Background: Preterm birth is a significant cause of newborn morbidity and mortality and strains society’s healthcare resources due to its long-term effects on the health of the newborn. Prenatal maternal quality of life (QoL) may be related to the occurrence of preterm birth and low birthweight infants. Few studies, however, have investigated maternal QoL, especially throughout the continuum of...

Data are presented on faecal water losses in 93 preterm infants being fed breast milk (72 infant days) or formula (280 days). Losses per kg increased to 4 weeks, when they amounted to 11% of water requirement in infants fed breast milk and 8% in infants fed formula.

BACKGROUND The objective of this study was to determine whether acute histologic chorioamnionitis is associated with adverse neonatal outcomes in late preterm infants who were born after preterm PROM. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS The relationship between the presence of acute histologic chorioamnionitis and adverse neonatal outcome was examined in patients with preterm PROM who delivered si...

The concentrations of D-dimers (the D fragments of fibrinogen) were measured in blood from 15 preterm infants, and 45 born at full term, to establish normal ranges. The adult normal range is less than 0.25 mg/l; 31 of the 60 infants (52%) had values less than 0.25 mg/l, in 16 (27%) they were 0.25-0.5, in eight (13%) 0.5-1, in three (5%) 1-2, and in two (3%) 2-4. D-dimer concentrations measured ...

BACKGROUND A significant proportion of premature infants present with respiratory failure early in life and require supplemental oxygen and some form of mechanical respiratory support. FINDINGS Many technical advances in the devices for neonatal respiratory support have occurred in recent years and new management strategies have been developed and evaluated in this population. This article de...

In its American context the case of baby Messenger, a preterm infant disconnected from life-support by his father and allowed to die has generated debate about neonatal treatment protocols. Limited by the legal and ethical norms of the United States, this case did not consider treatment protocols that might be available in other countries such as Denmark and Israel: threshold protocols whereby ...

Bilateral medullary echogenic foci are not uncommonly seen in renal ultrasounds of sick, preterm neonates. Often, the likely diagnosis is nephrocalcinosis. We present one such case. The long term outcome in this population is unknown, but is generally thought to be essentially good.

BACKGROUND Growing literature on negative childhood stress emphasizes the need to understand cortisol values from varying biomarker samples. OBJECTIVE This work aimed to examine cortisol samples for usability, associations, and individual stability in neonates. SUBJECTS The sample consisted of preterm infants (n=31). MATERIALS AND METHODS Analyses on cortisol collected from cord blood and...

Premature infants frequently present with respiratory instability, which is associated with fluctuations in ventilation and gas exchange. Adjustment of respiratory support to the infant's needs is limited by staff availability and workload. Hence, automation is being explored as a way to improve the care of the premature infants. New modes of automatic respiratory support are being developed an...