Prevalence and Outcomes of Gastrointestinal Anomalies in Down Syndrome.

OBJECTIVES: Our objective was to investigate the prevalence of small intestinal atresia and Hirschsprung's disease (HD) in infants with Down syndrome (DS) and its impact on outcomes. STUDY DESIGN: We analyzed the National Inpatient Sample dataset. We included infants with DS, small intestinal atresia, HD, and the concomitant occurrence of both conditions. Regression analysis was used to control clinical and demographic variables. RESULTS: A total of 66,213,034 infants were included, of whom, 99,861 (0.15%) had DS. The concomitant occurrence of small intestinal atresia and HD was more frequent in infants with DS compared with the general population, adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 122, 95% confidence interval (CI): 96-154, (p < 0.001). Infants with DS and concomitant small intestinal atresia and HD had higher mortality compared with those without these conditions, aOR: 8.59, 95% CI: 1.95-37.8. CONCLUSION: Infants with DS are at increased risk of concomitant small intestinal atresia and HD, and this condition is associated with increased mortality. KEY POINTS: · Infants with Down syndrome are at increased risk of congenital GI anomalies.. · Infants with Down syndrome are at increased risk of necrotizing enterocolitis.. · Increased mortality in Down syndrome infants with concomitant small intestinal atresia and Hirschsprung's disease..

Caucasian and African American racial disparity in neonatal hospital mortality.

Objective: To examine disparity in hospital mortality among Caucasian (C) and African American (AA) neonates born at different gestational ages (GA). Methods: De-identified national inpatient data were obtained from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) for the years 2011-2018. We compared the odds ratio for mortality among C and AA infants by sex and GA category. Analyses were repeated after controlling for multiple maternal and neonatal confounding variables in a logistic regression model. Results: The study included 18,758,233 infants; 78.3% of them were C and 21.7% were AA. Compared to C population, AA population has a significantly higher mortality in term infants born at GA ≥ 36 weeks. The racial/ethnic disparity in preterm infants was inconsistent without any difference at 35-36 weeks in male and female infants. The overall aOR for mortality in AA in all male preterm infants ≤36 weeks was 1.44 (1.39-1.49), <0.01; and the overall aOR for mortality in AA in all preterm female infants ≤36 weeks was 1.38 (1.33-1.44). Conclusion: Racial/Ethnic disparity in hospital mortality exists with higher AA mortality in infants born with GA > 36 weeks and less AA mortality in infants born with GA 24-26 weeks.

Neonatal outcomes in preterm infants with severe congenital heart disease: a national cohort analysis.

Background: Prematurity and congenital heart disease (CHD) are the leading causes of neonatal mortality and morbidity. Limited data are available about the outcomes of premature infants with severe CHD. Methods: We queried The National Inpatient Database using ICD-10 codes for premature patients (<37 weeks) with severe CHD from 2016 to 2020. Severe CHDs were grouped into three categories: A. left-sided lesions with impaired systemic output, B. Cyanotic CHD, and C. Shunt lesions with pulmonary overcirculation. Patients with isolated atrial or ventricular septal defects and patent ductus arteriosus were excluded. We also excluded patients with chromosomal abnormalities and major congenital anomalies. Patients' demographics, clinical characteristics, and outcomes were evaluated by comparing premature infants with vs. without CHD adjusting for gestational age (GA), birth weight, and gender. Results: A total of 27710 (1.5%) out of 1,798,245 premature infants had severe CHD. This included 27%, 58%, and 15% in groups A, B, and C respectively. The incidence of severe CHD was highest between 25 and 28 weeks of gestation and decreased significantly with increasing GA up to 36 weeks (p < 0.001). Premature infants with severe CHD had a significantly higher incidence of neonatal morbidities including necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) [OR = 4.88 (4.51-5.27)], interventricular hemorrhage [OR = 6.22 (5.57-6.95)], periventricular leukomalacia [OR = 3.21 (2.84-3.64)] and bronchopulmonary dysplasia [OR = 8.26 (7.50-10.06) compared to preterm infants of similar GA without CHD. Shunt lesions had the highest incidence of NEC (8.5%) compared to 5.3% in cyanotic CHD and 3.7% in left-sided lesions (p < 0.001). Mortality was significantly higher in premature infants with CHD compared to control [11.6% vs. 2.5%, p < 0.001]. Shunt lesions had significantly higher mortality (11.0%) compared to those with left-sided lesions (8.3%) and cyanotic CHD (6.4%), p < 0.001. Conclusion: Premature infants with severe CHD are at high risk of neonatal morbidity and mortality. Morbidity remains increased across all GA groups and in all CHD categories. This significant risk of adverse outcomes is important to acknowledge when managing this patient population and when counseling their families. Future research is needed to examine the impact of specific rather than categorized congenital heart defects on neonatal outcomes.

