Dosage escalation of antenatal steroids in preterm twin pregnancies does not improve long-term outcome.

OBJECTIVES: To analyze long-term effects of antenatal betamethasone (≤16 mg, =24 mg and >24 mg) in preterm twins on infant and childhood morbidity. METHODS: Retrospective cohort study among 198 preterm twins. Three follow up time points, including a total of 84 outcomes, were evaluated: first neonatal examination after birth and in the neonatal period up to 10 days after birth using data from the clinic charts; examination from the 21st to the 24th month of life and examination from the 60th to the 64th months, using data from copies of the children's examination booklets sent back by the parents. Dosage-dependent and sex-specific long-term effects of antenatal betamethasone treatment on neonatal, infant and early childhood development and morbidity up to 5.3 years of age were analyzed. RESULTS: Dosage escalation of >24 mg was not associated with improved neonatal, infant or early child hood outcome, independent of twin pair structure. In contrast, higher doses >24 mg were significantly linked to increased rates of congenital infections (OR 5.867, 95% CI 1.895-18.167). Male sex as a factor was obvious for lower rates of apnea-bradycardia-syndrome in neonates, higher rates of no free steps after 15 months in infancy and highest rates of motor clumsiness in early childhood. CONCLUSIONS: Betamethasone dosage escalation >24 mg in twins born between 23+5 and 33+6 weeks of gestation did not improve neonatal, infant or early childhood morbidity. In contrast, higher doses >24 mg total dose resulted in significantly higher rates of congenital infections and are not recommended. For males, 24 mg betamethasone appears to be the preferable dose.

Long term alterations of growth after antenatal steroids in preterm twin pregnancies.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the long-term effects of antenatal betamethasone (ANS, ≤16 mg, =24 mg and >24 mg) in twins on infant and childhood growth. METHODS: A retrospective cohort follow up study among 198 twins after ANS including three time points: U1 first neonatal examination after birth and in the neonatal period; U7 examination from the 21st to the 24th month of life and U9 examination from the 60th to the 64th month of life using data from copies of the children's examination booklets. Inclusion criteria are twin pregnancies with preterm labor, cervical shortening, preterm premature rupture of membranes, or vaginal bleeding, and exposure to ANS between 23+5 and 33+6 weeks. Outcome measures are dosage-dependent and sex-specific effects of ANS on growth (body weight, body length, head circumference, body mass index and ponderal index) up to 5.3 years. RESULTS: Overall, 99 live-born twin pairs were included. Negative effects of ANS on fetal growth persisted beyond birth, altered infant and childhood growth, independent of possible confounding factors. Overall weight percentile significantly decreased between infancy and early childhood by 18.8%. Birth weight percentiles significantly changed in a dose dependent and sex specific manner, most obviously in female-female and mixed pairs. The ponderal index significantly decreased up to 42.9%, BMI index increased by up to 33.8%. CONCLUSIONS: ANS results in long-term alterations in infant and childhood growth. Changes between infancy and early childhood in ponderal mass index and BMI, independent of dose or twin pair structure, might indicate an ANS associated increased risk for later life disease. SYNOPSIS: First-time report on long-term ANS administration growth effects in twin pregnancies, showing persisting alterations beyond birth in infant and childhood growth up to 5.3 years as potential indicator of later life disease risk.

Rate of rise of total serum bilirubin in very low birth weight preterm infants.

BACKGROUND: To assess the postnatal rate of rise (ROR) of total serum bilirubin (TSB) in very low birth weight (VLBW) preterm infants, to determine risk factors associated with a rapid rise (>90th percentile), and to compare ROR and hour-specific TSB at postnatal 12-48 h with data of term infants retrieved from the literature. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of 2430 routine TSB concentrations obtained between birth and initiation of phototherapy in 483 VLBW infants. RESULTS: TSB increased by a median (interquartile range) ROR of 0.15 (0.11-0.19) mg/dL/h. The 50th percentile of TSB was below the 40th percentile of (near-)term counterparts at 12-48 h. TSB ROR correlated with the age at initiation (RS = -0.687; p < 0.001) and the duration (RS = 0.444; p < 0.001) of phototherapy. ROR >90th percentile (>0.25 mg/dL/h) was associated with lower gestational ages [27.2 (25.4-29.3) vs. 28.4 (26.4-30.4) weeks], lower birth weights [978 (665-1120) vs. 1045 (814-1300) g], and lower 5-min Apgar scores [7 (7-8) vs. 8 (7-9)]. CONCLUSION: ROR of TSB is an indicator for early and prolonged phototherapy. While hour-specific TSB and ROR at 12-48 h are lower than those reported for (near-)term infants, TSB appears to rise more rapidly in infants with low gestational age, low birth weight, and low 5-min Apgar score.

