Searching molecular biomarkers correlating with BSID-III at 24 months in infants with neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy.

An early prediction of outcomes of neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (NE) is of key importance in reducing neonatal mortality and morbidity. The objectives were (i) to analyze the characteristics of miRNA expression and metabolic patterns of neonates with NE and (ii) to assess their predictive performance for neurodevelopmental outcomes. Plasma samples from moderate/severe NE patients (N = 92) of the HYPOTOP study were collected before, during, and after therapeutic hypothermia (TH) and compared to a control group (healthy term infants). The expression of miRNAs and concentrations of metabolites (hypoxia-related and energy, steroid, and tryptophan metabolisms) were analyzed. Neurodevelopmental outcomes were evaluated at 24 months postnatal age using Bayley Scales of Infant Development, ed. III, BSID-III. Differences in miRNA and metabolic profiles were found between NE vs. control infants, abnormal (i.e., mildly and moderately abnormal and severe) vs. normal, and severe vs. non-severe (i.e., normal and mildly and moderately abnormal) BSID-III. 4-Androstene-3,17-dione, testosterone, betaine, xanthine, and lactate were suitable for BSID-III outcome prediction (receiver operating characteristic areas under the curve (AUCs) ≥ 0.6), as well as 68 miRNAs (AUCs of 0.5-0.9). Significant partial correlations of xanthine and betaine levels and the expression of several miRNAs with BSID-III sub-scales were found. Conclusion: We have identified metabolites/miRNAs that might be useful to support the prediction of middle-term neurodevelopmental outcomes of NE. What is known and what is new: • The early prediction of outcomes of neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (NE) is of key importance in reducing neonatal mortality and morbidity. • Alterations of the metabolome and miRNAs had been observed in NE. • We performed miRNA sequencing and quantified selected metabolites (i.e., lactate, pyruvate, ketone bodies, Krebs cycle intermediates, tryptophan pathway, hypoxia-related metabolites, and steroids) by GC- and LC-MS. • Specific miRNAs and metabolites that allow prediction of middle-term neurodevelopmental outcomes of newborns with NE undergoing hypothermia treatment were identified.

Longitudinal perturbations of plasma nuclear magnetic resonance profiles in neonatal encephalopathy.

BACKGROUND: Neonatal encephalopathy (NE) is a major cause of mortality and severe neurological disability in the neonatal period and beyond. We hypothesized that the degree of brain injury is reflected in the molecular composition of peripheral blood samples. METHODS: A sub-cohort of 28 newborns included in the HYPOTOP trial was studied. Brain injury was assessed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) once per patient and neurodevelopment at 24 months of age was evaluated using the Bayley III Scales of Infant and Toddler Development. The nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) profile of 60 plasma samples collected before, during, and after cooling was recorded. RESULTS: In total, 249 molecular features were quantitated in plasma samples from newborns and postnatal age showed to affect detected NMR profiles. Lactate, beta-hydroxybutyrate, pyruvate, and three triglyceride biomarkers showed the ability to discern between different degrees of brain injury according to MRI scores. The prediction performance of lactate was superior as compared to other clinical and biochemical parameters. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first longitudinal study of an ample compound panel recorded by NMR spectroscopy in plasma from NE infants. The serial determination of lactate confirms its solid position as reliable candidate biomarker for predicting the severity of brain injury. IMPACT: The use of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy enables the simultaneous quantitation of 249 compounds in a small volume (i.e., 100 µL) of plasma. Longitudinal perturbations of plasma NMR profiles were linked to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) outcomes of infants with neonatal encephalopathy (NE). Lactate, beta-hydroxybutyrate, pyruvate, and three triglyceride biomarkers showed the ability to discern between different degrees of brain injury according to MRI scores. Lactate is a minimally invasive candidate biomarker for early staging of MRI brain injury in NE infants that might be readily implemented in clinical guidelines for NE outcome prediction.

