Active approach in delivery room and survival of infants born between 22 and 26 gestational weeks are increasing in Spain.

AIM: To describe the trends in the delivery room approach and survival of extremely premature infants over the past two decades. METHODS: Time-series analysis of infants included in the Spanish SEN1500 network from 2004 to 2019. Patients born from 22 + 0 to 26 + 6 weeks were included. The primary outcome was an active approach in the delivery room. Survival and temporal trends were also studied. RESULTS: The study population included 8284 patients. At 22 and 23 weeks, an active approach was followed in 41.4% and 80.8%. A temporal trend toward a more active approach was observed at 23 weeks. Antenatal steroids were administered in 19.6% and 58.1% at 22 and 23 weeks. From 24 weeks, an active approach was applied in nearly all cases throughout the period, and more than 80% of patients received antenatal steroids. The rates of survival after an active approach were 8.7%, 21.6%, 40.6%, 59.9%, and 74.7% at 22, 23, 24, 25, and 26 weeks and significantly increased over the period, except for infants born at 22 weeks. CONCLUSION: Active management and survival of infants born from 23 weeks increased over the period, but the frequency of antenatal steroid administration was lower than the intention to resuscitate.

Risk factors for postpartum depression in mothers of newborns admitted to neonatal intensive care unit.

BACKGROUND: There is a lack of information on how maternal stress coping styles during admission of the newborn to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) influences the onset of the postpartum depression (PPD). We examined potential risk factors for the emergence of the PPD in mothers whose infants were admitted to the NICU. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 401 mothers, 125 were mothers whose infants were admitted to the NICU and 276 mothers without NICU care. Newborn illness severity information score was taken throughout NICU admission via the Clinical Risk Index for Babies (CRIB). Six weeks after giving birth, participants from both groups individually completed the Edinburg Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), the Postpartum Bonding Questionnaire (PBQ) and the Coping Strategies Inventory (CSI) using an online platform. RESULTS: No differences were found regarding PPD and bonding in either groups. Multivariate analysis provided a final model in which cognitive restructuring, problem avoidance, severity of neonatal health problems during the first 12 hours of life, and problem solving were the best predictors of postpartum depression explaining, 43.7% of the variance in the NICU group. CONCLUSION: It is necessary to obtain early detailed information on coping styles in the NICU environment to prevent the possible onset of PPD.

Fatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia due to anti-HLA alloimmunization in a twin pregnancy: A very infrequent complication of assisted reproduction.

The most frequently involved antigen in severe fetal and neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia (FNAIT) is the human platelet antigen 1a. Platelets express the HLA-A and B antigens on their membrane and some studies report that maternal anti-HLA class I antibody can also cause FNAIT. We report here a very unusual case of a first twin pregnancy produced in vitro by oocyte and semen donation where the mother developed markedly elevated HLA antibodies, in the absence of anti-platelet or anti-neutrophil antibodies, that provoked in one of the twins a profound thrombocytopenia and intracranial hemorrhage and a mild thrombocytopenia and neutropenia in the second twin lasting until the fourth month of life. In addition, anti-D alloimmunization provoked hemolytic disease of the newborn with intrauterus anemia detected in the first twin and post-natal anemia in the second twin that required red blood cell transfusion and phototherapy. We hypothesize that the complete HLA-incompatible twin pregnancy due to the oocyte donation might have contributed to the severity of the clinical manifestations.

Human Milk Feeding Is Associated with Decreased Incidence of Moderate-Severe Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia in Extremely Preterm Infants.

BACKGROUND: An increased rate of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is reported in extremely preterm infants. A potential role of human milk feeding in protecting against this condition has been suggested. METHODS: A retrospective descriptive study was conducted based on data about morbidity in the population of infants born between 22+0 and 26+6 weeks of gestation, included in the Spanish network SEN1500 during the period 2004-2019 and discharged alive. The primary outcome was moderate-severe BPD. Associated conditions were studied, including human milk feeding at discharge. The temporal trends of BPD and human milk feeding rates at discharge were also studied. RESULTS: In the study population of 4341 infants, the rate of moderate-severe BPD was 43.7% and it increased to >50% in the last three years. The factors significantly associated with a higher risk of moderate-severe BPD were birth weight, male sex, high-frequency oscillatory ventilation, duration of invasive mechanical ventilation, inhaled nitric oxide, patent ductus arteriosus, and late-onset sepsis. Exclusive human milk feeding and any amount of human milk at discharge were associated with a lower incidence of moderate-severe BPD (OR 0.752, 95% CI 0.629-0.901 and OR 0.714, 95% CI 0.602-0.847, respectively). During the study period, the proportion of infants with moderate-severe BPD fed any amount of human milk at discharge increased more than twofold. And the proportion of infants with moderate-severe BPD who were exclusively fed human milk at discharge increased at the same rate. CONCLUSIONS: Our work shows an inverse relationship between human milk feeding at discharge from the neonatal unit and the occurrence of BPD.