Effectiveness and Safety of Dexmedetomidine in Neonates With Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy Undergoing Therapeutic Hypothermia.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to evaluate and compare the effectiveness and safety of dexmedetomidine as monotherapy between neonates with mild hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) and moderate to severe HIE treated with therapeutic hypothermia (TH). METHODS: This retrospective study included neonates of gestational age ≥36 weeks with a diagnosis of HIE and undergoing TH between January 2014 and December 2021. Patients were included if they received at least 6 hours of continuous sedation with dexmedetomidine. Baseline characteristics, dose and duration of medication, adverse events, liver and kidney function tests, and hospital course were reviewed. RESULTS: Of the 97 neonates included, 46 had mild, 42 had moderate, and 9 had severe HIE. Dexmedetomidine was initiated at a median 5 hours of life, and the median infusion duration was 77 (46-87) hours. Fifty-two (53.6%) required at least 1 breakthrough opioid or sedative during the first 24 hours of dexmedetomidine infusion. Overall, 40 patients (41.2%) had at least 1 bradycardia episode with heart rate <80 beats/min and 14 patients (14.4%) had heart rate <70 beats/min. Hypotension was experienced by 7 patients (7.2%). Fifty-two patients (53.6%) were intubated in the delivery room and 33/52 (63.5%) were extubated on day of life 1 during dexmedetomidine infusion. CONCLUSIONS: Dexmedetomidine as monotherapy was effective and safe sedation for infants with HIE undergoing hypothermia. The most common side effect of dexmedetomidine was bradycardia. -Dexmedetomidine may be considered as first and single agent for neonates with HIE undergoing TH.

Placental abruption and risk for intraventricular hemorrhage in very low birth weight infants: the United States national inpatient database.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the association of placental abruption with intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) in very low birth weight (VLBW) infants. METHODS: We examined the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) datasets. Preterm infants <1500 g birth weight (BW) were included. The odds ratios (OR) of developing IVH and severe IVH in association with placental abruption were calculated. Adjusted OR (aOR) were calculated using logistic regression models. RESULTS: The study included 113,445 VLBW infants. IVH occurred in 18.7% in the infants who were born to mothers with history of placental abruption versus 14.7% in infants without placental abruption, aOR 1.25 (95%CI: 1.13-1.38), p < 0.001. Severe IVH occurred in 6.4% in infants born to mothers with history of placental abruption versus 4.0% in those without placental abruption, aOR 1.53 (95%CI: 1.30-1.78), p < 0.001. CONCLUSION: Placental abruption is associated with increased prevalence of IVH and severe IVH in VLBW infants.

Glucose instability and outcomes of neonates with hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy undergoing therapeutic hypothermia.

BACKGROUND: To investigate the prevalence and associated outcomes of glucose abnormalities in infants with hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) undergoing therapeutic hypothermia (TH). METHODS: Glucose values were reviewed in all HIE infants. Pearson's correlation was used to assess the association of hypo- and hyperglycemic episodes with neonatal brain MRI and neurodevelopmental outcomes (NDO) at 12 & 24 months. RESULTS: Of 153 infants included, 31, 56 and 43 had episodes of hypo-, hyperglycemia and combined, respectively. Hyperglycemia and combined hypo/hyper had higher mortality (p = 0.035), seizures (p = 0.009), and longer hospitalization (p = 0.023). Hypo- and hyperglycemia were associated with parenchymal hemorrhages (p = 0.028 & p = 0.027, respectively). Hypoglycemia was associated with restricted diffusion (p = 0.014), while hyperglycemia was associated with cortical injuries (p = 0.045). Each hour of hyper- or hypoglycemia was associated with 5.2-5.8 times unfavorable outcomes (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Blood glucose aberrations were detrimental in HIE infants treated with TH. Optimizing glucose management is crucial in this setting.