Noninvasive monitoring of evolving urinary metabolic patterns in neonatal encephalopathy.

BACKGROUND: Infants with moderate and severe neonatal encephalopathy (NE) frequently suffer from long-term adverse outcomes. We hypothesize that the urinary metabolome of newborns with NE reflects the evolution of injury patterns observed with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). METHODS: Eligible patients were newborn infants with perinatal asphyxia evolving to NE and qualifying for therapeutic hypothermia (TH) included in the HYPOTOP trial. MRI was employed for characterizing brain injury. Urine samples of 55 infants were collected before, during, and after TH. Metabolic profiles of samples were recorded employing three complementary mass spectrometry-based assays, and the alteration of detected metabolic features between groups was assessed. RESULTS: The longitudinal assessment revealed significant perturbations of the urinary metabolome. After 24 h of TH, a stable disease pattern evolved characterized by the alterations of 4-8% of metabolic features related to lipid metabolism, metabolism of cofactors and vitamins, glycan biosynthesis and metabolism, amino acid metabolism, and nucleotide metabolism. Characteristic metabolomic fingerprints were observed for different MRI injury patterns. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows the potential of urinary metabolic profiles for the noninvasive monitoring of brain injury of infants with NE during TH. IMPACT: A comprehensive approach for the study of the urinary metabolome was employed involving a semi-targeted capillary electrophoresis-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOFMS) assay, an untargeted ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC)-quadrupole TOFMS assay, and a targeted UPLC-tandem MS-based method for the quantification of amino acids. The longitudinal study of the urinary metabolome identified dynamic metabolic changes between birth and until 96 h after the initiation of TH. The identification of altered metabolic pathways in newborns with pathologic MRI outcomes might offer the possibility of developing noninvasive monitoring approaches for personalized adjustment of the treatment and for supporting early outcome prediction.

The association of salivary caffeine levels with serum concentrations in premature infants with apnea of prematurity.

The purpose of this paper is to verify whether the concentrations of caffeine in saliva are comparable to serum concentrations in preterm infants who are treated with caffeine for apnea of prematurity. This is a prospective observational study. Eligible participants were newborn infants < 37 weeks of gestational age treated with oral or intravenous caffeine for apnea of prematurity. Two paired samples of saliva and blood were collected per patient. Tube solid-phase microextraction coupled online to capillary liquid chromatography with diode array detection was used for analysis. A total of 47 infants with a median gestational age of 28 [26-30] weeks and a mean of 1.11 ± 0.4 kg of birth weight. Median postmenstrual age, when samples were collected, was 31 [29-33] weeks. Serum caffeine median levels of 19.30 µg/mL [1.9-53.90] and salivary caffeine median levels of 16.36 µg/mL [2.20-56.90] were obtained. There was a strong positive Pearson's correlation between the two variables r = 0.83 (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The measurement of salivary caffeine concentrations after intravenous or oral administration offers an alternative to serum caffeine monitoring in apnea of prematurity. Measurement of salivary concentration minimizes blood draws, improves blood conservation, and subsequently minimizes painful procedures in premature infants. WHAT IS KNOWN: • Salivary sampling may be useful when is applied to extremely low birth weight infant, in whom blood sampling must be severely restricted. WHAT IS NEW: • The measurement of caffeine salivary concentrations after intravenous or oral administration offers an alternative to serum caffeine monitoring in apnoea of prematurity. • Salivary sampling may be a valid non-invasive alternative that could be used to individualize and optimize caffeine dose.

Non-invasive monitoring of saliva can be used to identify oxidative stress biomarkers in preterm and term newborn infants.