[Nosocomial outbreak due to Listeria monocytogenes in a neonatal unit]. / Brote nosocomial por Listeria monocytogenes en una Unidad de Neonatos.

INTRODUCTION: Description of an outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes in a neonatal intensive care unit. METHODS: A questionnaire, environmental investigation and molecular study were performed. RESULTS: We identified a nosocomial outbreak of L. monocytogenes, confirmed by the genetic study, in a neonatal intensive care unit. Three infants were affected. Although the transmission mechanism could not be elucidated, cross-infection was strongly suggested. CONCLUSION: Adherence to universal hygiene standards is necessary to avoid nosocomial outbreaks.

Changes in perinatal management and outcomes in infants born at 23 weeks of gestational age during the last decade in Spain.

INTRODUCTION: The 2021-updated guidelines of the Spanish Society of Neonatology Guidelines have moved the zone of parental discretion to 23 + 0-23 + 6 weeks. The objective of this study was to describe the changes in perinatal management at this gestational age along the last decade and to determine if a more active perinatal management has contributed to improved outcomes. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data from the 23-week infants included in the Spanish SEN 1500 neonatal network during the period 2010-2019. The main study outcomes were survival at discharge and survival without major morbidity of actively managed infants. Two periods were compared: 2010-2014 (Period 1) and 2015-2019 (Period 2). NICUs were classified into low activity NICUs (less than 50 admissions of very low birth weight infants per year) and high activity NICUs (50 or more admissions). RESULTS: A total of 381 infants were included, 182 in Period 1 and 199 in Period 2. In Period 2 an increase in the use of intrapartum magnesium sulfate (21.5% vs 39.9%, p .002), antenatal steroids (56.6% vs 69.3%, p .011) and active neonatal approach in delivery room (76.9% vs 86.9%, p .011) were observed.The clinical outcomes of the actively managed 313 infants were similar in both periods, except for less arterial hypotension in Period 2. Survival was 27.1% in Period 1 and 25% in Period 2 (p .068) and survival without major morbidity was 2.1% and 2.3% respectively (p .914). No difference was found between low and high activity NICUs. CONCLUSION: A change to a more active intention to treat infants born at 23 weeks is taking place in Spain. But the survival rate of the actively-managed infants has remained stable around 25-30% during the study period. A multidisciplinary effort is needed to improve outcomes in this population.

A Breast Milk Pump at the Bedside: A Project to Increase Milk Production in Mothers of Very Low Birth Weight Infants.

The amount of milk production in mothers of babies admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is mostly determined by some actions focused on the first hours and days after birth. Working for an improvement in our previous results in terms of maternal expressed breast milk (MEBM) production, we designed a pilot project and a small observational study. After increasing the number of breast milk pumps to allow full-time availability and implementing educational strategies and updated information for parents, the volume of MEBM production by day 14 after birth was doubled and increased to >500 mL per day. The rate of exclusive breastfeeding at discharge improved from 26.67% to 76.19%. The cost of the use of donor milk per patient decreased by 15.7%. This study is an example of a cost-beneficial quality improvement strategy. It demonstrates the importance of an optimal supply of breast milk pumps in NICU and educational interventions focused on enhancing MEBM production.

Breastfeeding Disparities between Multiples and Singletons by NICU Discharge.

Multiple pregnancy increases the risk of a range of adverse perinatal outcomes, including breastfeeding failure. However, studies on predictive factors of breastfeeding duration in preterm twin infants have a conflicting result. The purpose of this observational study was to compare feeding practices, at hospital discharge, of twin and singleton very low birth weight infants. The study is part of a prospective survey of a national Spanish cohort of very low birth weight infants (SEN1500) that includes 62 neonatal units. The study population comprised all infants registered in the network from 2002 to 2013. They were grouped into singletons and multiples. The explanatory variables were first analyzed using univariate models; subsequently, significant variables were analyzed simultaneously in a multiple stepwise backward model. During the twelve-year period, 32,770 very low birth weight infants were included in the database, of which 26.957 were discharged alive and included in this analysis. Nine thousand seven hundred and fifty-eight neonates were multiples, and 17,199 were singletons. At discharge, 31% of singleton infants were being exclusively breastfed, 43% were bottle-fed, and 26% were fed a combination of both. In comparison, at discharge, only 24% of multiple infants were exclusively breastfed, 43% were bottle-fed, and 33% were fed a combination of both (p < 0.001). On multivariable analysis, twin pregnancy had a statistically significant, but small effect, on cessation of breastfeeding before discharge (OR 1.10; 95% CI: 1.02, 1.19). Risks of early in-hospital breastfeeding cessation were also independently associated with multiple mother-infant stress factors, such as sepsis, intraventricular hemorrhage, retinopathy, necrotizing enterocolitis, intubation, and use of inotropes. Instead, antibiotic treatment at delivery, In vitro fertilization and prenatal steroids were associated with a decreased risk for shorter in-hospital breastfeeding duration. Multiple pregnancy, even in the absence of pathological conditions associated to very low birth weight twin infants, may be an impeding factor for in-hospital breastfeeding.

