Infants receiving respiratory assistance may feel pain due to underlying disease or ventilation itself. Pain control during neonatal respiratory care reduces morbidity. This article summarizes the main scientific evidence about the use of drugs during ventilatory assistance, and provides some practical suggestions on pain management in neonates with respiratory support.
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is the leading cause of congenital infection, with morbidity and mortality at birth and sequelae. Both host and viral factors may affect the outcome of infection. CMV strain virulence may depend on genetic variability in "key genes," such as UL73, which encodes the envelope glycoprotein gN. This study aimed to ascertain the role of gN variants as markers of pathogenicity and prognosis in newborns congenitally infected with CMV.Seventy-four congenitally infected newborns were monitored for symptoms of CMV disease at birth and during long-term follow-up. The distribution of gN variants was analyzed in relation to virological parameters, clinical signs, laboratory and instrumental abnormalities at birth, and sequelae. Multivariate cluster analysis was used to test for differences in the distribution of variables. An independent validation cohort of the same size and modality of recruitment as the original population was examined by logistic regression to validate results.Univariate and cluster analyses suggest that newborns congenitally infected with CMV fall into 2 subpopulations on the basis of definite parameters of CMV disease. The first population with no symptoms at birth, negative instrumental findings, and a favorable long-term outcome was significantly associated with gN-1 and gN-3a genotypes. The second group with symptoms at birth, abnormal imaging results, and sequelae was associated with gN-4 genotypes (P<.05). The validation cohort further supports the results, indicating that genotypes gN-1 or gN-3a reduce the risk of sequelae 5 fold (95% confidence interval, 1.3-15.6 fold), whereas variants belonging to group gN-4 increase the risk of sequelae 8 fold (95% confidence interval, 2.6-25.8 fold).Results suggest that gN genotypes might be markers for virulence of CMV wild-type strains and a discriminating factor for selection of CMV-infected newborns who are at risk of developing sequelae.
Extremely low and very low gestational age (ELGA and VLGA) constitutes a risk factor for development even in absence of cerebral damage, as an immature central nervous system is exposed to invasive and inadequate stimulation. We tested the hypothesis that GA impacts developmental outcomes and trajectories of preterms without major cerebral damage in the first 2 years of life, expecting poorer developmental outcomes and higher rate of impairment with the decreasing of GA. We also evaluated whether GA, together with developmental outcomes in the first year of life, was related to developmental outcomes at 24 months.Eighty-eight infants, divided into three GA groups (ELGA: ≤28 weeks; VLGA: 29-32 weeks; full term: >37 weeks) were assessed longitudinally at 6, 12, 18 and 24 months using the Griffiths Mental Development Scales.Use of a repeated measure multivariate analysis of variance resulted in several significant findings. GA was associated with the developmental quotient (DQ) scores (P= 0.006); and locomotor (P < 0.001), eye and hand co-ordination (P= 0.016) and performance (P= 0.040) sub-scale quotient (SQ) scores; age of evaluation was also associated with DQ scores (P= 0.002), and locomotor (P < 0.001) and performance (P < 0.001) SQ scores. In particular, ELGAs exhibited lower DQ and SQ scores compared with the VLGA and full-term groups; some ELGAs showed mild, moderate or severe cognitive impairments, while few VLGAs mild impairments. Linear regression analysis showed that GA (P= 0.034) and 12-month developmental outcome (P < 0.001) were related to 24-month developmental outcome.Different developmental trajectories emerged in relation to GA, with poorer developmental outcomes and higher rates of impairment in ELGAs and few mild impairments in VLGAs. The relevance of taking into account both GA and repeated assessments in the first 2 years of life was shown.
Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is the most severe gastrointestinal complication of prematurity. Surgery, either peritoneal drainage placement or laparotomy with resection of the intestinal necrotic tracts, is the definitive treatment of perforated NEC; however, when clinical conditions contraindicate surgical approaches, little is known about medical treatments adjuvant or alternative to surgery. Octreotide is a synthetic somatostatin analog that inhibits pancreatic secretion and leads to splanchnic vasoconstriction. In preterm neonates, it is mainly used off-label for chylothorax and congenital hyperinsulinism, whereas gastrointestinal indications are limited. We describe the case of a critically ill extremely low birth weight infant with perforated NEC, who had unsuccessfully undergone peritoneal drainage placement and laparotomy. Her unstable condition contraindicated a further laparotomy, thus off-label treatment with octreotide was attempted. No adverse events occurred. The infant’s condition gradually improved and progressive reduction of peritoneal outputs and successful resolution of pneumoperitoneum were achieved, with no relapse after octreotide discontinuation.