AIM: The aim of this study was to appraise the feasibility and reproducibility of applying a validated analytical method to determine salivary oxidative stress biomarkers in newborn infants. METHODS: Prospective observational single-centre study was carried out in level III neonatal intensive care unit. Eligible patients were preterm infants and healthy full-term newborn infants. Salivary samples were analysed in the chromatographic system. RESULTS: A total of 23 premature newborn infants and 13 full-term newborns were included. We analysed salivary levels of oxidative stress biomarkers for 5-F2t isoprostane, 15-E2t isoprostane, prostaglandin E2 and prostaglandin F2α. The multivariate predictive model showed a positive association between female and 5-F2t isoprostonae, and between female sex and prostglandin F2α. In addition, we found a positive association between gestational age and levels of prostaglandin E2 . Furthermore, in the premature group, we found a positive association between the inspired fraction of oxygen and levels of prostaglandin G2 . CONCLUSION: We identified and determined lipid peroxidation biomarkers in term and preterm newborn infants' saliva using specific and validated mass spectrometry technology.

Delayed vs Immediate Cord Clamping Changes Oxygen Saturation and Heart Rate Patterns in the First Minutes after Birth.

OBJECTIVE: To build arterial oxygen saturation (SpO2) and heart rate (HR) percentiles for the first 10 minutes after birth in term infants born after an uneventful gestation, vaginal delivery, and delayed cord clamping (DCC) for ≥60 seconds, and to compare our results with previous ones constructed after immediate cord clamping. STUDY DESIGN: Preductal SpO2, HR, and timing of DCC immediately after complete fetal body expulsion were recorded. The pulse-oximeter was adjusted in the right wrist/hand and set at maximal intensity and measurements performed every 2 seconds. RESULTS: A total of 282 term newborn infants were included. The definitive data set comprised of 70 257 SpO2 and 79 746 HR measurements. Median and IQR of SpO2 (%) at 1, 5, and 10 minutes after birth were 77 (68-85), 94 (90-96), and 96 (93-98), respectively. HR (beats per minute) median and IQR at 1, 5, and 10 minutes after birth were 148 (84-170), 155 (143-167), and 151 (142-161), respectively. We found significantly higher SpO2 for the 10th, 50th, and 90th percentiles compared with the previous reference ranges for the first 5 minutes and HR for the first 1-2 minutes after birth. CONCLUSIONS: Spontaneously breathing term newborn infants born by vaginal delivery who underwent DCC ≥60 seconds achieved higher SpO2 and HR in the first 5 minutes after birth compared with term neonates born under the same conditions but with immediate cord clamping. Further studies in neonates undergoing cesarean delivery are under way.

[The epidemiological survey as a key instrument for events of Public Health importance]. / La encuesta epidemiológica como instrumento clave frente a eventos de importancia en Salud Pública.

The epidemiological survey is one of the key instruments, both in Public Health alerts or emergencies, and in epidemiological surveillance. Its main objective is to obtain information quickly, systematically, uniformly and easily. It is characterized by being dynamic and flexible, in addition to offering the relevant descriptive information of the epidemiological event studied: person, place and time . Thus, it allows us to quantify the frequency and distribution pattern of the event through measures such as incidence, prevalence or mortality, providing the basic information to propose a starting hypothesis.

La encuesta epidemiológica es uno de los instrumentos clave, tanto en las alertas o emergencias de Salud Pública, como en la vigilancia epidemiológica. Su principal objetivo es obtener información de forma rápida, sistemática, uniforme y sencilla. Se caracteriza por ser dinámica y flexible, además de ofrecer la información descriptiva relevante del evento epidemiológico estudiado: persona, lugar y tiempo . Así, permite cuantificar la frecuencia y el patrón de distribución del evento a través de medidas como la incidencia, la prevalencia o la mortalidad, aportando la información básica para plantear una hipótesis de partida.

Consensus document for the kangaroo mother care method.

