Outcomes of postnatal systemic corticosteroids administration in ventilated preterm newborns: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials.

Introduction: Prolonged mechanical ventilation, commonly used to assist preterm newborns, increases the risk of developing bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). In recent decades, studies have demonstrated that systemic corticosteroids play a significant role in the prevention and management of BPD. In this systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs), we evaluated the association between the administration of systemic corticosteroids in preterm infants and its long-term outcomes, such as neurodevelopment, growth, extubation rate, and related adverse effects. Methods: We conducted an electronic search in Medline, Scopus, and PubMed using the following terms: "premature infants" and "corticosteroids." We considered all RCTs published up to June 2023 as eligible. We included all studies involving preterm newborns treated with systemic corticosteroids and excluded studies on inhaled corticosteroids. Results: A total of 39 RCTs were evaluated. The influence of steroids administered systemically during the neonatal period on long-term neurological outcomes remains unknown, with no influence observed for long-term growth. The postnatal administration of systemic corticosteroids has been found to reduce the timing of extubation and improve respiratory outcomes. Dexamethasone appears to be more effective than hydrocortisone, despite causing a higher rate of systemic hypertension and hyperglycemia. However, in the majority of RCTs analyzed, there were no differences in the adverse effects related to postnatal corticosteroid administration. Conclusion: Dexamethasone administered during the neonatal period appears to be more effective than hydrocortisone in terms of respiratory outcomes; however, caution should be taken when administering dexamethasone. Data derived from current evidence, including meta-analyses, are inconclusive on the long-term effects of the administration of systemic steroids in preterm infants or the possibility of neurodevelopmental consequences.

Consequences of Early Separation of Maternal-Newborn Dyad in Neonates Born to SARS-CoV-2 Positive Mothers: An Observational Study.

As the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection continues its spread all over the world, data on perinatal management of the maternal-infant dyad are urgent. We performed an observational study to describe the effects of the early separation of the maternal-infant dyad, in case of maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection. We reported the medical records for 37 neonates born to 37 SARS-CoV-2 positive mothers in a setting of separation of the dyad after birth. Data on neonatal infection, clinical condition, and breastfeeding rate were recorded until the first month of life. No maternal deaths were recorded; 37.8% of women had at least one pregnancy-related complication. We reported a high adherence to recommended safety measures after discharged with 84.8% of the mothers using at least one personal protective device and 51.5% using all the protective devices. We reported one case of vertical transmission and no cases of horizontal transmission. However, the separation of the dyad had a negative impact on breastfeeding because only 23.5% of the newborns received exclusively human milk during the first month of life. Despite early separation of the dyad protecting the newborns from possible horizontal transmission of SARS-CoV-2, it negatively affects breastfeeding during the first months of life.

Early Enteral Feeding Improves Tolerance of Parenteral Nutrition in Preterm Newborns.

(1) Background: The tolerance of preterm newborns for the high nutritional intakes given by parenteral nutrition (PN) is still debated because of the risk of metabolic complications. Despite enteral nutrition (EN) being the preferred route of nutrition, an exclusive enteral feeding is not always possible, as in preterm newborns, the gut is immature and less tolerant of EN. We aimed to study the impact of a minimal enteral feeding (MEF) on the possible early metabolic complications of PN in a cohort of preterms with gestational age at birth GA ≤ 29 + 6/7 weeks of postmenstrual age. (2) Methods: We divided the study sample in two cohorts: 1) Late-Feeding (cohort 1), newborns who received MEF starting from the 8th day of age, and (2) Early-Feeding (cohort 2), newborns who received MEF, consisting of the administration of at least 4-5 mL/kg/day by the enteral route, in the first 7 days of age. The primary outcome of the study was the rate of at least one metabolic complication, including hyperglycemia, hypertriglyceridemia, or metabolic acidosis. (3) Results: We enrolled 80 newborns (Late-Feeding cohort 51 vs. Early-Feeding cohort 29). The rate of all metabolic complications was statistically higher in the Late-Feeding cohort compared to the Early-Feeding cohort. Binary logistic regression analysis showed that late administration of MEF negatively influenced the rate of all metabolic complications. (4) Conclusions: Early minimal administration of EN is associated with less frequent PN-related metabolic side effects and a higher rate of survival in critically ill newborns.