Late Neonatal Sepsis in Very-low-birth-weight Premature Newborns Is Associated With Alterations in Neurodevelopment at Twenty-five Months of Age.

AIM: To evaluate the impact of late-onset sepsis (LOS) on the neurodevelopment of very-low-birth-weight (VLBW) premature infants. METHODS: This is a retrospective cohort study of VLBW premature infants. The Mental Development Index (MDI) was determined for a population of 546 VLBW infants, at 14 and 25 months of age, and evaluated using the Bayley test. A history of meningitis or early neonatal sepsis was considered an exclusion criterion. The study parameters analyzed included perinatal variables, the development of neonatal comorbidities and a history of LOS. Multivariate linear regression and multinomial logistic regression analyses were performed. RESULTS: LOS was observed in 115 newborns, among whom microbiological testing showed that 65.0% presented Gram-positive bacteria, with Staphylococcus epidermidis being responsible for 55.4%. There was a significant association between the 25-month MDI and a history of LOS. This represents a decrease of 7.9 points in the MDI evaluation of newborns with a history of LOS. The latter history is also associated with the following neurodevelopmental alternations: mild motor disorders [odds ratio (OR): 2.75; 95% confidence intervals (CI): 1.07-7.05], moderate cognitive delay (OR: 3.07; 95% CI: 1.17-8.00) and cerebral palsy (OR: 2.41; 95% CI: 1.09-5.35). CONCLUSIONS: In our study cohort, LOS was associated with alterations in neurodevelopment, including reduced MDI, together with motor and cognitive disorders and cerebral palsy. To improve neurodevelopmental outcomes in this group of newborns, neonatal intensive care unit personnel should focus attention on preventing hospital-acquired infections.

IBD and Motherhood: A Journey through Conception, Pregnancy and Beyond.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) presents distinct challenges during pregnancy due to its influence on maternal health and pregnancy outcomes. This literature review aims to dissect the existing scientific evidence on pregnancy in women with IBD and provide evidence-based recommendations for clinical management. A comprehensive search was conducted across scientific databases, selecting clinical studies, systematic reviews, and other pertinent resources. Numerous studies have underscored an increased risk of complications during pregnancy for women with IBD, including preterm birth, low birth weight, neonates small for gestational age, and congenital malformations. Nevertheless, it's evident that proactive disease management before and throughout pregnancy can mitigate these risks. Continuation of IBD treatment during pregnancy and breastfeeding is deemed safe with agents like thiopurines, anti-TNF, vedolizumab, or ustekinumab. However, there's a call for caution when combining treatments due to the heightened risk of severe infections in the first year of life. For small molecules, their use is advised against in both scenarios. Effective disease management, minimizing disease activity, and interdisciplinary care are pivotal in attending to women with IBD. The emphasis is placed on the continual assessment of maternal and infant outcomes and an expressed need for further research to enhance the understanding of the ties between IBD and adverse pregnancy outcomes.

Methylphenidate effects on blood serotonin and melatonin levels may help to synchronise biological rhythms in children with ADHD.

UNLABELLED: The neuroendocrine mediators that may contribute to ADHD (Attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder), serotonin and melatonin, are both thought to regulate circadian rhythms, neurological function and stress response. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of the chronic administration of prolonged release methylphenidate (PRMPH) on daily variations in blood serotonin and melatonin and on the excretion of 6-sulphatoxy-melatonin. A total of 179 children (136 males, 42 females) between the ages of 5 and 14 (9.70 ± 2.55) years were enrolled in a controlled quasi-experimental open clinical study. Of the sample, there were 136 Children with ADHD (based on DSM-IV-TR criteria), who were further grouped into subtypes, and the 42 siblings of the participants who did not ADHD patients. Blood samples were taken at 20:00 and 09:00; urine was collected between 21:00 and 09:00. In the ADHD group, the study protocol was repeated after 4.61 ± 2.3 months of treatment. Measurements included melatonin and serotonin by RIA and urine 6-S-aMT by ELISA. Factorial analyses were conducted by STATA 12.0. RESULTS: ADHD patients showed reduced morning serotonin with a daily profile that was different than the control group due to the predominance of nocturnal concentrations. PRMPH did not result in any significant changes. Melatonin and its daily profile did not differ between controls and the ADHD group with a diurnal rhythm showing higher morning levels that disappear after PRMPH administration. Melatonin was higher in children with predominantly hyperactive-impulsive/conduct disorder subtype. PRMPH resulted in a decrease in 6-S-aMT excretion for both ADHD subtypes. CONCLUSION: Chronic treatment with prolonged release methylphenidate induces subtle changes in the daily fluctuations and concentrations of both serotonin and melatonin. Improvement in Children's Depression Inventory (CDI) scores was not related to a morning increase in serotonin.