Mature and immature platelets during the first week after birth and incidence of patent ductus arteriosus.

BACKGROUND: Thrombocytopenia is a risk factor for patent ductus arteriosus. Immature and mature platelets exhibit distinct haemostatic properties; however, whether platelet maturity plays a role in postnatal, ductus arteriosus closure is unknown. METHODS: In this observational study, counts of immature and mature platelets (=total platelet count - immature platelet count) were assessed on days 1, 3, and 7 of life in very low birth weight infants (<1500 g birth weight). We performed echocardiographic screening for haemodynamically significant patent ductus arteriosus on day 7. RESULTS: Counts of mature platelets did not differ on day 1 in infants with (n = 24) and without (n = 45) haemodynamically significant patent ductus arteriosus, while infants with significant patent ductus arteriosus exhibited lower counts of mature platelet on postnatal days 3 and 7. Relative counts of immature platelets (fraction, in %) were higher in infants with patent ductus arteriosus on day 7 but not on days 1 and 3. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis unraveled associations between both lower mature platelet counts and higher immature platelet fraction (percentage) values on days 3 and 7, with haemodynamically significant ductus arteriosus. Logistic regression analysis revealed that mature platelet counts, but not immature platelet fraction values, were independent predictors of haemodynamically significant patent ductus arteriosus. CONCLUSION: During the first week of postnatal life, lower counts of mature platelets and higher immature platelet fraction values are associated with haemodynamically significant patent ductus arteriosus. Lower counts of mature platelet were found to be independent predictors of haemodynamically significant patent ductus arteriosus.

End-of-Life Decisions 20 Years after EURONIC: Neonatologists' Self-Reported Practices, Attitudes, and Treatment Choices in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria.

OBJECTIVE: To assess changes in attitudes of neonatologists regarding the care of extremely preterm infants and parental involvement over the last 20 years. STUDY DESIGN: Internet-based survey (2016) involving 170 tertiary neonatal intensive care units in Austria, Switzerland, and Germany using the European Project on Parents' Information and Ethical Decision Making in Neonatal Intensive Care Units questionnaire (German edition) with minor modifications to the original survey from 1996 to 1997. RESULTS: The 2016 survey included 104 respondents (52.5% response rate). In 2016, significantly more neonatologists reported having ever withheld intensive care treatment (99% vs 69%) and withdrawn mechanical ventilation (96% vs 61%) or life-saving drugs (99% vs 79%), compared with neonatologists surveyed in 1996-1997. Fewer considered limiting intensive care as a slippery slope possibly leading to abuse (18% vs 48%). In the situation of a deteriorating clinical condition despite all treatment, significantly more neonatologists would ask parental opinion about continuation of intensive care (49% vs 18%). In 2016, 21% of German neonatologists would resuscitate a hypothetical infant at the limits of viability, even against parental wishes. CONCLUSIONS: Withholding or withdrawing intensive care for extremely preterm infants at the limits of viability with parental involvement has become more acceptable than it was 20 years ago. However, resuscitating extremely preterm infants against parental wishes remains an option for up to one-fifth of the responding neonatologists in this survey.

Communication in The Clinical Routine of Neonatologists.