Morbidity and mortality of very low birth weight multiples compared with singletons.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies comparing the neonatal outcome of very low birth weight (VLBW) multiples and singletons have suggested a worse outcome for multiples at gestational ages on the limits of viability. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study is to determine the neonatal mortality and morbidity of VLBW multiples compared to singletons. METHODS: This is a retrospective study including all infants registered in the Spanish network for infants under 1500 g (SEN1500), over a 12-year period (from 2002 to 2013). Mortality and major morbidities were compared between singletons and multiples. RESULTS: About 32,770 infants were included: 21,123 singletons (64.5%) and 11,647 multiples (35.5%), with a mean gestational age of 29.5 weeks (22-38), and mean birth weight of 1115 g (340-1500). When adjusted by other perinatal factors, multiple pregnancy has a significantly higher risk of mortality than singleton pregnancy (odds ratio (OR) 1.15; IC 95% 1.05-1.26, p = .002), but not a higher risk of major morbidity or composite adverse outcome. In the subgroup of infants born before 26 weeks, multiples showed a higher risk of mortality (63.9% versus 51%, OR 1.7; 95% CI 1.47-1.96) and a higher risk of composite adverse outcome (88.9% versus 81.5%, OR 1.82, 95% CI 1.28-2.24). CONCLUSIONS: In preterm infants born with less than 1500 g, multiple pregnancy is a prognostic factor that can slightly increase mortality. Extremely preterm infants born before 26 weeks have a greater risk of mortality and major morbidity if they come from a multiple pregnancy.

Hospital outcomes of extremely low birth weight infants after introduction of donor milk to supplement mother's milk.

AIM: This study evaluated the impact of an exclusive human milk diet to nourish extremely low birth weight infants in the neonatal intensive care unit. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This multicenter pre-post retrospective study included all inborn infants <1,000 g admitted to four Level IV neonatal intensive care units either before or after implementing a donor human milk policy. The feeding protocol was unchanged in both periods. Collected data included maternal/infant demographics, infant clinical data, and enteral intake as mother's own milk, donor milk, and formula. RESULTS: Two hundred one infants were enrolled. Infant growth and other clinical outcomes were similar in both groups. Exposure to mother's own milk at discharge was not different. Median time in oxygen and duration of mechanical ventilation were significantly higher among formula-fed infants (63 versus 192 hours [p=0.046] and 24 versus 60 hours [p=0.016], respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Our results add evidence supporting the safety of donor milk. This study also found an association between exposure to formula in preterm infants and the requirement for respiratory support, a finding that warrants further investigation.

Peritoneal drainage as primary management in necrotizing enterocolitis: a prospective study.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: The use of peritoneal drainage (PD) in neonates with necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is controversial. The authors began to perform it successfully in infants with pneumoperitoneum, and subsequently they extended its use to infants with peritonitis and advanced NEC before radiologic evidence of peritoneal free air. To analyze the efficacy of PD they began a prospective study. METHODS: A prospective study was conducted in 6 neonatal intensive care units (NICU) in Spain: neonates with pneumoperitoneum or peritonitis and advanced NEC were all included, whatever the birth weight and gestational age (GA). RESULTS: PD was performed in 47 infants, but 3 of them were excluded because pneumoperitoneum was caused by pathologies other than NEC. In a cohort of 44 infants, 86% improved after PD, and 64% survived after only PD. After PD, 54% of infants needed delayed surgery. Overall survival rate was 82%; 57% infants with birth weight under 1,000 g, and 95% in infants over 1,000 g at birth. The main cause of mortality was massive NEC in the tiniest babies. Only one infant had a short bowel syndrome. CONCLUSIONS: From the authors' point of view, PD is the first step in treating neonates with pneumoperitoneum or overwhelming NEC, regardless of birth weight and GA. Laparotomy, if it is necessary, always must be performed after clinical stability is achieved. Mortality rates remain higher in the tiniest babies because of massive NEC.