Psychosocial dwarfism: psychopathological aspects and putative neuroendocrine markers.

There exists an extensive terminology for defining the situation of children who, in varying circumstances, suffer from affective deprivation (AD), within an unsatisfactory family situation or in institutions. Nevertheless, the neuroendocrine mechanisms (if they exist) determining it have yet to be identified. Our objective was to determine if specific neuroendocrine markers, all of them previously implicated in affective disorders, could be modified, and in which sense, in affective deprivation syndrome of the child. For this purpose, we studied three separate groups of children: (1) control group (CG); (2) children suffering from AD; and (3) children with non-organic failure to thrive (NOFT). In every case, we studied the serum levels of melatonin, serotonin, ß-endorphins and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH); and kynurenine pathway tryptophan metabolites (both during the day and at night). Significantly, there was a conspicuous reduction in the levels of each of the neuroendocrine markers (melatonin, serotonin, ß-endorphins and ACTH) in the group suffering from affective deficiency, a diminution which was even more noticeable in the group of patients presenting delayed growth. Furthermore, as also occurs in other affective disorders, there were corresponding modifications in the metabolisation of tryptophan. We report the existence of neuroendocrine mechanisms that are associated with the above-mentioned clinical manifestations in these patients, mechanisms that may underlie the close connection existing between AD syndrome and the cause of NOFT. These data suggest that the AD syndrome and NOFT comprise a single process, but one with a different evolutionary continuum of psychosocial dwarfism.

Fluidity and oxidative stress in erythrocytes from very low birth weight infants during their first 7 days of life.

OBJECTIVE: To study the evolution of lipid peroxidation, enzymatic antioxidants response, lipid profile and membrane fluidity in erythrocytes from very low birth weight (VLBW) infants during their first 7 days of extra-uterine life. STUDY DESIGN: One hundred and twenty infants were selected and divided in two groups according to their weight and gestational age. Hydroperoxides, fatty-acid profile, fluidity (DPH and TMA-DPH) and catalase, SOD and GPx activities were measured in erythrocytes. RESULTS: VLBW group showed higher concentration of hydroperoxides and lower membrane fluidity during the first 72 h, lower SOD activity during the first 3 h and higher GPx activity during the first 7 days of life. Also, this group showed lower n-3 polyunsaturated fatty-acids percentage with respect to the term group. CONCLUSION: Erythrocytes from VLBW infants showed higher oxidative damage and lower fluidity in their membranes, at least during the first 3 days of extra-uterine life, which may cause alterations in their functions and flexibility.

[Ticks (Acarina: Ixodidae) as vectors and reservoirs of pathogen microorganisms in Spain]. / Las garrapatas (Acarina: Ixodida) como transmisores y reservorios de microorganismos patógenos en España.

Hard and soft-ticks are obligate haematophagous arachnids of medical and veterinary significance mainly because of the animal disease agents transmitted by them, which include an array of different pathogens (virus, bacteria, protozoa and nematodes). Ticks transmit microbes by several routes including salivary secretions, coxal fluids, regurgitation and faeces. Among the biological factors that contribute to the high vector potential of ticks are their living habits and characteristic properties of their saliva secretions and blood digestion. In the Iberian Peninsula, the prostriata tick Ixodes ricinus, and the metastriata Dermacentor marginatus, Rhipicephalus sanguineus and Hyalomma marginatum are the main species that could bite man, and are involved in the transmission of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, several genoespecies of Rickettsia (R. conorii, R. slovaca, R. aeschlimannii) and Anaplasma phagocytophila.