INTRODUCTION: Communication is essential to clinical routine, especially in NICUs with their vulnerable patients and the special team caring for them. Communication breakdowns and resulting treatment errors are described in the literature. The aim of this study is to provide an initial quantitative assessment of medical communication in a NICU. METHODS: For task analysis, 15 Level III-NICU physicians were accompanied for 60 days in early and late shifts; each physician completed the COPSOQ questionnaire. Recorded tasks were assigned to main task categories and subcategories. RESULTS: A total of 550 h of main and 100 h of secondary tasks were recorded, on average 9 h daily. The most time-consuming main activity was "Communication" (3 h), followed by "Indirect care/Administration" (2 h) and "Direct patient care" (1.5 h). "Communication" mainly consisted of discussions with colleagues and during early shifts. At 2 min, communication with nursing personnel during rounds was especially low. Communication showed a negative correlation to physician job satisfaction. DISCUSSION: This work shows the suspected high proportion of communication in a NICU, especially among physicians themselves. The effectiveness of this communication is not assessable. However, a low proportion of communication with nursing staff is noticeable and reflects the variabiliy in team communication. Improvement of communication is necessary through training on and the application of existing techniques for handoffs and rounds.

Birth weight-related percentiles of brain ventricular system as a tool for assessment of posthemorrhagic hydrocephalus and ventricular enlargement.

Besides remarkable improvements of neonatal medical therapy, neurological morbidity remains a major concern in preterm infants. In particular, intracranial hemorrhage is a severe complication strongly correlated to poor neurological outcome. For early clinical assessment of intracranial hemorrhage and its impact on the ventricular system, cranial sonography is an important bedside diagnostic tool. Reference values of ventricular sizes are available in relation to gestational age (GA). So far, it has not been demonstrated that ventricular size values are also reliable in relation to birth weight (BW). In this study, we performed cranial ultrasonography in 250 preterm and term newborn infants. Measurements of the intracranial ventricular system by cranial ultrasound examination were performed within 72 h after birth. We determined ventricular index, anterior horn width, width of the third ventricle, width and length of the fourth ventricle for statistical analysis in relation to BW and GA. GA ranged from 23 weeks, 3 days to 42 weeks, 1 day (mean: 33 weeks), BW ranged from 345 to 5620 g (mean: 2146 g). Ventricular index and fourth ventricle width revealed a significant correlation to birth weight with r=0.75, each. A significant correlation to birth weight was also obtained for width and length of the third ventricle (r=0.55 and 0.47, respectively). Correlations obtained for ventricular measures in relation to GA were similar to those referring to BW. In preterm and term infants, ventricular sizes in relation to BW seem reliable for assessment and monitoring of ventricular pathologies, i.e. after intracranial hemorrhage.

Use of social networking sites by parents of very low birth weight infants: experiences and the potential of a dedicated site.

UNLABELLED: The objective of this study was to study the experiences of parents of preterm infants who use social networking sites and the potential of such sites for gathering information and facilitating personal exchange. An anonymous self-reporting questionnaire was administered to parents of infants below 1,500 g birth weight born between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2010 in two tertiary neonatal intensive care units. Of the 278 families who were sent a questionnaire, 141 responded; 53.6 % of respondents claimed to be presently members of online social networking sites. However, only 10.7 and 18.6 % used the Internet to exchange information about their infants during the NICU stay and after discharge, respectively. Most (64.0 %) responding parents considered that currently available commercial Internet sites inadequately met their need to exchange information as parents of preterm infants. Overall, 79.1 % of respondents reported that they would be interested in joining a native-language online networking site providing (1) general information on prematurity, (2) explanations of abbreviations commonly used in a hospital setting, and (3) details of common medical problems and the treatment thereof, including the availability of local therapists and follow-up services. Also, parents wanted to engage in personal exchange online not only with other parents but also with medical staff. CONCLUSION: The support of parents of hospitalized preterm infants by neonatal nurses and doctors could be extended by developing an expert-controlled, online networking site providing reliable and updated information and facilitating personal exchange among parents.

Comparison of left ventricular cardiac dimensions between small and appropriate for gestational age preterm infants below 30 weeks of gestation.

