Phototherapy-induced hypocalcemia

no abstract availabl

[Preliminary studies of the earliness of first newborn-mother contact and breast feeding after dismissal from the hospital]

No abstract availabl

25(OH) vitamin D3 and early neonatal hypocalcemia in preterm infants

no abstract availabl

Alimentary strategies in the neonatal period in the prevention of allergies

The Authors report an update relative to the dietetic prevention strategies in the high allergic risk subject, as proposed from more recent literature. The babies with a familiar history of atopia are defined as population with allergic risk. The Authors examine the role of early exposure to cow's milk formulas and maternal diet during breast-feeding as risk factors for allergic symptoms in such babies. Moreover, they examine the indications for hydrolisated milk (partial and extensive) formulas and soy milk formulas use, as reported in published Meta-analysis and official statements of several Scientific Associations. They conclude that beyond the undoubted preventive role of exclusive breast-feeding in the first 4-6 month after birth, and of the extensively hydrolisated formulas, there are many concerns about the role for partially hydrolisated formulas and soy formulas. The Authors claim for multicentric methodologically correct trials in order to clear the controversies

[Anemia of prematurity: risk factors influencing red cell transfusions]

To investigate the importance of transfusion practice with packed red cells (PRCs) in premature infants and to identify risk factors significant influencing transfusion practice, we analyzed 75 preterm infants (gestational age: 31 +/- 2 weeks; birth weight: 1459 +/- 402 g) admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit of Catholic University of Rome. Fifty-three (70.7%) of the infants received one or more PRCs transfusions (in total 246 transfusions). The variables associated with an increase in number and frequency of PRCs transfusions were: a) gestational age < or = 30 weeks; b) birth weight < or = 1000 g; c) severe neonatal pathology (ie a respiratory disease requiring ventilatory support and/or a clearly documented or suspected sepsis). Repeated PRCs transfusions during the first week of life significantly (p < 0.01) influenced the need for late transfusions, after 4 weeks of age, for the treatment of the anemia of prematurity. These data indicate that preterm infants with a gestational age < or = 30 weeks, a birth weight < 1000 g and a severe respiratory or infectious disease represent natural candidates for administration of recombinant human erythropoietin to reduce the need for late PRCs transfusions

[Changes in liver protein synthesis in the preterm newborn infant of a pre-eclamptic mother and/or with intrauterine growth retardation]

To verify in the preterm newborn the hypothesis, recently proposed by some authors, of an hepatosynthetic deficiency, blood fibrinogen (FIB), prothrombin time (PT) and albumin (ALB) levels at birth were studied in 44 neonates, selected to obtain 4 groups of the same number and gestational age, different only for the presence of intrauterine growth retard and preeclampsia during pregnancy. In the newborns born of preeclamptic pregnancies, FIB, PT and ALB blood levels at birth resulted lower, but not significantly, than in those born of normal pregnancies; in SGA newborns the values (except for albumin) resulted significantly lower than in AGA newborns (FIB = 168 +/- 63 mg/dl vs 223 +/- 55 mg/dl; p < 0.01; PT = 51 +/- 15% vs 71 +/- 19%; p < 0.001). Besides, PT values resulted significantly lower (p < 0.01), in presence of normal pregnancy, in SGA than in AGA newborns, while FIB values resulted significantly lower (p < 0.01), in presence of preeclampsia, in SGA than in AGA newborns. It seems that, in preterm newborn, the intrauterine growth retard, rather than preeclampsia, would condition lower blood levels of the examined seric proteins. These results could be explained by hypothesizing, in the SGA preterm newborn, 3 possible etiopathogenetic mechanisms: 1) increased turnover of hepatosynthetized seric proteins, such as albumin; 2) deficiency of liver enzymes involved in proteic synthesis, already demonstrated for some coagulation factors; 3) diminished amino acidic substratum, necessary for proteic hepatosynthesis, caused by poor amino acidic passage through placenta, possible in presence of intrauterine growth retard. This would probably be the most important mechanism in causing low levels of the examined seric proteins

Efficacia dei vari tipi di luce della fototerapia nei neonati pretermine

Efficacia dei vari tipi di luce della fototerapia nei neonati pretermin