An observational, multicenter, registry-based cohort study of Turkish Neonatal Society in neonates with Hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy.

BACKGROUND: Hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) is a significant cause of mortality and short- and long-term morbidities. Therapeutic hypothermia (TH) has been shown to be the standard care for HIE of infants ≥36 weeks gestational age (GA), as it has been demonstrated to reduce the rates of mortality, and adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes. This study aims to determine the incidence of HIE in our country, to assess the TH management in infants with HIE, and present short-term outcomes of these infants. METHODS: The Turkish Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy Online Registry database was established for this multicenter, prospective, observational, nationally-based cohort study to evaluate the data of infants born at ≥34 weeks GA who displayed evidence of neonatal encephalopathy (NE) between March, 2020 and April 2022. RESULTS: The incidence of HIE among infants born at ≥36 weeks GA (n = 965) was 2.13 per 1000 live births (517:242440), and accounting for 1.55% (965:62062) of all neonatal intensive care unit admissions. The rates of mild, moderate and severe HIE were 25.5% (n = 246), 58.9% (n = 568), and 15.6% (n = 151), respectively. Infants with severe HIE had higher rates of abnormal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings, and mortality (p<0.001). No significant difference in mortality and abnormal MRI results was found according to the time of TH initiation (<3 h, 3-6 h and >6 h) (p>0.05). TH was administered to 85 (34.5%) infants with mild HIE, and of those born of 34-35 weeks of GA, 67.4% (n = 31) received TH. A total of 58 (6%) deaths were reported with a higher mortality rate in infants born at 34-35 weeks of GA (OR 3.941, 95% Cl 1.446-10.7422, p = 0.007). CONCLUSION: The incidence of HIE remained similar over time with a reduction in mortality rate. The timing of TH initiation, whether <3 or 3-6 h, did not result in lower occurrences of brain lesions on MRI or mortality. An increasing number of infants with mild HIE and late preterm infants with HIE are receiving TH; however, the indications for TH require further clarification. Longer follow-up studies are necessary for this vulnerable population.

A Multicentered Study on Epidemiologic and Clinical Characteristics of 37 Neonates With Community-acquired COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) primarily affects adults and spares children, whereas very little is known about neonates. We tried to define the clinical characteristics, risk factors, laboratory, and imagining results of neonates with community-acquired COVID-19. METHODS: This prospective multicentered cohort study included 24 neonatal intensive care units around Turkey, wherein outpatient neonates with COVID-19 were registered in an online national database. Full-term and premature neonates diagnosed with COVID-19 were included in the study, whether hospitalized or followed up as ambulatory patients. Neonates without severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) via reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction testing or whose mothers had been diagnosed with COVID-19 during pregnancy were excluded. RESULTS: Thirty-seven symptomatic neonates were included. The most frequent findings were fever, hypoxemia, and cough (49%, 41%, 27%, respectively). Oxygen administration (41%) and noninvasive ventilation (16%) were frequently required; however, mechanical ventilation (3%) was rarely needed. Median hospitalization was 11 days (1-35 days). One patient with Down syndrome and congenital cardiovascular disorders died in the study period. C-reactive protein (CRP) and prothrombin time (PT) levels were found to be higher in patients who needed supplemental oxygen (0.9 [0.1-8.6] vs. 5.8 [0.3-69.2] p = 0.002, 11.9 [10.1-17.2] vs. 15.2 [11.7-18.0] p = 0.01, respectively) or who were severe/critical (1.0 [0.01-8.6] vs. 4.5 [0.1-69.2] p = 0.01, 11.7 [10.1-13.9] vs. 15.0 [11.7-18.0] p = 0.001, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Symptomatic neonates with COVID-19 had high rates of respiratory support requirements. High CRP levels or a greater PT should alert the physician to more severe disease.