OBJECTIVE: The development of the left cardiac structures in the early life of small for gestational age (SGA) preterm infants has been inadequately studied. The aim of the study was to compare the left ventricular cardiac dimensions between SGA and appropriate for gestational age (AGA) preterm infants. METHODS: Echocardiography was performed on day 2 (T1)and at age 1 month (T2) in 19 SGA preterm infants (birthweight < 3 rd percentile) and 21 AGA controls (P25-50) matched for gestational age (< 30 weeks). RESULTS: The left ventricular cardiac dimensions did not differ significantly between SGA and AGA infants at either T1 or T2 after correction for body length. The left ventricular mass was similar for SGA and AGA infants at T1 and T2 after correction for body weight or body length. The left ventricular output increased significantly from T1 to T2 in both SGA and AGA infants [SGA: 350 (T1) ­ 640 (T2) mL/kg/min, P < 0.05; AGA: 300 (T1) ­ 510 (T2) mL/kg/min, P < 0.05]. CONCLUSIONS: The left cardiac structures related to body length are comparable between SGA and AGA preterm infants in the first month of life and show similar development.

Trend over 25 years of risk factors of mother's own milk provision to very low birth weight infants at discharge.

BACKGROUND: Feeding mother's own milk (MOM) is associated with reduced morbidity of very low birth weight (VLBW) infants (<1500 g), but not all mothers are able to provide pumped breast milk or breastfeed until discharge. AIMS: To investigate the duration of MOM feeding and identify risk factors for cessation. STUDY DESIGN: Single-center retrospective cohort study. SUBJECTS: 307 VLBW infants born 2012 and 2019 surviving beyond 7 days of life. OUTCOME MEASURES: Analysis of MOM feeding at discharge, including comparison with a historical cohort of infants born 1992-1994. RESULTS: MOM feeding was initiated in 178/180 infants (98.9 %) born in 2012 and in 123/127 infants (96.9 %) born in 2019 (p = 0.132), as compared to 73/89 (82 %) infants born 1992-1994 (p < 0.001). Median [range] duration of MOM feeding was similar for infants born in 2012 (45 [0-170] days) and 2019 (50 [0-190] days) (p = 0.396), but much longer than in the historical cohort (36 [0-152] days) (p < 0.001). The overall breastfeeding rate increased up to 69.2 % and 77.2 %. Factors associated with cessation of MOM feeding were smoking during pregnancy, single-mother status, short (<12 years) duration of maternal or paternal school education (all p ≤ 0.001), natural conception, birth weight ≥ 1000 g, and gestational age ≥ 29 weeks (p < 0.05). In Cox proportional hazard multivariate analysis, smoking during pregnancy and single-mother status remained independent risk factors. CONCLUSIONS: Duration of MOM feeding and breastfeeding rates of VLBW infants during hospital stay have increased significantly during the last 30 years, while smoking and indicators of low socioeconomic status remain dominant predictors of cessation of MOM feeding.

Immature Platelet Counts and Thrombopoietin Plasma Concentrations in Thrombocytopenic and Non-thrombocytopenic Preterm Infants.

Objective: Immature platelet counts (IPC) may prove useful in guiding platelet transfusion management in preterm neonates. However, the relationship between IPCs and thrombopoietin (Tpo) concentrations has not been evaluated in preterm neonates. Methods: Prospective cohort study in thrombocytopenic (n = 31) and non-thrombocytopenic very low birth weight (VLBW) infants (n = 38), and healthy term neonates (controls; n = 41). Absolute platelet counts (APCs), IPCs, and Tpo concentrations were assessed by a fully-automated hematological analyzer (IPC, APC) and by ELISA (Tpo concentrations) in parallel on day 1 of life (d1), d3, and d7. Results: In healthy term neonates, APCs remained stable between d1 and d3. In non-thrombocytopenic VLBW infants, APCs increased from d1 to d7, while in the thrombocytopenia group, APCs declined from d1 to d3, before they slightly increased again by d7. Median IPCs were similar in healthy term vs. non-thrombocytopenic VLBW infants and remained stable between d1 and d3 (p > 0.05). Notably, IPCs significantly increased between d3 and d7 in both non-thrombocytopenic and thrombocytopenic VLBW infants. However, in thrombocytopenic VLBW infants, IPC values were significantly lower at each time point as compared to non-thrombocytopenic VLBWs (p < 0.001). In each subgroup, Tpo concentrations increased from d1 to d3. The median Tpo concentrations were significantly higher in thrombocytopenic as compared to non-thrombocytopenic VLBW infants at d3 (p = 0.01) and d7 (p = 0.002). Discussion: Term infants, thrombocytopenic, and non-thrombocytopenic preterm infants display similar developmental changes in indices of megakaryopoietic activity. In thrombocytopenic preterm infants, however, the responsive increases in Tpo and immature platelets appear to be developmentally limited.

