Excessive vasodilatation during the perinatal period is associated with cardiorespiratory instability in preterm neonates. Little evidence of the mechanisms controlling microvascular tone during circulatory transition exists. We hypothesised that hydrogen sulphide (H2S), an important regulator of microvascular reactivity and central cardiac function in adults and animal models, may contribute t...

Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) represent the widest commitment in history to addressing global poverty and health. MDG-4 commits international community to reducing mortality in under 5 by two-thirds between 1990 and 2015. According to Lancet Neonatal Survival Series (LNSS), since 2000, child mortality after the first month (from 29 days to 5 years) fell by a third [1]. Meanwhile, little i...

OBJECTIVE Visual preference for faces at birth is the product of a multimodal sensory experience experienced by the fetus even during the gestational period. The ability to recognize faces allows an ecologically advantageous interaction with the social environment. However, perinatal events such as premature birth, may adversely affect the adequate development of this capacity. In this study, w...

BACKGROUND Intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) is a major cause of neurologic disabilities in preterm newborns. We evaluated the use of plasma activin A concentrations to predict the development of perinatal IVH. METHODS We measured nucleated erythrocyte (NRBC) counts, plasma activin A, hypoxanthine (Hyp), and xanthine (Xan) in arterial blood samples obtained from 53 preterm infants during the ...

Background: Tremendous difficulties are imposed on families with preterm and premature babies, both at birth and during their lifetime. The present study aimed at evaluating the potential economic impact of preterm and premature birth in Iran. Methods: In this descriptive cross-sectional study (2014-2015), we studied preterm and premature newborns, who have been subjected to hospitalization in ...

BACKGROUND Surfactant therapy is one of the few treatments that have dramatically changed clinical practice in neonatology. In addition to respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), surfactant deficiency is observed in many other clinical situations in term and preterm infants, raising several questions regarding the use of surfactant therapy. OBJECTIVES This review focuses on several points of int...

COMMUNITY EYE HEALTH JOURNAL | VOLUME 30 | NUMBER 99 | 2017 Preterm babies, and newborns who are unwell, are now surviving at higher rates globally than ever before. This is the result of expansion and improvement in services for sick and preterm babies. However, preterm birth is associated with a range of complications, including retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), and preterm infants are at a f...

BACKGROUND: Early readmissions of apparently healthy newborns after discharge from well baby nurseries (WBN) may reflect an inadequate assessment of the newborn’s readiness for discharge. OBJECTIVE: To determine the frequency, causes, costs, and variations in rates of early rehospitalization of newborns discharged from 21 WBNs in 1 health care system. METHODS: We queried the Enterprise Data War...

BACKGROUND: Early readmissions of apparently healthy newborns after discharge from well baby nurseries (WBN) may reflect an inadequate assessment of the newborn’s readiness for discharge. OBJECTIVE: To determine the frequency, causes, costs, and variations in rates of early rehospitalization of newborns discharged from 21 WBNs in 1 health care system. METHODS: We queried the Enterprise Data War...