INTRODUCTION: Currently, kangaroo mother care (KMC) is an intervention whose implementation in clinical practice varies widely. The aim of this document is to gather the latest evidence-based recommendations in an attempt to reduce interprofessional variation and increase the quality of neonatal care. METHODS: The document was developed following the guidelines provided in the Methodological Manual for the Development of Clinical Practice Guidelines of the National Health System: formulation and prioritization of clinical questions, literature search, critical reading, development of the document and external review. The target population was preterm (PT) and/or low birth weight (LBW) newborn infants admitted to a neonatal unit. RECOMMENDATIONS: Based on the current evidence, recommendations have been issued to address 18 clinical questions regarding the impact of KMC (morbidity and mortality, physiological stability, neurodevelopment, feeding, pain, families), including infants with vascular access or respiratory support devices. It also describes the KMC procedure (transfer, positioning), the facilitators and barriers related to the implementation of KMC and how to implement KMC in extremely preterm newborns (less than 28 weeks of postmenstrual age in the first days of life). CONCLUSIONS: Kangaroo mother care is a beneficial practice for PT infants, LBW infants and their families. The implementation of these recommendations may be useful in everyday clinical practice and may improve KMC outcomes and the quality of care provided to neonatal patients.

Care bundle for preventing intraventricular hemorrhage in premature infants: a best practice implementation project.

INTRODUCTION: Intraventricular hemorrhages remain a major problem in neonatology, because their complications affect neonatal morbidity, mortality, and long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes. AIM: The aim of this project was to prevent intraventricular hemorrhage in premature infants during their first days of life in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). METHODS: This pre- and post-implementation clinical audit project used the JBI Evidence Implementation Framework and was conducted in a tertiary-level Spanish NICU with a consecutive sample. A baseline audit was conducted using 13 audit criteria derived from JBI summaries of the best available evidence. This was followed by the implementation of an action plan, which included a care bundle and health care professionals' education. These improvement strategies were then evaluated using a follow-up audit. RESULTS: The baseline and follow-up audits evaluated 54 and 56 infants, respectively. The follow-up audit showed 100% improvement for Criteria 2, 3, 6, and 7, which covered sleep safety and noise. Criteria 12 and 13, which covered cord clamping and positioning the infant, improved by 25.99%. Criterion 9, on antenatal corticosteroids, showed a slight improvement of 5.56%. CONCLUSIONS: This study increased compliance with an evidence-based, family-centered care approach to preventing intraventricular hemorrhage in premature infants. This was achieved by conducting a baseline and follow-up audit, implementing a training program, and keeping more comprehensive nursing records. Further studies could assess the long-term effectiveness of interventions and/or the incidence of intraventricular hemorrhage and neurodevelopmental disorders in premature infants. SPANISH ABSTRACT: http://links.lww.com/IJEBH/A262.

Analysis of Fractional Cerebral Oxygen Extraction in Preterm Infants during the Kangaroo Care.

INTRODUCTION: We aimed to investigate the cerebral fractional tissue oxygen extraction (FtOE) during kangaroo care (KC) in premature infants and compare cardiorespiratory stability and hypoxic or bradycardic events between KC and incubator care. METHODS: A single-center prospective observational study was carried out at the NICU of a level 3 perinatal center. Preterm infants <32 weeks gestational age were subjected to KC. Patients were subjected to continuous monitoring of regional cerebral oxygen saturation (rScO2), peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO2), and heart rate (HR) during KC, before KC (pre-KC), and after KC (post-KC). The monitoring data were stored and exported to MATLAB for synchronization and signal analysis including the calculation of the FtOE and events analysis (i.e., desaturations and bradycardias counts and anormal values). Furthermore, the event counts and the mean SpO2, HR, rScO2, and FtOE were compared between studied periods employing the Wilcoxon rank-sum test and the Friedman test, respectively. RESULTS: A total of forty-three KC sessions with their corresponding pre-KC and post-KC segments were analyzed. The distributions of the SpO2, HR, rScO2, and FtOE showed different patterns according to the respiratory support, but not differences between the studied periods were detected. Accordingly, no significant differences in monitoring events were evidenced. However, cerebral metabolic demand (FtOE) was significantly lower during KC compared with post-KC (p = 0.019). CONCLUSION: Premature infants remain clinically stable during KC. Moreover, cerebral oxygenation is significantly higher and cerebral tissular oxygen extraction is significantly lower during KC compared with incubator care in post-KC. No differences in HR and SpO2 were shown. This novel data analysis methodology could be expanded to other clinical situations.