Right ventricular function and vasoactive peptides for early prediction of bronchopulmonary dysplasia.

BACKGROUND: To assess the prognostic value of early echocardiographic indices of right ventricular function and vasoactive peptides for prediction of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) or death in very preterm infants. METHODS: Prospective study involving 294 very preterm infants (median [IQR] gestational age 28.4 [26.4-30.4] weeks, birth weight 1065 [800-1380] g), of whom 57 developed BPD (oxygen supplementation at 36 weeks postmenstrual age) and 10 died. Tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE), right ventricular index of myocardial performance (RIMP), plasma concentrations of mid-regional pro-atrial natriuretic peptide (MR-proANP) and C-terminal pro-endothelin-1 (CT-proET1) were measured on day 7 of life. RESULTS: RIMP was significantly increased (median [IQR] 0.3 [0.23-0.38] vs 0.22 [0.15-0.29]), TAPSE decreased (median [IQR] 5.0 [5.0-6.0] vs 6.0 [5.4-7.0] mm), MR-proANP increased (median [IQR] 784 [540-936] vs 353 [247-625] pmol/L), and CT-proET1 increased (median [IQR] 249 [190-345] vs 199 [158-284] pmol/L) in infants who developed BPD or died, as compared to controls. All variables showed significant but weak correlations with each other (rS -0.182 to 0.359) and predicted BPD/death with similar accuracy (areas under receiver operator characteristic curves 0.62 to 0.77). Multiple regression revealed only RIMP and birth weight as independent predictors of BPD or death. CONCLUSIONS: Vasoactive peptide concentrations and echocardiographic assessment employing standardized measures, notably RIMP, on day 7 of life are useful to identify preterm infants at increased risk for BPD or death.

B-type natriuretic peptide to predict ductus intervention in infants <28 weeks.

Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is frequent in neonates with gestational age of less than 28 wk. Clinical and echocardiographic signs define hemodynamic significance of PDA, but do not reveal the need for PDA intervention in the first days of life. B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) has been proposed as a screening tool for PDA in preterm infants. To determine whether BNP can predict the need for PDA intervention, plasma BNP was measured by chemiluminescence immunoassay in 67 preterm infants <28 wk (median 26) on the second day of life in a prospective blinded study. PDA intervention was based on specified clinical and echocardiographic findings. Twenty-four patients (intervention group) received treatment for PDA and 43 patients (controls) remained without intervention. BNP concentrations were higher in the intervention (median 1069 pg/mL) than in the control group (247 pg/mL, p < 0.001). BNP correlated positively with ductal size (R = 0.46, p < 0.001) and atrial/aortic root ratio (R = 0.54, p < 0.001). In conclusion, plasma BNP proved to be a good predictor for ductus intervention (area under the curve: 0.86) with the best cutoff at 550 pg/mL on the second day of life in ventilated infants less than 28 wk gestation (sensitivity: 83%; specificity: 86%).

Prevalence and Characteristics of Neonatal Comfort Care Patients: A Single-Center, 5-Year, Retrospective, Observational Study.

