Breastfeeding following bariatric surgery among obese women with and without diabetes mellitus.

BACKGROUND: Information on exclusive breastfeeding (BF) and BF initiation following bariatric surgery (BS) among obese women with diabetes mellitus (DM) and without DM (non-DM) is limited. METHODS: Retrospective cohort study. Obesity was defined by BMI (kg/m2) as grade 1 (30-34.9), grade 2 (35-39.9) or grade 3 (≥40). The 65 women in the DM group (40 women with gestational, 19 with Type 2 and 6 with Type 1) was similar to 84 with non-DM in BS type: Roux-en-Y (51 vs 55%), sleeve gastrectomy (32 vs 35%), laparoscopic gastric banding (17 vs 7%) and gastro-duodenal anastomosis (0 vs 4%). RESULTS: Women with DM were older (35 vs 33y), of advanced age (54 vs 27%), with higher prevalence of grade 3 obesity (66 vs 46%), chronic hypertension (31 vs 10%), delivery of late-preterm infants (23 vs 10%) and neonatal hypoglycemia (25 vs 12%). Although infant feeding intention was similar: BF (66 vs 79%), partial BF (9 vs 7%) or formula (25 vs 14%), at discharge women with DM had lower exclusive BF (29 vs 41%) and BF initiation rates (68 vs 76%) than those with non-DM. Women with grade 3 obesity (52% were DM) differed from those with grades 1-2 (34% were DM) in exclusive BF (27 vs 52%), and BF initiation rates (66 vs 86%). CONCLUSION: After BS, women with DM, especially those with grade 3 obesity, had higher rates of chronic hypertension and preeclampsia and lower rates of exclusive BF and BF initiation than those who had DM but had less severe obesity.

Breastfeeding initiation in women with gestational diabetes mellitus.

BACKGROUND: In the United States, breastfeeding initiation (BFI) is reported for 75% of all live births; however, little information is available regarding mothers affected by gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). OBJECTIVE: To examine feeding practices and factors associated with BFI in women with GDM and their infants. METHODS: A total of 303 GDM (58 late preterm and 245 term) pregnancies were studied. Infant feeding preference was ascertained on admission to labor and delivery. Variables known to influence BFI including maternal age, smoking, obesity, racial and educational characteristics were assessed. RESULTS: On admission 188 women intended to BF, 60 intended to feed formula and 55 were undecided. None of the women who wished to feed formula and 27% of the originally undecided later initiated BF. Regardless of feeding preference 163 (54%) of all mothers initiated BF. Similar BFI rates were found for 176 Class A1 and 127 class A2 women. Logistic regression analysis showed that intention to BF was the most significant predictor of BFI. Factors associated with BFI failure included African American race, lower education, smoking, obesity and admission to NICU. Following delivery 264 (87%) infants received well baby care while 39 (13%) were admitted to the NICU. Among 188 women who intended to BF, BFI involved 81% of 160 infants receiving well baby care and 61% of the 28 admitted to the NICU. CONCLUSIONS: More than half of women with GDM, who intended to BF, initiated BF. BFI failure remains associated with race, lower education level, smoking, obesity, preference for formula feeding and admission to NICU.

Postnatal follow-up of antenatal hydronephrosis: a health-care challenge.

OBJECTIVE: To examine our experience with ANH and to determine the success of our postnatal follow-up program. STUDY DESIGN: Charts of mothers and infants seen (2004 to 2008) at our Regional Perinatal Center were reviewed retrospectively. ANH was defined during the third trimester by anterior pelvic diameters as follows: mild 7 to 9, moderate 10 to 14 or severe >or=15 mm. Fetuses with multicystic dysplastic kidney (MCDK) were included. RESULT: Screening of approximately 15 000 ultrasound (US) reports identified 268 fetuses with ANH. After prenatal US surveillance, 88 (33%) fetuses had resolved, while 180 (67%) required postnatal follow-up. These 180 fetuses were diagnosed with mild 38 (21%), moderate 83 (46%) and severe 19 (11%) ANH, uni or bilateral hydroureters 12 (7%), MCDK 19 (10%) and miscellaneous 9 (5%). Postnatal follow-up was successfully established for 75% of infants with hydroureters, 68% for those with MCDK and for 37% of infants with mild, 53% with moderate and 58% with severe ANH. Factors commonly known to influence compliance were not found more frequently among the 91 infants who were lost to follow-up. The only positive predictor for postnatal follow-up was a prenatal consultation with the pediatric urologist. CONCLUSION: Our antepartum program for diagnosis of ANH is accessible and efficient; however, there was an unacceptably high number of infants lost to follow-up. The absence of traditional barriers for compliance highlights the need to explore new ways of improving postnatal follow-up of infants with ANH.

Indomethacin prophylaxis or expectant treatment of patent ductus arteriosus in extremely low birth weight infants?

BACKGROUND: Indomethacin prophylaxis or expectant treatment are common strategies for the prevention or management of symptomatic patent ductus arteriosus (sPDA). OBJECTIVE: To compare the clinical responses of extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infants to indomethacin prophylaxis with that of other infants who were managed expectantly by being treated with indomethacin or surgically only after an sPDA was detected. METHODS: Retrospective cohort investigation of 167 ELBW infants who received indomethacin prophylaxis (study) and 167 ELBW infants (control) treated expectantly who were matched by year of birth (1999 to 2006), birth weight, gestational age (GA) and gender. RESULTS: Mothers of the two groups of infants were comparable demographically and on the history of preterm labor, pre-eclampsia, antepartum steroids and cesarean delivery. Study and control infants were similar in birth weight, GA, low 5 min Apgar scores, surfactant administration, the need for arterial blood pressure control, bronchopulmonary dysplasia and neonatal mortality. Necrotizing enterocolitis, spontaneous intestinal perforations, intraventricular hemorrhage grade III to IV, periventricular leukomalacia and stage 3 to 5 retinopathy of prematurity occurred also with similar frequency in both groups of infants. In the indomethacin prophylaxis group, 29% of the infants developed sPDA, and of them 38% responded to indomethacin treatment. In the expectantly treated group, 37% developed sPDA, and of them 59% responded to indomethacin treatment. Overall, surgical ligation rate for sPDA was similar between both groups of patients. CONCLUSION: In our experience, indomethacin prophylaxis does not show any advantages over expectant early treatment on the management of sPDA in ELBW infants. Although no deleterious effects were observed, prophylaxis exposed a significant number of infants who may have never developed sPDA, to potential indomethacin-related complications.