Oral sodium supplementation on growth and hypertension in preterm infants: an observational cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association between enteral sodium supplementation on growth and hypertension (HTN) in preterm infants. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective cohort study of infants born between 22-32 weeks and weighing 450-1500 grams (N = 821). Enteral sodium supplementation amounts, systolic blood pressures (SBP), weight gain, and other infant and maternal risk factors for HTN were electronically extracted. RESULTS: Infants receiving sodium supplementation were smaller and less mature. Sodium supplementation improved serum sodium levels, weight gain, and head circumference growth without causing hypernatremia. There was no correlation between urine and serum sodium or urine sodium and weight gain. Although infants receiving sodium had higher average SBP and rates of HTN, analysis demonstrated sodium supplementation did not increase odds of hypertension (ORADJ 1.02;0.64-1.64). Postnatal steroids were associated with HTN. CONCLUSIONS: In preterm infants with poor weight gain, enteral sodium supplementation improved growth without increasing hypertension or hypernatremia.

Postnatal budesonide improved lung function in preterm lambs exposed to antenatal steroids and chorioamnionitis.

BACKGROUND: A combination of budesonide and surfactant decreases the rates of BPD in infants and lung injury in preterm sheep. Whether this combination will show benefit in the setting of chorioamnionitis and antenatal steroids is not known. METHODS: Ewes at 123 ± 1 day gestational age received intra-amniotic (IA) injections of 10 mg LPS before being randomized to receive either 0.25 mg/kg maternal betamethasone phosphate and acetate or saline by intramuscular (IM) injection at 48 and 24 h prior to delivery at 125 ± 1 day. Lambs (N = 6-9/group) underwent intentionally injurious ventilation for 15 min, then lambs received surfactant mixed with either: (1) saline; or (2) Budesonide 0.25 mg/kg and were ventilated for 4 h. RESULTS: Compared with LPS-exposed animals that received no IM steroid treatment, betamethasone exposed fetuses had improved hemodynamic stability, lung compliance, and ventilation efficiency. The addition of budesonide to surfactant further improved markers of injury and pro-inflammatory cytokine mRNA in both betamethasone IM or no IM lambs exposed to LPS IA. Antenatal betamethasone and IA LPS exposures decreased budesonide levels in the fetal lung and plasma. CONCLUSION: Antenatal betamethasone stabilizes physiologic parameters in LPS treated lambs. Budesonide mixed with surfactant further decreases injury and improves respiratory physiology in betamethasone treated animals. IMPACT: Antenatal betamethasone improved lung and systemic physiology in the setting of intra-amniotic LPS. The addition of budesonide to the surfactant further improved lung function. Budesonide levels in the plasma and lung were lower in lambs exposed to either LPS or LPS and Betamethasone animals, and these findings were not explained by increased esterification in the lungs. The combination of antenatal steroids and budesonide with surfactant had the lowest markers of pro-inflammatory cytokines in the lung of LPS exposed animals.