Thermoregulation for very preterm infants in the delivery room: a narrative review.

Abnormal temperature in preterm infants is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Infants born prematurely are at risk of abnormal temperature immediately after birth in the delivery room (DR). The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that the temperature of newly born infants is maintained between 36.5-37.5oC after birth. When caring for very preterm infants, the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR) recommends using a combination of interventions to prevent heat loss. While hypothermia remains prevalent, efforts to prevent it have increased the incidence of hyperthermia, which may also be harmful. Delayed cord clamping (DCC) for preterm infants has been recommended by ILCOR since 2015. Little is known about the effect of timing of DCC on temperature, nor have there been specific recommendations for thermal care before DCC. This review article focuses on the current evidence and recommendations for thermal care in the DR, and considers thermoregulation in the context of emerging interventions and future research directions. IMPACT: Abnormal temperature is common amongst very preterm infants after birth, and is an independent risk factor for mortality. The current guidelines recommend a combination of interventions to prevent heat loss after birth. Despite this, abnormal temperature is still a problem, across all climates and economies. New and emerging delivery room practice (i.e., delayed cord clamping, mobile resuscitation trolleys, early skin to skin care) may have an effect on infant temperature. This article reviews the current evidence and recommendations, and considers future research directions.

Too hot to thrive: a qualitative inquiry of community perspectives on the effect of high ambient temperature on postpartum women and neonates in Kilifi, Kenya.

OBJECTIVE: To understand community perspectives on the effects of high ambient temperature on the health and wellbeing of neonates, and impacts on post-partum women and infant care in Kilifi. DESIGN: Qualitative study using key informant interviews, in-depth interviews and focus group discussions with pregnant and postpartum women (n = 22), mothers-in-law (n = 19), male spouses (n = 20), community health volunteers (CHVs) (n = 22) and stakeholders from health and government ministries (n = 16). SETTINGS: We conducted our research in Kilifi County in Kenya's Coast Province. The area is largely rural and during summer, air temperatures can reach 37˚C and rarely go below 23˚C. DATA ANALYSIS: Data were analyzed in NVivo 12, using both inductive and deductive approaches. RESULTS: High ambient temperature is perceived by community members to have direct and indirect health pathways in pregnancy and postpartum periods, including on the neonates. The direct impacts include injuries on the neonate's skin and in the mouth, leading to discomfort and affecting breastfeeding and sleeping. Participants described babies as "having no peace". Heat effects were perceived to be amplified by indoor air pollution and heat from indoor cooking fires. Community members believed that exclusive breastfeeding was not practical in conditions of extreme heat because it lowered breast milk production, which was, in turn, linked to a low scarcity of food and time spend by mothers away from their neonates performing household chores. Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) was also negatively affected. Participants reported that postpartum women took longer to heal in the heat, were exhausted most of the time and tended not to attend postnatal care. CONCLUSIONS: High ambient temperatures affect postpartum women and their neonates through direct and indirect pathways. Discomfort makes it difficult for the mother to care for the baby. Multi-sectoral policies and programs are required to mitigate the negative impacts of high ambient temperatures on maternal and neonatal health in rural Kilifi and similar settings.

Fetal to neonatal transition: what additional information can be provided by cerebral near infrared spectroscopy?

This narrative review focuses on the clinical use and relevance of cerebral oxygenation measured by NIRS during fetal to neonatal transition. Cerebral NIRS(cNIRS) offers the possibility of non-invasive, continuous, and objective brain monitoring in addition to the recommended routine monitoring. During the last decade, with growing interest in early and sensitive brain monitoring, many research groups worldwide have been working with cNIRS and verified the feasibility of cNIRS monitoring immediately after birth. Cerebral hypoxia during fetal to neonatal transition, defined as cerebral oxygenation values below10th percentile, seems to have an impact on neurological outcomes. Feasibility to guide clinical support using cNIRS to reduce the burden of cerebral hypoxia has been shown. It is well known that in some cases cerebral oxygenation follows different patterns than SpO2. Cerebral oxygenation does not only depend on systemic oxygenation, hemoglobin content and cerebral blood flow, but also on cardiocirculatory condition, ventilation, and metabolic parameters. Hence, measurement of cerebral oxygenation may uncover problems not detectable by standard monitoring. Therefore, applying NIRS can provide caregivers a more complete clinical overview, especially in critically ill neonates. In this review, we aim to describe the additional information which can be provided by cNIRS during fetal to neonatal transition. IMPACT: This narrative review focuses on the clinical use and relevance of cerebral oxygenation measured by near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) during fetal to neonatal transition. During the last decade, interest on brain monitoring is growing continuously as the measurement of cerebral oxygenation may uncover problems which are not detectable by routine monitoring. Therefore, it will be crucial to have additional information to get a complete overview, especially in critically ill neonates in need of medical and respiratory support. In this review, we offer additional information which can be provided by cerebral NIRS during fetal to neonatal transition.

Associations between ambient temperature and risk of preterm birth in Sweden: A comparison of analytical approaches.