Due to its peculiar nutritional and non-nutritional contents, which include long-chain polyunsatured fatty acids (LC-PUFA), prebiotics, immunological factors, hormones and growth factors, breast milk shows significant advantages over infant formulas in nourishing preterm infants. Better neurocognitive outcomes, which are reported to persist far beyond the early childhood, have been largely observed in breastfed preterm infants; a role of LC-PUFA in promoting neural and retinal development is assumed. As far as the gastrointestinal tract is concerned, several evidences have reported a dose-related reduction in NEC incidence among preterm infants fed on human milk. Moreover, the higher amount of immunological factors as secretory IgA within preterm breast milk might play a remarkable role in reducing the overall infections. Despite breastfeeding in preterm infants is generally linked with lowered growth rates which might potentially affect neurocognitive outcomes, the beneficial effects of human milk on neurodevelopment prevail. Fortified human milk might better fulfill the particular nutritional needs of preterm infants. However, as breast milk fortification is difficult to carry out after the achievement of full oral feeding, some concerns on the nutritional adequacy of exclusive breastfeeding during hospitalization as well as after discharge have been raised. Finally, breastfeeding also entails maternal psychological beneficial effects, as promoting the motherhood process and the mother-child relationship, which could be undermined in those women experiencing preterm delivery. Proceedings of the 9th International Workshop on Neonatology · Cagliari (Italy) · October 23rd-26th, 2013 · Learned lessons, changing practice and cutting-edge research
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A cohort of 1567 infants was studied at birth and at 3 mo of age to elucidate factors possibly affecting feeding policies in the maternity ward and the relationship with subsequent feeding patterns. During their stay in the maternity wards 89.6% of infants were breastfed, with 28.1% receiving formula in addition to mother's milk. Independent predictors of receiving a formula supplement in the maternity wards as a result of multivariate analyses were the separation of the newborn from the mother, a birthweight lower than 3000 g and a gestational age lower than 38 wk. At 3 mo of age, 66.1% infants were still at least partially breastfed and 48.9% were exclusively breastfed. An increased risk of not being breastfed at 3 mo of age was related to supplementary feeding at birth and birthweight. A weak relationship was found between the prevalence of breastfeeding at 3 mo of age and the magnitude of routine formula supplement use in the maternity ward. Given the present trends for early discharge from maternity wards and the National Health System facility for free paediatric assistance after discharge, in Italy paediatricians should be the main actors to support the continuation of breastfeeding.
The effectiveness of Toxoplasma gondii (Tg) screening during pregnancy in areas with a low prevalence of the infection is debated. We investigate the Tg serological status, the rate of primary infection in a cohort of pregnant women and the rate of congenital toxoplasmosis among their infants during a 3-year period in an urban area with low Tg prevalence.Demographic and Tg serological data for all pregnant women delivering from January 2009 to December 2011 were collected. All pregnant women with primary Tg infection during pregnancy and their infants were included in the study.In early pregnancy, 10,347 women underwent prenatal screening and 2308 (22.3%) had anti-Tg. The seroprevalence among non-native women was significantly higher than that among native women [32.8% vs. 19.1%, relative risk: 1.71, P < 0.001]. The incidence rate of primary Tg infection during pregnancy was 0.77%. Immigrant women were more likely to be infected during pregnancy than Italian women (relative risk: 4.88, P < 0.001). Tg infection was more frequent in women coming from Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe and South America. The CT incidence rate was 0.06%. All congenitally infected infants were born to immigrant mothers.Tg infection during pregnancy and congenital disease are more frequent in non-native mothers and their infants. Measures to prevent Tg exposition must be carefully explained to pregnant women, with a focus on specific habits in non-native women. Prenatal screening is still effective to select women for prenatal therapy aiming to decrease vertical transmission and to identify foetuses/newborns with congenital disease that could benefit from pre/postnatal antiparasitic therapy.
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