A crucial issue in neonatal medicine is the impact of preterm birth on the developmental trajectory of the brain. Although a growing number of studies have shown alterations in the structure and function of the brain in preterm-born infants, we propose a method to detect subtle differences in neurovascular and metabolic functions in neonates and infants. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (f...

Limited information is available regarding the frequency, spectrum, and clinical relevance of somatic mutations in the developing fetus. The goal of this study was to determine somatic mutant frequencies (Mfs) at the hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase (HPRT) reporter gene in cord blood T lymphocytes from preterm infants to gain insight into in utero mutational events. Mf determinations were...

As younger preterm infants are able to survive, more extremely preterm infants are at risk of developing retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). To investigate the incidence, progression and risk factors of ROP in extremely preterm infants in Korea, the medical records of infants born before 25 weeks gestation were retrospectively reviewed. The criteria for laser treatment agreed with type 1 ROP as d...

There has been a dramatic rise in preterm births in developed countries owing to changes in clinical practices and greater use of assisted reproductive techniques. However, few studies have examined the growth and outcomes of preterm infants according to the type of feeding (with fortified breast milk or formula). The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of breast milk feedings and f...

Premature infants born between 32 to 35 weeks' gestation have a 98% survival rate and comprise 84% of all preterm infants in the United States. These infants may have a relatively benign hospital course and may be considered by some to be a "healthy premature infant." At the time of discharge from the neonatal intensive care unit, infants will be gaining weight, feeding by mouth, and maintainin...

OBJECTIVE To evaluate whether using a sitting-type car safety seats for preterm infants is advisable. PATIENTS AND METHODS A total of 65 preterm infants underwent polysomnography in the supine and sitting positions. The infants with <95% of SpO(2) were assigned to the desaturation (DS) group. Their backgrounds, breathing patterns, and breathing types were analyzed. RESULTS Of the 65 cases, ...

OBJECTIVE To assess how non-nutritive sucking (NNS) using a pacifier affected physiological and behavioral outcomes of preterm infants. DESIGN Short-term longitudinal, experimental design. SETTING The study took place at the neonatal intensive care unit at Al-Mansoura, Egypt. METHODS Forty-seven preterm infants were divided into intervention and control groups. Preterm infants in the inte...

Thimerosal, a derivative of mercury, is used as a preservative in hepatitis B vaccines. We measured total mercury levels before and after the administration of this vaccine in 15 preterm and 5 term infants. Comparison of pre- and post-vaccination mercury levels showed a significant increase in both preterm and term infants after vaccination. Additionally, post-vaccination mercury levels were si...

Background Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is one of the most common serious squeal of preterm infants. It involves approximately one quarter of infants with birth weight less than 1500 grams and 30% of less than 1000 grams. Vitamin A has been shown to reduce BPD rate. We compared efficacy of low and high doses of vitamin A for prevention of BPD in very low birth weight preterm infants. Materi...

OBJECTIVE To compare developmental outcomes of late preterm infants (34-36 weeks' gestation) with infants born at early term (37-38 weeks' gestation) and term (39-41 weeks' gestation), from infancy through kindergarten. METHODS Sample included 1000 late preterm, 1800 early term, and 3200 term infants ascertained from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Birth Cohort. Direct assessments of ...