation and validity by health professionals, the scale proved to be valid, easy to apply and easy to understand language. The scale will allow health professionals to observe preterm infants' behavior and guide mothers, thus encouraging exclusive breastfeeding, since the breastfeeding process of a preterm infant is complex. Its use in future research and clinical practice will complement more robust psychometric analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Abstract Background Neonatal acute kidney injury (AKI) has been associated with unfavorable outcomes, including increased mortality. We aimed to describe the clinical course and outcomes during the first 7 days after diagnosis in newborns with AKI in three neonatal intensive care units in Popayán-Colombia. Methods Multi-center prospective cohort study conducted between June 2019 and December 2020 in three NICUs after ethical approval. We included newborns between 2 and 28 days of life, first diagnosed with AKI using the KDIGO classification modified for newborns which consider increased serum creatinine values over baseline values as well as urine output over time in hours or both. Patients with chromosomal abnormalities, major kidney malformations, and complex congenital heart disease were excluded. Patients were followed for up to 7 days after diagnosis and the maximum KDIGO stage, recovery of kidney function, need for renal replacement therapy and cumulative incidence of death were evaluated. Results Over the 18 months of the study, 4132 newborns were admitted to the NICUs, and 93 patients (2.25, 95% CI 1.82–2.75%) developed neonatal AKI. 59.1% of the newborns were premature and there were no differences in severity according to gestational age. During follow-up, the maximum KDIGO was 64.5% for AKI-stage 1, 11.8% for AKI-stage 2, and 23.7% for AKI-stage 3. Kidney function recovery was higher in AKI-stage 1 patients vs. AKI-severe (AKI-stage 2 and 3) (95% vs. 48.5%). Five patients (5.4%) received renal replacement therapy and 15 died (16.1%), four in AKI-stage 1 vs. 11 in AKI-severe (6.7% vs 33.3%). Conclusions Newborns admitted to the NICUs can develop AKI regardless of gestational age, and it is more frequent between the second and ninth days of life. More patients whit AKI-stage 1 recover and die less than those in a severe stage.

Purpose The purpose of this study was to identify the gaps in research related to developmentally supportive care in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). The ultimate goal was to explore directions of further research on developmentally supportive care for premature patients. Methods The Arksey and O'Malley scoping review method was used. Articles on developmentally supportive care for preterm infants in the NICU, written in English or Korean, were identified through electronic search engines. A total of 279 papers were identified in the initial search, of which 22 full-text papers were included in this review. Results Several nursing studies have been published in the past 5 years. The important elements of developmentally supportive care were family-centered care and management of the NICU environment. The primary developmentally supportive care interventions were training programs to promote the care competency of NICU nurses. Conclusion It is necessary to actively develop comprehensive developmental support interventions that consider the various elements of developmentally supportive care for preterm infants. Additional studies should be done to develop programs that provide direct intervention for premature infant and their families.

ABSTRACT Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence of nasal injury in preterm newborns (NB) using the Neonatal Skin Condition Score within 7 days of noninvasive ventilation (NIV) and to compare the incidence of injury in NB weighing ≥1,000 g and those weighing

Objective: Develop an online estimator that accurately predicts bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) severity or death using readily-available demographic and clinical data.Design: Retrospective analysis of data entered into a prospective registry.Setting: Infants cared for at centres of the United States Neonatal Research Network between 2011 and 2017.Patients: Infants 501-1250 g birth weight and 23 0/7-28 6/7 weeks' gestation.Interventions: None.Main Outcome Measures: Separate multinomial regression models for postnatal days 1, 3, 7, 14 and 28 were developed to estimate the individual probabilities of death or BPD severity (no BPD, grade 1 BPD, grade 2 BPD, grade 3 BPD) defined according to the mode of respiratory support administered at 36 weeks' postmenstrual age.Results: Among 9181 included infants, birth weight was most predictive of death or BPD severity on postnatal day 1, while mode of respiratory support was the most predictive factor on days 3, 7, 14 and 28. The predictive accuracy of the models increased at each time period from postnatal day 1 (C-statistic: 0.674) to postnatal day 28 (C-statistic 0.741). We used these results to develop a web-based model that provides predicted estimates for BPD by postnatal day.Conclusion: The probability of BPD or death in extremely preterm infants can be estimated with reasonable accuracy using a limited amount of readily available clinical information. This tool may aid clinical prognostication, future research, and center-specific quality improvement surrounding BPD prevention.Trial Registration Number: NCT00063063. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is the only treatment option that can stabilize patients with congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) with severe pulmonary hypertension. This study assessed the effects of a multidisciplinary ECMO team approach (META) as part of a quality improvement initiative aimed at enhancing the survival rates of neonates with CDH., Methods: The medical records of infants with CDH treated at a tertiary center were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were categorized into two groups based on META implementation. The META group (P2) were given key interventions, including on-site ECMO management within the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), use of venoarterial modality, ECMO indication as a priority even before the use of inhaled nitric oxide, and preplanned surgery following ECMO discontinuation. These approaches were compared with standard protocols in the pre-META group (P1) to assess their effects on clinical outcomes, particularly in-hospital mortality., Results: Over a 16-year period, 322 patients were included. P2 had a significantly higher incidence of non-isolated CDH and higher rate of cesarean section compared with P1. Moreover, P2 had delayed time to surgical repair (9.4 ± 8.0 days) compared with P1 (6.7 ± 7.3 days) ( P = 0.004). The overall survival rate at NICU discharge was 72.7%, with a significant improvement from P1 (66.3%, 132/199) to P2 (82.9%, 102/123) ( P = 0.001). Among the 68 patients who received ECMO, P2 had significantly lower baseline oxygenation index and serum lactate levels before ECMO cannulation than P1. The survival rate of patients who received ECMO also remarkably improved from P1 (21.1%, 8/38) to P2 (56.7%, 17/30). Subgroups who could be weaned from ECMO before 2 weeks after cannulation showed the best survival rate., Conclusion: META significantly improved the survival rate of newborn infants with CDH. Further interventions, including prenatal intervention and novel ECMO strategies, may help improve the clinical outcomes and quality of life., Competing Interests: The authors have no potential conflicts of interest to disclose., (© 2024 The Korean Academy of Medical Sciences.)

Background and Aim: Unplanned extubation (UE) is an adverse event that can occur for neonates that are intubated and mechanically ventilated. UE is recognised as an important quality measure in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) due to the negative impact these events may have on the neonate. We aimed to use quality improvement (QI) methodology to reduce the rate of UE to the global standard of <1/100 ventilation days., Methods: A 12-month retrospective audit on mechanically ventilated neonates in our NICU identified a mean UE rate of 1.78/100 ventilation days. A clinical guideline focusing on best practice was introduced with key interventions identified by a review of the literature as those which were thought to reduce UE rates. The key interventions in the clinical guideline were introduced sequentially. UE rates were analysed monthly using control charts and the reported cause of each UE event was analysed. Three 12-month periods were included: preintroduction of QI interventions (period 1), during introduction of QI interventions (period 2), and after introduction of QI interventions (period 3)., Results: The introduced interventions reduced the mean rate of UE from 1.78/100 ventilation days in period 1 to 0.8/100 ventilation days in period 3 of the QI project., Conclusions: The key interventions introduced in this QI project were successful in reducing rates of UE by 55%, allowing achievement of the global standard of <1/100 ventilation days., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ Group.)

Introduction: Up to 30% of newborns with in-utero selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) exposure experience withdrawal symptoms. The impact of newborn feeding method on alleviating withdrawal has not been investigated. We examined the effect of newborn feeding method (breastfeeding versus formula) among a cohort of Neo nates W ith I n-utero S SRI E xposure (NeoWISE)., Methods: This population-based retrospective cohort study included newborns born in Ontario hospitals between April 1, 2012, and March 31, 2020 to Ontario Drug Benefit Program beneficiaries who filled at least one SSRI prenatal prescription. Linked administrative health and registry data were used. Method of newborn feeding was available from birth to hospital discharge. The primary outcome was newborn withdrawal. The secondary outcome was transfer to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Adjusted risk ratios (adjRR) in breast- versus formula-fed newborns and our outcomes were estimated using generalized linear models. Propensity scores based on antepartum and intrapartum characteristics and inverse probability of treatment weighting were used to balance differences in maternal-newborn characteristics by treatment., Results: Overall, 5,079 newborns were included in the NeoWISE Cohort, with 3,321 (65.4%) exclusively breastfeeding from birth to hospital discharge. Among the breastfed newborns, 50 (1.5%) had neonatal withdrawal versus 41 (2.3%) in the formula-fed newborns. There was no difference in risk of withdrawal in breast versus formula-fed newborns (adjRR 0.86, 95% CI 0.56, 1.34). Breastfed newborns had a reduced risk of transfer to the NICU compared to formula-fed newborns (adjRR 0.80, 95% CI 0.66, 0.97); however, this finding did not persist in sensitivity analysis., Conclusion: The rate of newborn withdrawal was low in this cohort of SSRI-exposed neonates and was not associated with feeding method in the hospital. The results of this study inform shared decision-making around newborn feeding for perinatal women who take SSRI medications., Competing Interests: Statement on conflicts of interest: The authors reported no conflicts of interest.

