BACKGROUND A systems approach to the study of brain damage in very preterm newborns has been lacking. METHODS In this perspective piece, we offer encephalopathy of prematurity as an example of the complexity and interrelatedness of brain-damaging molecular processes that can be initiated inflammatory phenomena. RESULTS Using three transcription factors, nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB), Notch...

Several studies have shown that small for gestational age (SGA) babies have a different hormonal profile than those born with a birth weight appropriate for gestational age (AGA). Thyroid hormones play an important role in growth and neurocognitive development. Only few studies analyzed the concentrations of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and thyroxine (T4) during fetal and extrauterine life...

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the heart and respiration rates, mean arterial pressure, temperature and peripheral oxygen saturation of low-weight preterm newborns, before and after the application of kangaroo mother care. Method: Twenty-two healthy low-weight preterm newborns of both sexes were studied. None of them had neurological, cardiac and/or respiratory deficiencies. A...

BACKGROUND Noninvasive ventilation (NIV) in preterm infants is currently applied using intermittent positive pressure (2 positive-pressure levels) or in a conventional manner (one pressure level). However, there are no studies in the literature comparing the chances of failure of these NIV methods. The aim of this study was to evaluate the occurrence of failure of 2 noninvasive ventilatory supp...

BACKGROUND Infant mortality in the United States has continued to decline in recent years, but changes in sepsis-associated deaths among infants have not been evaluated previously. METHODS Data from US death records were analyzed for the period 1979 through 1994 to assess trends in sepsis-associated deaths among newborns and older infants. RESULTS Annual neonatal mortality associated with s...

Purpose: To compare the use of syringe and finger feeding to feed preterm newborns considering amount of milk offered, amount of milk spilled, variation of oxygen saturation, and heart rate. Methods: Quasi-experimental study with 30 preterm newborns. Thirteen infants were females and 17 were males. The mean gestational age at birth and during evaluation (corrected age) was 33 4/7 ± 4/7 and 36 ±...

Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) is the most important cause of cerebral damage and long-term neurological sequelae in the perinatal period both in term and preterm infant. Hypoxic-ischemic (H-I) injuries develop in two phases: the ischemic phase, dominated by necrotic processes, and the reperfusion phase, dominated by apoptotic processes extending beyond ischemic areas. Due to selective i...

Preterm birth is the leading cause of perinatal morbidity and mortality worldwide [1]. It contributes to 70% of neonatal mortality and approximately half of long-term neurodevelopmental disabilities [2]. The obstetrics precursors leading preterm birth are delivery for maternal or fetal indications, spontaneous preterm labour with intact membranes and preterm premature rupture of membranes (pPRO...

Objective: To investigate the impact of early skin-to-skin contact (SSC) provided for first 24?h on incidence of hypothermia in stable newborns weighing 1800?g or more during first 48?h of life. Study Design: Stable newborns (term and late preterm: Mean gestational age 37.7 (1.35) weeks, range 34-40 weeks) having birth weight 1800?g or more (Mean weight 2605.6 (419.8) grams) were enrolled after...

INTRODUCTION Bone metabolic disease is an important issue in newborns with very low birth weight. The 80 percent of the transport of calcium (Ca) and phosphor (P) from mother to fetus takes place in the third trimester of pregnancy. This transport process is impaired with the preterm delivery of the newborn. On the other side, breast milk and formula are not competent resources to supply suffic...