Direct Derivatization in Dried Blood Spots for Oxidized and Reduced Glutathione Quantification in Newborns.

The glutathione (GSH)-to-glutathione disulfide (GSSG) ratio is an essential node contributing to intracellular redox status. GSH/GSSG determination in whole blood can be accomplished by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) after the derivatization of GSH with N-ethylmaleimide (NEM). While this is feasible in a laboratory environment, its application in the clinical scenario is cumbersome and therefore ranges reported in similar populations differ noticeably. In this work, an LC-MS procedure for the determination of GSH and GSSG in dried blood spot (DBS) samples based on direct in situ GSH derivatization with NEM of only 10 µL of blood was developed. This novel method was applied to 73 cord blood samples and 88 residual blood volumes from routine newborn screening performed at discharge from healthy term infants. Two clinical scenarios simulating conditions of sampling and storage relevant for routine clinical analysis and clinical trials were assessed. Levels of GSH-NEM and GSSG measured in DBS samples were comparable to those obtained by liquid blood samples. GSH-NEM and GSSG median values for cord blood samples were significantly lower than those for samples at discharge. However, the GSH-NEM-to-GSSG ratios were not statistically different between both groups. With DBS testing, the immediate manipulation of samples by clinical staff is reduced. We therefore expect that this method will pave the way in providing an accurate and more robust determination of the GSH/GSSG values and trends reported in clinical trials.

Impact of Kangaroo Care on Premature Infants' Oxygenation: Systematic Review.

INTRODUCTION: Kangaroo care (KC) is defined by the World Health Organization as a method of care consisting in putting premature infants or newborns in skin-to-skin contact with their parents. KC is an effective method of promoting health and well-being of infants and their families. Physiological stability during KC has been widely analyzed, however with controversial results. METHODS: A systematic review was conducted. Electronic databases searched included MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, and Scopus. Two authors independently reviewed and extracted information using a data extraction form. The methodological quality of the observational studies was assessed using "STROBE" and the "Cochrane Collaboration tool" for randomized controlled trials. The physiological monitoring parameters included were heart rate (HR), arterial oxygen saturation (SpO2), regional cerebral oxygen saturation (rScO2), and fractional oxygen extraction (FtOE). RESULTS: A total of 345 articles were identified. First, 302 articles were excluded by title and then 34 articles after full-text analysis. Finally, a total of 25 studies were included. Physiological parameters monitored (HR, SpO2, rScO2, and FtOE) showed no significant changes at different study periods: pre-KC, during KC, and post-KC. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that stable preterm infants receiving or not respiratory support show no significant differences in HR, SpO2, FtOE during KC compared to routine incubator care. rScO2 remains stable during KC with slight upward trend. Further studies with a higher level of methodological quality are needed to confirm these findings.

Neurodevelopmental Outcome and Epigenetic Changes at 2 Years Associated with the Oxygen Load Received upon Postnatal Stabilization: A Pilot Study.