Background: Thrombocytopenia might be the only clinical clue of diseases in neonates. Classification of thrombocytopenia according to severity, onset offset, nadir and duration might help in identification of the etiology., Aim: This study aims to estimate the prevalence and, identify the determinants and patterns of thrombocytopenia among neonates., Method: An observational retrospective cohort study was conducted and included records of neonates admitted to neonatal intensive care unit of Alexandria University Maternity Hospital. Data were collected using a checklist and analyzed by SPSS version 20.0. Chi square test and independent sample t- test were used to compare different variables between thrombocytopenic and non- thrombocytopenic patients. Logistic regression analysis was carried out in order to identify the independent contribution of various maternal and neonatal variables influencing thrombocytopenia and factors impacting mortality in thrombocytopenic patients., Results: Four-thousands five hundred neonates, were randomized to have sample of 1011 neonates to be included in the analysis. Patients were divided into thrombocytopenic group (n = 375) and thrombocytopenic group (n = 636). Gestational age and birthweight were significantly lower in thrombocytopenic group with p values < .001 and .03, respectively. Necrotizing enterocolitis, early onset sepsis and late onset sepsis were the main determinants of neonatal thrombocytopenia with OR (95% CL), 2.25 (1.25-3.98), 4.8 (3.249-7.19) and 6.567(4.083-10.562). severe intraventricular hemorrhage, pulmonary hemorrhage and cardiovascular instability were main predictors of death in thrombocytopenic patients with OR (95% CL), 4 (1.9-8.34), 20.9 (6.7 -64.9), and 5.76 (2.1-15.8), respectively., Conclusion: Identification of severity and patterns of thrombocytopenia can help the clinician to recognize the etiology and consequently optimize management of thrombocytopenic neonates., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: The study protocol has been approved on 15th December 2022 by the Research Ethics Committee of Alexandria faculty of medicine. Approval no. is 0107515 in. IRB no. is 00012098 and FWA no. is 00018699. Written informed consents were waived as anonymous data were extracted from files and were stated unnecessary by Research Ethics Committee of Alexandria faculty of medicine (IRB). Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared.

Objective: Following very preterm birth, some children require ongoing intensive care after the neonatal period and transition directly from neonatal units (NNUs) to paediatric intensive care units (PICUs) around term-corrected age.We aimed to understand, at a national level, characteristics and outcomes of children born very preterm who transitioned directly from NNUs to PICUs., Design: Retrospective cohort study, using data linkage of National Neonatal Research Database, Paediatric Intensive Care Audit Network and Office for National Statistics datasets., Setting: All NNUs and PICUs in England and Wales., Patients: Children born <32 gestational weeks between 1 January 2013 and 31 December 2018, admitted to NNUs, and who transitioned directly to PICU without return to NNU at ≥36 weeks corrected gestation age were included., Main Outcome Measures: Mortality, length of PICU stay, invasive ventilation in PICU (including via tracheostomy), PICU readmission until 2 years of age., Results: Direct NNU-to-PICU transitions occurred in 276 babies during the study period. An increasing yearly trend was observed: 36 transitions of babies born in 2013, 65 in 2018.Of this cohort, 22% of children died before their second birthday, 59% of survivors had ≥1 PICU readmission, 33% of children had long stays in PICU (≥28 days) and 25% received tracheostomy ventilation., Conclusions: An increasing number of very preterm children require ongoing intensive care at the end of their neonatal stay, with high rates of mortality and morbidity. Multidisciplinary involvement and planning around the time of transition from NNU to PICU, informed by national guidance, may be beneficial., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. Re-use permitted under CC BY. Published by BMJ.)