Continuous Electroencephalogram (cEEG) Findings and Neurodevelopmental Outcomes in Neonates with Congenital Heart Disease (CHD) at 12-24 Months of Age.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to assess the role of continuous EEG (cEEG) background patterns and duration of cross-clamp time and cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) in children with congenital heart disease (CHD) undergoing cardiac surgery and its correlation with abnormal neurodevelopmental outcomes at 12-24 months on Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development (BSID-III). METHODS: This retrospective cohort study included infants with CHD and cEEG monitoring, who underwent surgery by 44 weeks gestational age. RESULTS: 34 patients were included, who were operated at median age - 7 days. Longer duration of cross- camp time was associated with poor language composite scores (LCS) (p value = 0.036). A significant association existed between severity of encephalopathy in 24-hour post-operative period and poor LCS (p value = 0.026). CONCLUSION: Majority of neonates with CHD have below average cognitive, language and motor composite scores on BSID-III. Longer duration of cross-clamp time and severity of encephalopathy during 24-hour post-operative EEG monitoring are associated with poor LCS.

Incorporation of spent ion exchange resin simulate into cement composites.

Solidification/Stabilization (S/S) of spent radioactive ion exchange resins (IER) is one of many critical problems facing developing nuclear industries all over the world. Immobilization technology using Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) as an inert matrix, has been widely applied for the solidification/stabilization of spent ion exchange resin. In this study incorporation of simulated IER into cement matrix and characterization of the final solid waste form (FWF) had been searched practically in laboratory scale experiments. Factors that can affect the properties of the FWF including the water/cement (w/c) ratios and the resin concentration were studied systematically. Mechanical integrities, thermal analysis, and mass loss during hardening and curing for 28 days were evaluated for FWF hard blocks. Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and X-Ray Diffraction (X-RD) examinations were performed to investigate the internal architecture of the FWF. Moreover, the heat of cement hydration reactions was recorded during the IER solidification process. Based on the experimental results obtained, it is worth to state that according to its acceptable characteristics and advantages of cement as an inert matrix, it can be suggested safely for the immobilization of untreated spent radioactive ion exchange resins.

Hospital Factors Associated with the Survival of Infants Born at Periviable Gestation: The USA National Database.

Background: Reports on the survival of infants born at periviable gestation (GA of ≤24 weeks and birth weight of <500 gm) vary significantly. We aimed to determine hospital factors associated with their survival and to assess the trend for the timing of postnatal mortality in these periviable infants. Methods: We utilized the de-identified National Inpatient Sample (NIS) dataset of the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). National data were analyzed for the years 2010-2018. Hospitals were categorized according to delivery volume, USA regions, and teaching status. Results: We identified 33,998,014 infants born during the study period; 76,231 infants were ≤24 weeks. Survival at birth and first 2 days of life was greatest in urban teaching hospitals in infants <24 weeks and those who completed 24 weeks, respectively. The Northeast region has the lowest survival rate. There was a significant delay in the postnatal day of mortality in periviable infants. Conclusions: Hospital factors are associated with increased survival rates. Improved survival in large teaching hospitals supports the need for the regionalization of care in infants born at the limits of viability. There was a significant delay in the postnatal mortality day.

Direct breastfeeding frequency of late preterm and term infants in the neonatal intensive care unit and availability of mother's own milk at six months of age. a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Mother's Own Milk (MOM) reduces the risk of complications in premature infants. Breastfeeding rates for late preterm and term infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) are significantly lower than that of breastfed healthy term newborns at 6 months of age. DESIGN: This was a retrospective cohort study of neonates born at 34 weeks 0 days or later. Infants who were directly breastfed in the NICU and were discharged on breast milk were included. Logistic regression modeling was used to determine the significance of association. RESULTS: 171 mother-infant dyads were included. After adjusting for confounders, the number of breastfeeding attempts during the NICU stay was significantly associated with the availability of MOM at six months of age (p = 0.003, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.14). CONCLUSION: This study is the first to show an association between the number of direct breastfeeding attempts in the NICU and availability of MOM at six months of age.