INTRODUCTION: The oxygen load provided to preterm infants during postnatal stabilization caused significant modifications of DNA methylation in the preterm epigenome. We aimed to assess if there was an association between DNA methylation changes and neurodevelopmental outcomes. METHODS: Preterm infants were followed until 2 years after birth. Dried blood spots were processed, and DNA methylation was measured using the MassARRAY technology of Sequenom. We selected specific genes that corresponded to differentially methylated CpG sites that correlated with the oxygen load at 2 h after birth. Neurodevelopmental outcome was blindly assessed using Bayley-III scale. RESULTS: Of 32 eligible patients, we completed the methylation analysis in 19 patients and the neurodevelopmental evaluation in 22. Comparison of differential methylation analysis between time 0 (cord blood) and 2 h after birth showed 74 significant CpGs, out of which 14 correlated with the oxygen load received at birth. Out of these 14 genes, only TRAPPC9 showed statistically significant differences at 2 years of age between the infants who received >500 mL versus <500 mL O2/kg. Premature who received >500 mL O2/kg showed significantly lower motor composite scores. DISCUSSION/CONCLUSIONS: Premature who received higher oxygen load scored lower motor composite scores and showed a hypermethylation pattern of TRAPPC9 at 2 years of age. TRAPPC9 mutations are associated with neurodevelopmental delay and intellectual disability, so changes in the CpG methylation of this gene and its subsequent expression alteration can produce a similar phenotype. Further studies with a greater sample size are needed to confirm these findings.

GC-MS analysis of short chain fatty acids and branched chain amino acids in urine and faeces samples from newborns and lactating mothers.

BACKGROUND: Short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and branched chain amino acids (BCAAs) are frequently determined in faeces, and widely used as biomarkers of gut-microbiota activity. However, collection of faeces samples from neonates is not straightforward, and to date levels of these metabolites in newborn's faeces and urine samples have not been described. METHODS: A targeted gas chromatography - mass spectrometry (GC-MS) method for the determination of SCFAs and BCAAs in both faeces and urine samples has been validated. The analysis of 210 urine and 137 faeces samples collected from preterm (PI), term infants (TI) and their mothers was used to report faecal and urinary SCFA and BCAA levels in adult and neonatal populations. RESULTS: A significant correlation among five SCFAs and BCAAs in faeces and urine samples was observed. Reference ranges of SCFAs and BCAAs in mothers, PI and TI were reported showing infant's lower concentrations in faeces and higher concentrations in urine. CONCLUSION: This method presents a non-invasive approach for the simultaneous assessment of SCFAs and BCAAs in faecal and urine samples and the results will serve as a knowledge base for future experiments that will focus on the study of the impact of nutrition on the microbiome of lactating mothers and their infants.

Use of the Ultrasound Technique as Compared to the Standard Technique for the Improvement of Venous Cannulation in Patients with Difficult Access.

(1) Objective. We aimed to demonstrate that the use of the ultrasound-guided technique facilitates peripheral venous cannulation as compared to the standard technique in patients with difficult access at emergency services. (2) Method. A case-control study, randomized research. Variables were collected from a population with non-palpable or not visible veins, classified into size risk groups for 6 months. In the comparative analysis, the patients were divided into two groups: the cases group was composed of patients to whom the peripheral venous cannulation was performed with the ultrasound-guided technique (UST), while the control was composed of patients with whom the standard technique (ST) was performed. The ultrasound LOGIQ P5 750VA from General Electric Healthcare, with an 11 mHz linear probe, was utilized, along with peripheral venous catheters model InsyteTM AutoguardTM with gauges of 14G to 26G. (3) Results. Seventy-two cases. The use of the ultrasound decreased the time (618.34s ST, 126s UST) and the number of punctures (2.92 ST, 1.23 UST); about 25% of the patients did not have complications with the UST, as compared to 8% with the ST. The use of the ultrasound decreased the pain experienced by 1.44 points in the visual analog scale, as compared to 0.11 points with the ST. The rate of success of the first try with the UST was 76%, as compared to 16% of the ST. The gauge of the catheter increased with the UST, with successful cannulations obtained with 20G (56%) and 18G (41%) gauges. (4) Conclusions. The use of ultrasound facilitates venous cannulation according to the variables of the study. The ultrasound visualization of the vessels is associated with the selection of the catheter gauge. There was no relation between the complications and the depth of the blood vessels.

Impact of Gestational COVID-19 on Neonatal Outcomes: Is Vertical Infection Possible?