Background/Objectives: Adequate folate intake is required in preterm infants for rapid growth and development, but there is little evidence to back recommendations. We aimed to assess folate status in preterm infants at discharge and in early infancy, according to exposure to folate sources, particularly in those exclusively/predominantly breastfed. Methods: A prospective, multicenter, observational cohort study was conducted in the UK, involving 45 preterm infants <33 weeks' gestational age (GA) exclusively/predominantly fed human milk when approaching NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) discharge. Serum folate levels were measured near NICU discharge (T1) and at 2-3 months corrected age (T2). Folate status was categorized per WHO (World Health Organization) guidelines: deficiency (<6.8 nmol/L), possible deficiency (6.8-13.4 nmol/L), normal (13.5-45.3 nmol/L), and elevated (>45.3 nmol/L). Nutritional information on feed and supplements was collected from hospital notes and maternal interviews. Results: Thirty-two infants (71%) received parenteral nutrition. Twelve infants (32%) remained exclusively breastfed at T2. No infant from the whole cohort had a serum folate concentration <13.5 nmol/L at either time point. A proportion of infants had serum folate concentrations >45.3 nmol/L: 14/45 (31%) at T1, 19/37 (42%) at T2, and 7/37 (16%) at both time points. Elevated concentrations were seen particularly in infants who received folic acid supplements or nutrition containing folic acid, such as parenteral nutrition and breastmilk fortifiers. Conclusions: Folate deficiency was not observed in this cohort; folate concentrations were high and in line with those observed in healthy term infants. Further research is needed to assess the high folate concentrations in premature babies and whether they may have any adverse clinical impact.

Background: One of the important problems for mothers after the birth of a premature infant is a decrease in milk production. This study aimed to investigate the effect of foot reflexology on the volume and composition of breast milk in mothers of premature infants hospitalized in the neonatal intensive care unit., Methods: This randomized clinical trial was conducted on 76 primiparous mothers whose premature infants up to 34 weeks were hospitalized in the neonatal intensive care unit of Ayatollah Rouhani Hospital from February 2023 to November 2023. Mothers in the intervention group received foot reflexology for 20 min on both feet (ten minutes per foot) for seven consecutive days every morning. On the first and seventh days of the study, both groups were compared in terms of milk volume (ml), triglycerides, cholesterol, albumin, total protein, and calcium (mg/dl)., Results: The mean difference in breast milk characteristics before and after the intervention in the control and intervention groups were as follows: in terms of breast milk volume 12.43 and 23.51 ml, triglyceride 418.37 and 406.21, cholesterol 5.48 and 3.67, albumin 1.02 and 0.35, total protein 1.89 and 4.59, calcium was -3.54 and -1.83 mg/dL; the net difference in breast milk volume in the intervention group compared to the control group increased, which was not statistically significant but was significant in terms of value. No significant difference was observed in other components of breast milk., Conclusion: In this single-center study, foot reflexology massage showed a trend towards increasing the volume of breast milk, total protein and calcium, although it was not statistically significant. Therefore, it needs further investigation., Trial Registration: IRCT, IRCT20221220056872N1. Registered 22 January 2023- prospective registered, https://irct.behdasht.gov.ir/trial/67512 ., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: The study protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of Babol University of Medical Sciences (IR.MUBABOL.REC.1401.132). The trial was registered in IRCT (IRCT20221220056872N1). In the study samples, we did not have mothers of premature infants younger than 16 years old, therefore, informed written consent was not obtained from the parents or legal guardians of the mothers of premature infants. The age of mothers of premature infants participating in the study is from 16 to 46 years old, and informed written consent was obtained from all mothers of premature infants before participating in the study. This study followed the Clinical Trials Flowchart guidelines for reporting randomized controlled trials. Consent for publication: The article does not contain any individual’ details and consent for publication is not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Objectives: (1) To assess how main pulmonary artery peak Doppler velocity (MPAVpeak) correlates with right ventricular output (RVO) and superior vena cava flow (SVCf), (2) to assess the reproducibility of MPAVpeak and (3) to test the prognostic accuracy of MPAVpeak to predict high-grade intraventricular haemorrhage (IVH) or death at seventh day of life., Design: Prospective cohort study., Setting: Nine third-level neonatal units in Spain., Patients: Preterm infants <33 weeks of gestational age who had standardised measurements of MPAVpeak, RVO and SVCf at 6, 12 and 24 hours of life., Main Outcome Measures: High-grade IVH or death at seventh day of life., Results: One hundred and ninety preterm infants with a median (IQR) gestational age and birth weight of 29.7 weeks (27.1-31.8) and 1152 g (892-1491), respectively, were included. High-grade IVH or death at seventh day of life occurred in 24 (12.6%). MPAVpeak was strongly correlated with RVO (Spearman rho 0.826-0.843). MPAVpeak discriminated well for low RVO (<120 mL/kg/min) at 6 (AUROC, area under the receiver operating characteristic curve=0.90), 12 (AUROC 0.94) and 24 hours (AUROC 