[Evoked oto-acoustic potentials in the first 60 hours of life]. / Les otoémissions acoustiques évoquées pendant les 60 premières heures de vie.

In order to verify how age influences in the first days of life the presence of Evoked Otoacoustic Emissions (EOAE), the authors tested 52 newborns. They conclude that EOAE is a reliable technique as an early detection test of hearing loss in children. However, a high percentage of false positive cases during the very first days of life advises against its too early utilization.

[Possible effects of pharmacologic prophylaxis for Mendelson's syndrome on newborns]. / Ricerca sul neonato di eventuali effetti della profilassi farmacologica della sindrome di Mendelson.

Forty-eight newborn infants whose mothers underwent both elective and urgent caesarean section were studied. Mothers were randomly assigned to one of the treatment groups for the prophylaxis of Aspiration Pneumonitis: group A was treated with ranitidine, 50 mg i.v.; group B with ranitidine, 50 mg, and metoclopramide, 10 mg i.v.; group C no medication. Neonatal assessment included Apgar score and various haematological laboratory tests: haemogasanalysis, glycemia, electrolites, hematocrit, hemoglobin, bilirubinemia, SGOT, SGPT. Nor clinical or statistic differences were noted among the three infant groups.

[Poland's syndrome: presentation of two cases diagnosed during the neonatal period (author's transl)]. / La sindrome di Poland: presentazione di due casi osservati in età neonatale.

Two cases of Poland syndrome, diagnosed during the neonatal period, are reported. The children exhibited the following malformations: absence of the costosternal head of the pectoralis major, brachysyndactyly, hypoplasia of the upper limb. There were also other associated anomalies such as: Sprengel deformity in one case, hypoplasia of the lower limb and absence of a toe on the same site, in the other case. The authors point out the possibility of associating other multiple abnormalities and they examine the various pathogenic hypothesis presented in the literature.

[Amniotic band syndrome (author's transl)]. / La sindrome da briglie amniotiche.

The authors present a critical revision of the literature concerning the pathogenic hypotheses and the opinions, during the centuries, about the origin of the deformities caused by amniotic bands. Here they describe two cases of severe deformities caused by amniotic bands which can be classified in types I and V according to Onnipoff and Hall. In the first case the newborn died immediately after the birth: the other one lives in good health after multiple surgical operations. In accordance with the anatomical reports that were found using very specific techniques and methods, the authors are inclined to accept Torpin's hypothesis, which affirms that the initial moment of the series of events which causes the formation of the amniotic bands is the breakage of the amniotic sac.

Rubella in Umbria (Italy): serological assessment of immunity in adult women and congenital rubella detection after 1978.

Antibody to rubella virus was measured in 3655 serum samples collected during 1973-1979 from females of child bearing age in Umbria (Italy). The overall incidence of seronegatives was 24 percent (hemagglutination inhibition (HAI) antibody less than 1:16), with a higher proportion of seronegatives in the first years studied (1973-1976). A history of rubella infection was shown to be an unreliable index of immunity. One case of rubella congenital syndrome was detected following laboratory screening of newborn babies after the rubella virus circulation in Umbria during 1978. The persistence of a risk associated with rubella virus in women living in Umbria indicates the importance and the urgency of the adoption of a full-scale rubella control campaign.

[Serological studies of the immunological condition versus rebulla virus in maternal and neonatal serum samples]. / Indagine sierologica sulla condizione immunitaria verso il virus della rosolia in coppie di sieri materno/neonatali, nell comune di Perugia.

In 116 serum pairs sampled from the mother and the newborn at delivery, the antibody level against Rubeola virus has been assessed haemagglutination inhibition test. Thirty one per cent of the mothers resulted not protected, as the antibody titer was below 1/16. A situation akin to that described in the same percentage of not protected women was 29,45%. In 19% of the newborns the antibody level against the virus proved higher than the mother's one by at least two dilution factors. Research work is in progress to try the reason of this result, as a possible consequence of different Ig classes or aspecific inhibitors involved.

The constitutional fragility of chromosome 12 in a case of 46,XX,var(12)(gh',RHG,CAG,CBG).

The constitutional fragility of chromosome no. 12 in a female infant with unspecific clinical signs is described. RHG, GAG, and CBG methods were used to localize the fragile point. The breaks seem to be in 12q1.3, and always within an R band. A possible correlation between the phenotypic modifications and the chromosome variant is discussed.

[Karyotype 46,XY,22p+ in a male patient (author's transl)]. / Etude d'un sujet avec caryotype 46,XY,22p+.

The authors report the case of a 2-month-old infant with psychomotor retardation and several physical stigmata. Cytogenetic studies of the patient using the normal technique show in all the cells a karyotype 46,XY with a G group chromosome substituted by an F-like mediocentric element with satellites. The R, G and C-banding methods reveal that it is the 22 with too developed short arms (22p+). This element was found in the mother's and maternal grandfather's karyotypes although they both present normal phenotypes. The authors advance two hypotheses concerning the origin of the alteration but cannot exclude a possible connection between this particular chromosome and the proband's anomalies. The difficulties of genetic counselling in this case are evident.