BACKGROUND: The vertical transmission of severe acute respiratory coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) remains highly debated. Here, we evaluated SARS-CoV-2-transmission in newborns with intrauterine conditions. METHODS: This was a prospective, observational and multicentric study involving 13 Spanish hospitals included in the GEStational and NEOnatal-COVID cohort. Pregnant women with microbiologically confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection during any trimester of pregnancy or delivery and their newborns were included from March to November 2020. Demographic, clinical and microbiological data were also obtained. Viral loads were analyzed in different maternal and newborn biological samples (placenta, breast milk and maternal blood; urine, meconium and newborn blood). RESULTS: A total of 177 newborns exposed to SARS-CoV-2 were included. Newborns were tested by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction using nasopharyngeal swabs within the first 24-48 hours of life and at 14 days of life. In total 5.1% were considered to have SARS-CoV-2 infection in the neonatal period, with 1.7% considered intrauterine and 3.4% intrapartum or early postnatal transmission cases. There were no differences in the demographic and clinical characteristics of the pregnant women and their newborns' susceptibility to infections in their perinatal history or background. CONCLUSIONS: Intrauterine transmission of SARS-CoV-2 is possible, although rare, with early postnatal transmission occurring more frequently. Most infected newborns remained asymptomatic or had mild symptoms that evolved well during follow-up. We did not find any maternal characteristics predisposing infants to neonatal infection. All infected newborn mothers had acute infection at delivery.Although there was no presence of SARS-CoV2 in cord blood or breast milk samples, SARS-CoV-2 viral load was detected in urine and meconium samples from infected newborns.

Expired Tidal Volume and Respiratory Rate During Postnatal Stabilization of Newborn Infants Born at Term via Cesarean Delivery.

Objective: To retrieve evolving respiratory measures in the first minutes after birth in normal neonates born at term using a respiratory function monitor. Study design: We evaluated newborn babies delivered at term via cesarean after uncomplicated pregnancies. Immediately after birth, a respiratory function monitor with an adapted flowmeter and a face mask were applied at 2, 5, and 10 minutes after birth for 90 seconds in each period. We analyzed expired and inspired tidal volume, respiratory rate (RR), percentage of leakage, and number of analyzed breaths in each individual infant's recording using a respiratory research software. Results: A total of 243 infants completed the study. The final data set included 59 058 (48.35%) valid observations for each of the variables representing the analysis of 32 801 breaths. With these data, we constructed a reference range with 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th percentiles for expired tidal volume and RR. Tidal volumes plateaued earlier in female than in male infants. No correlation with delayed cord clamping, gestational age, maternal morbidity, or indication for cesarean delivery were established. Conclusions: We have constructed a reference range with percentiles for inspired and expired tidal volumes and RR in newborn babies born at term for the first 10 minutes after birth. Reference ranges can be employed for research and can be useful in the clinical setting to guide positive pressure ventilation in the delivery room.

Preventive bundle approach decreases the incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia in newborn infants.

OBJECTIVE: We hypothesized that the implementation of evidence-based interventions shaping a bundle approach could significantly reduce the incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) in the neonatal intensive care unit. STUDY DESIGN: We conducted a prospective observational cohort study including neonates undergoing mechanical ventilation >48 h. VAP rate and endotracheal intubation ratio were compared before (pre-period) and after (post-period) applying VAP prevention bundle strategies. RESULT: One hundred seventy-four neonates were included in pre-period (30 months) and 106 in post-period (17 months). Demographic characteristics were comparable and device use ratios were similar. Twenty-eight VAP episodes were diagnosed, 25 in the first period and 3 after the implementation of prevention bundle. This represents a reduction in the incidence rate from 11.79 to 1.93 episodes/1000 ventilator days (p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: The implementation of an educational evidence-based program using a bundle approach to prevent VAP has shown a statistically significant reduction in its incidence density.