0.86). Observer reproducibility was better for MPAVpeak (inter-observer limits of agreement ±8.4%) compared with RVO (±18.8%) and SVCf (±32.2%). The prognostic accuracy of MPAVpeak to predict high-grade IVH or death was good (AUROC >0.75) and non-inferior to RVO and SVCf (DeLong's test p>0.05)., Conclusions: MPAVpeak is an adequate marker of systemic blood flow with high reproducibility and acceptable prognostic accuracy in preterm infants below 33 weeks of gestational age during the first day of life., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Large prospective clinical trials are underway or planned that examine the clinical utility and cost effectiveness of genome-based newborn screening (gNBS). One gNBS platform, BeginNGS, currently screens 53,575 variants for 412 severe childhood genetic diseases with 1,603 efficacious therapies. Retrospective evaluation of BeginNGS in 618,290 subjects suggests adequate sensitivity and positive predictive value (PPV) to proceed to prospective studies. To inform pivotal clinical trial design, we undertook a pilot clinical trial. We enrolled 120 infants in a regional neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) who were not under consideration for rapid diagnostic genome sequencing (RDGS). Each enrollee received BeginNGS and two index tests (California state NBS and RDGS). California NBS identified 4 of 4 true positive (TP) findings (TP rate 3.6%, sensitivity 100%) and 11 false positive (FP) findings (PPV 27%). RDGS identified 41 diagnostic findings in 36 neonates (diagnostic rate 30%). BeginNGS identified 5 of 6 on-target TP disorders (TP rate 4.2%, 95% confidence interval 1%-8%, sensitivity 83%) and no FPs (PPV 100%). Changes in management were anticipated following the return of 27 RDGS results in 25 enrollees (clinical utility [CU] 21%), 3 of 4 NBS TPs (CU 2.7%), and all BeginNGS TPs (CU 4.2%). The incidence of actionable genetic diseases in NICU infants not being considered for RDGS suggests (1) performance of RDGS in ∼20% of admissions misses many genetic diagnoses, (2) NICU enrollment in gNBS trials will greatly increase power to test endpoints, and (3) NICUs may be attractive for early implementation of consented BeginNGS screening., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests C.M.K. and S.S.M. are employees and shareholders of Illumina, Inc. W.R.M., Y.L., and T.D. are employees and shareholders of Alexion, AstraZeneca Rare Disease. J.L. is an employee and shareholder of TileDB, Inc., (Copyright © 2024 American Society of Human Genetics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Satisfaction reflects a consumer's judgment regarding the quality of care received. Satisfaction of parents with healthcare services can serve as a reliable indicator for evaluating the quality of care given to their newborns. The aim of this study is to determine the pooled prevalence of parental satisfaction with neonatal intensive care unit services and its associated factors in Ethiopia., Methods: International databases such as PubMed/Medline, African Journals Online, SCOPUS, Web of Science, and Google Scholar were used to identify relevant published articles. Risk of bias was assessed independently by two authors. Funnel plot and Egger regression test were also employed to assess publication bias. A significant p-value of 0.05 or less suggests the presence of publication bias. PROSPERO registration number is CRD42024570971., Results: The researchers initially identified a total of 1,264 articles through their search strategy from all databases. Finally, eleven studies met the inclusion criteria and were considered suitable for the final meta-analysis. The pooled prevalence of parental satisfaction with neonatal intensive care unit services in Ethiopia was 55% (95% CI: 49%-60%). There was neither publication bias nor small study impact among the included studies. Based on the subgroup analysis by region, the pooled prevalence in Oromia were slightly higher, 63% (95% CI: 57%-69%). Birth weight, length of hospital stays, place of residence, and availability of necessary information are factors identified as significant predictors for parental satisfaction with neonatal intensive care unit service., Conclusion: According to the study's findings, there is a lower pooled prevalence of parental satisfaction than in previous research that was published in some countries. By working to raise the satisfaction levels of parents in neonatal intensive care units, healthcare facilities can enhance the overall experience for both parents and infants, leading to improved outcomes and a more positive care environment., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Haile et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Depth cameras can provide an effective, noncontact, and privacy-preserving means to monitor patients in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Clinical interventions and routine care events can disrupt video-based patient monitoring. Automatically detecting these periods can decrease the time required for hand-annotating recordings, which is needed for system development. Moreover, the automatic detection can be used in the future for real-time or retrospective intervention event classification. An intervention detection method based solely on depth data was developed using a vision transformer (ViT) model utilizing real-world data from patients in the NICU. Multiple design parameters were investigated, including encoding of depth data and perspective transform to account for nonoptimal camera placement. The best-performing model utilized ∼85 M trainable parameters, leveraged both perspective transform and HHA (Horizontal disparity, Height above ground, and Angle with gravity) encoding, and achieved a sensitivity of 85.6%, a precision of 89.8%, and an F1-Score of 87.6%.

