Predictors and outcomes of the Neonatal Oral Motor Assessment Scale (NOMAS) performance: a systematic review.

The NOMAS is by far the most used tool to screen early oral-motor skills in newborns. Here we provide an updated review of scientific literature on the use of the Neonatal Oral Motor Assessment Scale (NOMAS) to screen early oral-motor skills in newborns. An integrative review has been carried out consistent with PRISMA guidelines and standardized qualitative appraisal. Data abstracting and synthesis were executed by two independent co-authors who solved disagreement in conference. Twenty records have been included and reviewed. The efficacy of the NOMAS in screening and identifying precocious oral-motor skills received inconsistent support. Moderate validity and low reliability emerged. Moreover, despite the NOMAS' adequately screen efficient and inefficient feeders, limited evidence emerged for predictive value of NOMAS score on feeding and psychomotor developmental trajectories during the first 2 years of age. CONCLUSION: The present review highlights benefits and limitations of the NOMAS. Future research is needed to develop observational and clinically-relevant tools to better identify newborns which are at lower- and higher-risk of developing less-than-optimal feeding behaviors and to guide with greater precision the diagnostic and therapeutic journey of these newborns. What is Known: • The assessment of oral-motor skills in newborns and infants is critical for early intervention • The NOMAS is the most adopted tool to assess oral-motor skills in newborns and infants What is New: • The ability of the NOMAS to target newborn at risk for feeding disorders is confirmed • Nonetheless, the capacity to predict long-term developmental outcomes is limited.

The Functional Evaluation of Eating Difficulties Scale: Study Protocol and Validation in Infants with Neurodevelopmental Impairments and Disabilities.

INTRODUCTION: A reliable and accurate evaluation of oral-motor skills in newborns at risk for swallowing and feeding disorders is key to set the goals of effective early interventions. Although many tools are available to assess oral-motor skills in newborns, limited evidence exists for what pertains their reliability and their effectivity in predicting short- and long-term developmental outcomes in at-risk infants. The aim of the present study is to develop and provide a preliminary validation of a new clinically grounded tool [i.e., the Functional Evaluation of Eating Difficulties Scale (FEEDS)] specifically designed to be used with at-risk newborns and infants. The paper describes the steps of tool development and information on the reliability of the tool are provided. METHODS/ANALYSIS: The FEEDS has been developed according to clinical evidence and expertise by a multidisciplinary team of professionals dealing with feeding problems in at-risk infants diagnosed with neurodevelopmental impairments and disabilities. The steps of FEEDS development are reported, together with a detailed description of items, scoring procedure, and clinical cutoff. The FEEDS has been applied to a relatively large sample of 0- to 12-month-old infants (N = 136) with neurodevelopmental disability, enrolled consecutively between 2004 and 2016 at the Scientific Institute IRCCS Eugenio Medea (Bosisio Parini, Italy), which is the main rehabilitation hospital for children with neurodevelopmental disabilities in Italy. Internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha) and reliability (inter-rater agreement) have been assessed. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: All the procedures are consistent with the World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki (2013) and the FEEDS has been approved by the clinical committee of the Scientific Institute IRCCS Eugenio Medea. Further psychometric characteristics and evidence of the predictive validity of the FEEDS will be obtained on a larger sample and they will be reported in future publications from this group.

Renal salt-wasting syndrome in children with intracranial disorders.

Hypotonic hyponatremia, a serious and recognized complication of any intracranial disorder, results from extra-cellular fluid volume depletion, inappropriate anti-diuresis or renal salt-wasting. The putative mechanisms by which intracranial disorders might lead to renal salt-wasting are either a disrupted neural input to the kidney or the elaboration of a circulating natriuretic factor. The key to diagnosis of renal salt-wasting lies in the assessment of extra-cellular volume status: the central venous pressure is currently considered the yardstick for measuring fluid volume status in subjects with intracranial disorders and hyponatremia. Approximately 110 cases have been reported so far in subjects ≤18 years of age (male: 63%; female: 37%): intracranial surgery, meningo-encephalitis (most frequently tuberculous) or head injury were the most common underlying disorders. Volume and sodium repletion are the goals of treatment, and this can be performed using some combination of isotonic saline, hypertonic saline, and mineralocorticoids (fludrocortisone). It is worthy of a mention, however, that some authorities contend that cerebral salt wasting syndrome does not exist, since this diagnosis requires evidence of a reduced arterial blood volume, a concept but not a measurable variable.

Antimicrobial resistance among Escherichia coli that cause childhood community-acquired urinary tract infections in Northern Italy.

BACKGROUND: Resistance rate of Escherichia coli against antimicrobials that are commonly prescribed in pediatric urinary tract infections is currently a matter of concern. METHODS: The antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of uropathogenic Escherichia coli strains to the common antibimcrobials ampicillin, cotrimoxazole, coamoxyclav, ceftazidime, ceftriaxone, nitrofurantoin, and gentamycin were determined in 177 children aged from 2 to 36 months. They presented with their first symptomatic community acquired urinary tract infection at the Department of Pediatrics, San Leopoldo Mandic Hospital, Merate-Lecco. RESULTS: High rates of ampicillin (inpatients: 50%; outpatients: 52%) resistance were identified. The resistance for cotrimoxazole (inpatients: 22%; outpatients: 15%) and especially coamoxyclav (inpatients: 6%; outpatients: 10%) was less pronounced than that to ampicillin. No resistance or less than 1% of resistance was identified for ceftazidime, ceftriaxone, nitrofurantoin, and gentamycin both in inpatients and in outpatients. CONCLUSIONS: Italian children affected with a community acquired urinary tract infection are initially managed orally with coamoxyclav or parenterally with ceftriaxone. The results of the present retrospective analysis support this attitude. Parenteral ceftriaxone or an aminoglycoside should be considered for patients on antimicrobial prophylaxis or recently prescribed antimicrobials.

Body fluids and salt metabolism - part II.

There is a high frequency of diarrhea and vomiting in childhood. As a consequence the focus of the present review is to recognize the different body fluid compartments, to clinically assess the degree of dehydration, to know how the equilibrium between extracellular fluid and intracellular fluid is maintained, to calculate the effective blood osmolality and discuss both parenteral fluid maintenance and replacement.