Objective: To investigate the prevalence and characteristics of neonates with life-limiting or life-threatening conditions who receive care focused exclusively on comfort. Methods:Retrospective chart review of all newborn infants admitted to a level III perinatal center within a 5 year period. Results:1,777 of 9,878 infants (18.0%) had life-limiting or life-threatening conditions. 149 (1.5% of all neonates) were categorized as comfort care patients with death being anticipated within hours to weeks. 34.2% of comfort care patients suffered from conditions specific to the neonatal period, 28.9% were preterm infants at the limit of viability, and 22.8% were patients with congenital complex chronic conditions. In 80.5% of all comfort care patients treatment goals were re-directed toward a comfort-care-only regimen only once that life-prolonging therapies were demonstrated to be unhelpful. 136/149 comfort care patients (91.3%) died in hospital, while 13 (8.7%) were discharged home or into a hospice. Median age at death for comfort care patients was 3 days after birth (interquartile range 1-15.5 days), and delivery room death immediately after birth occurred in 37 patients (27.2%). Conclusions: The vast majority of neonatal comfort care patients died in the hospital during the first week of life. However, almost one in 10 comfort care patients were discharged to home or hospice, suggesting that planning transition out of the NICU should be routinely discussed for all infants receiving comfort care.

Association between Platelet Counts before and during Pharmacological Therapy for Patent Ductus Arteriosus and Treatment Failure in Preterm Infants.

BACKGROUND: The role of platelets for mediating closure of the ductus arteriosus in human preterm infants is controversial. Especially, the effect of low platelet counts on pharmacological treatment failure is still unclear. METHODS: In this retrospective study of 471 preterm infants [<1,500 g birth weight (BW)], who were treated for a patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) with indomethacin or ibuprofen, we investigated whether platelet counts before or during pharmacological treatment had an impact on the successful closure of a hemodynamically significant PDA. The effects of other factors, such as sepsis, preeclampsia, gestational age, BW, and gender, were also evaluated. RESULTS: Platelet counts before initiation of pharmacological PDA treatment did not differ between infants with later treatment success or failure. However, we found significant associations between low platelet counts during pharmacological PDA therapy and treatment failure (p < 0.05). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis showed that platelet counts after the first, and before and after the second cyclooxygenase inhibitor (COXI) cycle were significantly associated with treatment failure (area under the curve of >0.6). However, ROC curve analysis did not reveal a specific platelet cutoff-value that could predict PDA treatment failure. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that lower platelet counts, a lower BW, and preeclampsia were independently associated with COXI treatment failure. CONCLUSION: We provide further evidence for an association between low platelet counts during pharmacological therapy for symptomatic PDA and treatment failure, while platelet counts before initiation of therapy did not affect treatment outcome.

A comparison of two mortality risk scores for very low birthweight infants: clinical risk index for babies and Berlin score.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the performance of two mortality risk scores for very low birthweight (VLBW) infants. DESIGN AND SETTING: Cohort study in two university-associated neonatal tertiary care units. PATIENTS: . The clinical risk index for babies and the Berlin score were assessed in 343 VLBW infants (below 1500 g) admitted to one center and 257 infants admitted to a second center between 1992 and 1996. An additional 572 VLBW infants admitted at the former center during 1978-1987 and 294 during 1988-1991 were studied for changes in risk-adjusted mortality over time. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: Goodness of fit was excellent for both scores in both centers. Ability of discrimination was similarly high for both scores. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curves for all 600 infants was 0.84 for the clinical risk index for babies, 0.82 for the Berlin score, and 0.77 for birthweight alone. Both scores discriminated less well in the present samples than they did in the populations in which they were developed. Applying the Berlin score in three periods revealed a continuous decrease in risk-adjusted mortality from 1978 to 1996, indicating improvement in neonatal care. CONCLUSIONS: Both scores predicted death in hospital with high accuracy and interhospital reliability. Decreasing mortality in VLBW infants during the past 20 years requires regular reevaluation of existing scoring systems to avoid overestimation of mortality risk.

Online support for parents of preterm infants: a qualitative and content analysis of Facebook 'preemie' groups.

