The ability of a preterm infant to make the transition from gavage to oral nipple feeding depends on the infant’s neurodevelopment in relation to behavioral organization, to a rhythmic suck-swallow-breathe pattern, and to cardiorespiratory regulation. Research-based knowledge about infant neurodevelopment in these three areas has led to the creation of a semidemand feeding method to aid in this...

AIMS The present study was designed to test the hypothesis that mothers of premature infants compared with mothers of term infants differ in the structure which they impose on the vocal exchanges with their infants. METHODS Thirteen mothers and their premature and term babies, were observed at discharge and 2 months later in three situations: free play, changing nappy, and feeding. Maternal c...

Preterm labour continues to be a major contributor to neonatal and infant morbidity. Recent data from the USA indicate that the number of preterm deliveries (including those associated with preterm labour) has risen in the last 20 years by 30%. This increase is despite considerable efforts to introduce new therapies for the prevention and treatment of preterm labour and highlights the need to a...

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 ...

Autopsy reports for 29 very preterm infants dying at <28 days of age were reviewed. New findings were discovered in 79% and resulted in a significant change in diagnoses in 28%. Iatrogenic lesions were identified in 41% of cases and were the main cause of death in 14%.

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.

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.

Immunoglobulin concentrations were determined in 64 consecutively born preterm babies at birth and serially throughout each baby's stay in the neonatal unit. No significant IgG generation was found during the first 15 weeks of life, regression analysis giving an exponential decay model. Concentrations fell to 2 g/l or less in 10 (16%) babies (gestational age 25 to 32 weeks), and were as low as ...

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...