Objective: To investigate the demographic characteristics, maternal, and perinatal factors associated with the hospitalization of moderate to late preterm and term neonates within 72 h of birth in the Dedza and Mangochi districts of Malawi., Methods: This case-control study was conducted with one-to-one matching for age, location, and sex. Cases were sick neonates who were admitted in the Sick Intensive Neonatal Care Unit (SINCU) within 72 h of life, while controls were non-sick neonates delivered within two weeks of the birth dates of cases. Prenatal data were extracted from case files, while other maternal practices and demographic characteristics were obtained by interviewing primary care takers or legal guardians after obtaining consent. Descriptive analyses and logistic regression were used to identify factors associated with hospitalization of moderate to late preterm and term neonates within 72 h of birth., Results: Application of tetracycline eye ointment (AOR: 0.41, 95% CI: 0.20-0.82, p = 0.012) applying chlorhexidine to the umbilical cord stump (AOR: 0.30, 95% CI: 0.10-0.88, p = 0.027), and stimulation resuscitation (AOR: 0.20, 95% CI: 0.05-0.78, p = 0.020) were associated with a reduced odd of hospitalization. An increased odds of hospitalization was significantly associated with low birth weight (AOR: 10.48, 95% CI: 4.25-25.89, p = 0.001), Apgar score < 5 (AOR: 5.0, 95% CI: 2.14-11.63, p = 0.001), suctioning resuscitation (AOR: 2.82, 95% CI: 1.17-6.83, p = 0.021), and resuscitation using O 2 (AOR: 4.23, 95% CI: 1.32-13.56, p = 0.015). Maternal factors associated with reduced odds of hospitalization included the mother testing positive and successfully treated for syphilis antenatally (AOR: 0.06, 95% CI: 0.02-0.18, p = 0.001) and the mother being married (AOR: 0.39, 95% CI: 0.16-0.93, p = 0.34). Maternal factors associated with an increased odds of hospitalization include premature rupture of membranes (AOR: 2.49, 95% CI: 1.12-5.52, p = 0.025) and presence of meconium stain during delivery (AOR: 3.14, 95% CI: 1.63-6.06, p = 0.001)., Conclusion: The research findings indicate that several interventions significantly reduce infections in neonates within their initial 72 h of life. These include the application of ophthalmic ointment to all neonates, utilization of chlorhexidine on the umbilical cord stump, and provision of antenatal treatment for syphilis and HIV in infected mothers. Conversely, certain factors increase the likelihood of neonatal morbidity and potential hospitalization during this critical period. These risk factors include low birth weight, a low Apgar score, and conditions necessitating suctioning or oxygen resuscitation at birth. Furthermore, infants born to mothers who experienced premature rupture of membranes or meconium-stained amniotic fluid during parturition are more susceptible to infectious conditions, which may necessitate hospitalization within the first 72 h postpartum. We recommend that stimulation be used as the core procedure for resuscitation, whereas suctioning should be used with caution and only when it is essential. Infection prevention measures should always be adhered to during all procedures on neonates. We recommend intensifying HIV and syphilis testing and treating during the antenatal period to reduce neonatal infection., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: The study protocol was approved by National Health Sciences Research Committee (NHSRC) under registration number #21/03/2659. Written informed consent was sought from the legal guardians before the neonate was enrolled. Competing interests: Upon reviewing the journal’s guidelines, it is noted that the following authors of this manuscript have disclosed competing interests: Jacqueline Rose. Chinkonde, Mesfin Senbete, Charles Nwosisi, Fatima Gohar and Tedbabe D. Hailegebriel are affiliated with UNICEF as employees. The remaining authors have stated that they have no conflicting interests to declare. Clinical trial number: not applicable., (© 2024. The Author(s).)