OBJECTIVE: To qualitatively evaluate the content of communication in Facebook communities dedicated to preterm infants. DESIGN: The 25 largest public English-language Facebook groups focusing on preterm infants were identified. For each group, the 20 most recent wallposts and a maximum of the 15 first comments to these wallposts, and the 15 most recent discussion topics were analysed according to a thematic coding scheme. The purpose of each group was determined and personal characteristics of administrators and active posters were analysed. RESULTS: 1497 individual Facebook groups focusing on preterm infants were found, wherein the 25 largest had between 391 and 14 986 members. Non-profit fundraising groups comprised 48% of analysed groups and had the greatest number of members (median 1450, IQR 548-5435), followed by general awareness (24% of all groups, members: median 1183, IQR 658-2116) and interpersonal support groups (28% of all groups, members: median 823, IQR 484-1022). 85.0% of administrators and 91.5% of posters were women, and two-thirds of posts had been written by mothers of preterm infants. The analysis of posts, comments and discussion topics (n=1054) showed that 'information sharing' (31%) and 'interpersonal support' (53%) were the most common purposes. CONCLUSIONS: Facebook groups related to preterm birth have become a popular tool for fundraising and awareness-raising. However, most group members use these forums for information sharing and interpersonal support. Given their popularity and reach, further research is warranted to understand the motivations, implications and risks of dynamic online communication among parents of preterm infants.

Persistently elevated right ventricular index of myocardial performance in preterm infants with incipient bronchopulmonary dysplasia.

OBJECTIVES: Elevated pulmonary vascular resistance occurs during the first days after birth in all newborn infants and persists in infants at risk for bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). It is difficult to measure in a non-invasive fashion. We assessed the usefulness of the right ventricular index of myocardial performance (RIMP) to estimate pulmonary vascular resistance in very low birth weight infants. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective echocardiography on day of life (DOL) 2, 7, 14, and 28 in 121 preterm infants (median [quartiles] gestational age 28 [26]-[29] weeks, birth weight 998 [743-1225] g) of whom 36 developed BPD (oxygen supplementation at 36 postmenstrual weeks). RESULTS: RIMP derived by conventional pulsed Doppler technique was unrelated to heart rate or mean blood pressure. RIMP on DOL 2 was similar in infants who subsequently did (0.39 [0.33-0.55]) and did not develop BPD (0.39 [0.28-0.51], p = 0.467). RIMP declined steadily in non-BPD infants but not in BPD infants (DOL 7: 0.31[0.22-0.39] vs. 0.35[0.29-0.48], p = 0.014; DOL 14: 0.23[0.17-0.30] vs. 0.35[0.25-0.43], p<0.001; DOL 28: 0.21[0.15-0.28] vs. 0.31 [0.21-0.35], p = 0.015). CONCLUSIONS: In preterm infants, a decline in RIMP after birth was not observed in those with incipient BPD. The pattern of RIMP measured in preterm infants is commensurate with that of pulmonary vascular resistance.

Thrombocytopenia in the first 24 hours after birth and incidence of patent ductus arteriosus.

BACKGROUND: Experimental studies suggest that platelet-triggered ductal sealing is critically involved in definite ductus arteriosus closure. Whether thrombocytopenia contributes to persistently patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) in humans is controversial. This was a retrospective study of 1350 very low birth weight (VLBW; <1500 g) infants, including 592 extremely low birth weight (ELBW; <1000 g) infants. METHODS: All infants who had a platelet count in the first 24 hours after birth and an echocardiogram performed on day of life 4 to 5 were included. The incidence of thrombocytopenia was analyzed in infants with and without PDA, and in those who did or did not undergo PDA intervention. The impact of thrombocytopenia, gestational age, birth weight, gender, and sepsis on PDA was determined by receiver operating characteristic curve, odds ratio, and regression analyses. RESULTS: Platelet numbers within the first 24 hours after birth did not differ between VLBW/ELBW infants with and without spontaneous ductal closure. Platelet numbers were not associated with subsequent PDA treatment. Low platelet counts were not related to failure of pharma-cologic PDA treatment and the need for subsequent surgical ligation. Lower gestational age or birth weight, male gender, and sepsis were linked to the presence of PDA in VLBW infants on day of life 4 to 5. CONCLUSIONS: Thrombocytopenia in the first 24 hours after birth was not associated with PDA in this largest VLBW/ELBW infant cohort studied to date. Impaired platelet function, due to immaturity and critical illness, rather than platelet number, might play a role in ductus arteriosus patency.