Comparison of CRIB-II with SNAPPE-II for predicting survival and morbidities before hospital discharge in neonates with gestation ≤ 32 weeks: a prospective multicentric observational study.

Various studies validated and compared Score for Neonatal Acute Physiology with Perinatal extension-II (SNAPPE-II) and Clinical Risk Index for Babies-II (CRIB-II) admission sickness severity scores for predicting survival, but very few studies compared them for predicting the morbidities in preterm infants. In this multicenter prospective observational study, SNAPPE-II and CRIB-II newborn illness severity scores were compared for predicting mortality and morbidities in infants with gestational age of ≤ 32 weeks. Major morbidities were classified as bronchopulmonary dysplasia, abnormal cranial ultrasound (presence of intraventricular hemorrhage grade III or more or periventricular leukomalacia grade II to IV), and retinopathy of prematurity requiring treatment. Combined adverse outcome was defined as death or any major morbidity. Comparison of the scoring systems was done by area under the curve (AUC) on receiver operating characteristics curve (ROC curve) analysis. A total of 419 neonates who were admitted to 5 participating NICUs were studied. The mortality rate in the study population was 8.8%. Both CRIB-II (AUC: 0.795) and SNAPPE-II (AUC: 0.78) had good predictive ability for in-hospital mortality. For predicting any one of the major morbidities and combined adverse outcome, CRIB-II had better predictive ability than SNAPPE-II with AUC of 0.83 vs. 0.70 and 0.85 vs. 0.74, respectively. CONCLUSION: In infants with gestational age of ≤ 32 weeks, both CRIB-II and SNAPPE-II are good scoring systems for predicting mortality. CRIB-II, being a simpler scoring system and having better predictive ability for major morbidities and combined adverse outcome, is preferable over SNAPPE-II. WHAT IS KNOWN: • SNAPPE-II and CRIB-II scores have good predictive ability on in-hospital mortality in preterm neonates. WHAT IS NEW: • SNAPPE-II and CRIB-II both have good predictive ability for mortality, but CRIB-II has better ability for short-term morbidities related to the prematurity.

Emerging neuroprotective interventions in periventricular leukomalacia - A systematic review of preclinical studies.

INTRODUCTION: Periventricular leukomalacia (PVL) is a result of various antenatal, intrapartum, or postnatal insults to the developing brain and is an important harbinger of cerebral palsy in preterm neonates. There is no proven therapy for PVL. This calls for appraisal of targeted therapies that have been investigated in animal models to evaluate their relevance in a clinical research context. AREAS COVERED: This systematic review identifies interventions that were evaluated in preclinical studies for neuroprotective efficacy against PVL. We identified 142 studies evaluating various interventions in PVL animal models (search method is detailed in section 2). EXPERT OPINION: Interventions that have yielded significant results in preclinical research, and that have been evaluated in a limited number of clinical trials include stem cells, erythropoietin, and melatonin. Many other therapeutic modalities evaluated in preclinical studies have been identified, but more data on their neuroprotective potential in PVL must be garnered before they can be considered for clinical trials. Because most of the tested interventions had only a partial efficacy, a combination of interventions that could be synergistic should be investigated in future preclinical studies. Furthermore, since the nature and pattern of perinatal insults to preterm brain predisposing it to PVL are substantially variable, individualized approaches for the choice of appropriate neuroprotective interventions tailored to different subgroups of preterm neonates should be explored.

Propensity-Matched Comparison of Very Preterm Small- and Appropriate-for-Gestational-Age Neonates.

OBJECTIVE: Comparison of mortality and major morbidities between very preterm (< 32 wk gestational age) small-for-gestational-age (SGA) and appropriate-for-gestational-age (AGA) neonates. METHODS: A retrospective observational study of neonates born between 26-31 wk gestational age from January 2015 to December 2019 was done in level-3 neonatal intensive care unit of a high-risk perinatal center in South India. RESULTS: Of the 1,178 very preterm neonates born in the study period, 909 were eligible for inclusion. After propensity score matching for gestational age, gender, and antenatal steroid use, 592 (444 AGA and 148 SGA) were included in the final analysis. SGA neonates had increased odds of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) ≥ stage 2A [adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 2.2; 95% CI: 1.15-4.21], abnormal composite outcome, i.e., any one of the mortality or major morbidities (aOR: 2.99; 95% CI: 1.96-4.57), hypoglycemia requiring intravenous fluids (aOR: 2.11; 95% CI: 1.05-4.23), and anemia requiring blood transfusions (aOR: 3.13; 95% CI: 1.98-4.93); and a trend towards increased odds of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (aOR: 1.9, 95% CI: 0.92-3.91). Mortality, intraventricular hemorrhage ≥ grade 2, periventricular leukomalacia ≥ grade 2, and retinopathy of prematurity requiring treatment were not different. CONCLUSIONS: SGA neonates have higher odds of having NEC ≥ stage 2A, abnormal composite outcome, hypoglycemia, and anemia compared to appropriately grown neonates.

Infant of diabetic mother: what one needs to know?

The global incidence of diabetes mellitus, including diabetes in pregnant women, is on the rise. Diabetes mellitus in a pregnant woman jeopardizes not only maternal health but can also have significant implications on the child to be born. Therefore, timely diagnosis and strict glycemic control are of utmost importance in achieving a safe outcome for both the mother and fetus. The treating physician should be aware of the complications that can arise due to poor glycemic control during pregnancy. The objective of this article is to discuss the key concerns in a neonate born to diabetic mother, the underlying pathogenesis, and the screening schedule during pregnancy.