[The Effect of Dry Care on the Time of Umbilical Cord Separation in Newborns: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis].

BACKGROUND: There are many different approaches to umbilical cord care in clinical practice. Dry care is recommended by the WHO based on its ease of implementation and relatively low cost. However, the effect of dry care on the time of umbilical cord separation and related complications require further study. PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials to evaluate the effect of dry care on the time of umbilical cord separation and related adverse events in newborns. METHODS: A literature search was conducted of articles published before December 2021 in the Cochrane Library, PubMed, Medline, CINAHL, Embase, Airiti Library, and National Digital Library of Theses in Taiwan databases. The research quality of the identified articles was assessed using the Modified Jadad Scale. Statistical analyses were performed using Review Manager, version 5.3, with statistics reported as mean differences with 95% confidence intervals. RESULTS: Seven randomized controlled trials covering a total of 27,037 newborns were identified for analysis. Umbilical cord care in these studies included the following approaches: dry care, alcohol, chlorhexidine (CHX), mother's milk, and salicylic sugar powder (SSP). The results of the meta-analysis showed that umbilical cord separation time was significantly lower for the dry care approach compared to the alcohol approach (MD: -1.78 days, 95% CI: -2.4 to -1.16, three studies, n = 2,102) but not significantly different than the CHX approach (MD: -0.15 days, 95% CI [-1.99, 1.69], two studies, n = 10,519). Notably, the umbilical cord separation time for both mother's milk (MD: 1.19 days, 95% CI [0.82, 1.56], three studies, n = 730) and SSP (MD: 4.9 days, 95% CI [3.71, 6.09], one study, n = 92) approaches were reported as significantly less than the dry care approach. In addition, the CHX approach was associated with significantly fewer cord-related adverse events, while the alcohol, mother's milk, and SSP approaches were associated with rates of cord-related adverse advents similar to dry care. CONCLUSIONS / IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Because using dry care for umbilical cord care shortens the cord separation time compared to the alcohol approach and does not increase the incidence of omphalitis, this approach should be the first choice for cord care. Both mother's milk and SSP approaches are also associated with shorter umbilical cord separation times without adverse effects, and may be used as alternatives to dry care in umbilical cord care.

Efficacy of medium-chain triglyceride oil massage on growth in preterm infants: a randomized controlled trial: A CONSORT-compliant article.

BACKGROUND: Medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) oil consists of 8-12 carbons with higher absorption and provides better calories than long-chain triglyceride oil. This study was to explore the effect of MCT oil massage on growth in preterm infants. METHODS: A prospective, single-blind, randomized (two treatments and one control) study was conducted. Preterm infants weighing between 1500 and 2000 g were recruited and randomly assigned to three groups: the MCT oil massage, massage alone and no massage groups. The standardized massage intervention consisted of two 5-min phases, including tactile and kinesthetic stimulation, which were given three times a day for 7 consecutive days. Premature infants in the oil massage group received massage with 10 mL/kg/day of MCT oil divided equally into three applications. Weight, length and head circumference were measured in the three groups at birth and on study days 1 to 7. RESULTS: Forty-eight neonates were evaluated with 16 in each of three groups. The linear mixed effect model was adjusted for other factors, and results showed that weight gain on the 4th day in the oil massage group was greater than that in the no massage group (P < .05). From the 5th to 7th day, weight gain in the oil massage group was greater than that in the other two groups (P < .05). Regarding head circumference and height, this study found that the MCT oil massage group did not have better results than the other two groups. No adverse events were noted in the massage groups. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that preterm infant daily massage with MCT oil is an effective intervention for weight gain that should be recognized as part of low-birth-weight infant developmental care. TRIAL REGISTRATION: clinicaltrials.gov identifier NCT04281563, Registered on 24 February 2020.

Degradation of N,N-diethyl-m-toluamid (DEET) on lead dioxide electrodes in different environmental aqueous matrixes.

This study investigates the electrochemical degradation of N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide (DEET) on PbO2 and Bi-PbO2 anodes. The difference in electrode crystalline structure was responsible for the better DEET degradation and TOC removal on PbO2 than on Bi-PbO2. In 1 M Na2SO4, the degradation efficiency and apparent rate constant (kapp) of DEET oxidation on PbO2 increased with the increase in current density or temperature (activation energy=24.4 kJ mol(-1)). The kapp values in DEET-spiked environmental matrixes (municipal wastewater treatment plant secondary effluent (MWTPSE), groundwater (GW), and river water (RW)) were the same (6.05×10(-4) s(-1)), but significantly smaller than that in 1 M Na2SO4 (2.23×10(-3) s(-1)). The TOC removal efficiency was better in MWTPSE than in RW and GW; however, the mineralization current efficiencies in MWTPSE and RW were similar but higher than that in GW. During electrolysis, the aromaticity was lower in GW than in RW.