BACKGROUND: Evidence indicates that high temperatures are a risk factor for preterm birth. Increasing heat exposures due to climate change are therefore a concern for pregnant women. However, the large heterogeneity of study designs and statistical methods across previous studies complicate interpretation and comparisons. We investigated associations of short-term exposure to high ambient temperature with preterm birth in Sweden, applying three complementary analytical approaches. METHODS: We included 560,615 singleton live births between 2014 and 2019, identified in the Swedish Pregnancy Register. We estimated weekly mean temperatures at 1-km2 spatial resolution using a spatiotemporal machine learning methodology, and assigned them at the residential addresses of the study participants. The main outcomes of the study were gestational age in weeks and subcategories of preterm birth (<37 weeks): extremely preterm birth (<28 weeks), very preterm birth (from week 28 to <32), and moderately preterm birth (from week 32 to<37). Case-crossover, quantile regression and time-to-event analyses were applied to estimate the effects of short-term exposure to increased ambient temperature during the week before birth on preterm births. Furthermore, distributed lag nonlinear models (DLNM) were applied to identify susceptibility windows of exposures throughout pregnancy in relation to preterm birth. RESULTS: A total of 1924 births were extremely preterm (0.4%), 2636 very preterm (0.5%), and 23,664 moderately preterm (4.2%). Consistent across all three analytical approaches (case-crossover, quantile regression and time-to-event analyses), higher ambient temperature (95th vs 50th percentile) demonstrated increased risk of extremely preterm birth, but associations did not reach statistical significance. In DLNM models, we observed no evidence to suggest an increased effect of high temperature on preterm birth risk. Even so, a suggested trend was observed in both the quantile regression and time-to-event analyses of a higher risk of extremely preterm birth with higher temperature during the last week before birth. CONCLUSIONS: In Sweden, with high quality data on exposure and outcome, a temperate climate and good quality ante-natal health care, we did not find an association between high ambient temperatures and preterm births. Results were consistent across three complementary analytical approaches.

Ambient temperature during pregnancy and risk of maternal hypertensive disorders: A time-to-event study in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Hypertensive disorders in pregnancy are a leading cause of maternal and perinatal mortality and morbidity. We evaluate the effects of ambient temperature on risk of maternal hypertensive disorders throughout pregnancy. We used birth register data for all singleton births (22-43 weeks' gestation) recorded at a tertiary-level hospital in Johannesburg, South Africa, between July 2017-June 2018. Time-to-event analysis was combined with distributed lag non-linear models to examine the effects of mean weekly temperature, from conception to birth, on risk of (i) high blood pressure, hypertension, or gestational hypertension, and (ii) pre-eclampsia, eclampsia, or HELLP (hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, low platelets). Low and high temperatures were defined as the 5th and 95th percentiles of daily mean temperature, respectively. Of 7986 women included, 844 (10.6%) had a hypertensive disorder of which 432 (51.2%) had high blood pressure/hypertension/gestational hypertension and 412 (48.8%) had pre-eclampsia/eclampsia/HELLP. High temperature in early pregnancy was associated with an increased risk of pre-eclampsia/eclampsia/HELLP. High temperature (23 °C vs 18 °C) in the third and fourth weeks of pregnancy posed the greatest risk, with hazard ratios of 1.76 (95% CI 1.12-2.78) and 1.79 (95% CI 1.19-2.71), respectively. Whereas, high temperatures in mid-late pregnancy tended to protect against pre-eclampsia/eclampsia/HELLP. Low temperature (11°) during the third trimester (from 29 weeks' gestation) was associated with an increased risk of high blood pressure/hypertension/gestational hypertension, however the strength and statistical significance of low temperature effects were reduced with model adjustments. Our findings support the hypothesis that high temperatures in early pregnancy increase risk of severe hypertensive disorders, likely through an effect on placental development. This highlights the need for greater awareness around the impacts of moderately high temperatures in early pregnancy through targeted advice, and for increased monitoring of pregnant women who conceive during periods of hot weather.

Physiological mechanisms of the impact of heat during pregnancy and the clinical implications: review of the evidence from an expert group meeting.

Many populations experience high seasonal temperatures. Pregnant women are considered vulnerable to extreme heat because ambient heat exposure has been linked to pregnancy complications including preterm birth and low birthweight. The physiological mechanisms that underpin these associations are poorly understood. We reviewed the existing research evidence to clarify the mechanisms that lead to adverse pregnancy outcomes in order to inform public health actions. A multi-disciplinary expert group met to review the existing evidence base and formulate a consensus regarding the physiological mechanisms that mediate the effect of high ambient temperature on pregnancy. A literature search was conducted in advance of the meeting to identify existing hypotheses and develop a series of questions and themes for discussion. Numerous hypotheses have been generated based on animal models and limited observational studies. There is growing evidence that pregnant women are able to appropriately thermoregulate; however, when exposed to extreme heat, there are a number of processes that may occur which could harm the mother or fetus including a reduction in placental blood flow, dehydration, and an inflammatory response that may trigger preterm birth. There is a lack of substantial evidence regarding the processes that cause heat exposure to harm pregnant women. Research is urgently needed to identify what causes the adverse outcomes in pregnancy related to high ambient temperatures so that the impact of climate change on pregnant women can be mitigated.

Hyperglycemia results in decreased immune cell infiltration and increased viral load in the lung in a mouse model of RSV infection.

Respiratory Syncytial virus (RSV) infection is a feared disease in vulnerable populations with impaired immune responses. There is currently no vaccine against RSV and young children along with elderly people are at increased risk of severe or sometimes life-threatening RSV infection. Hyperglycemia with immunomodulatory patterns can impact on infectious disease outcomes and immune system responses in diabetic patients. Even though research continues to uncover the complex mechanisms underlying RSV immunopathogenesis and diabetes mellitus disease separately, limited information is available about interaction between these two phenomena. Here, we evaluated the influence of hyperglycemia as the hallmark of diabetes mellitus disease on the pathogenesis and immunopathogenesis of RSV in a mouse model. In this experiment, hyperglycemia was induced by intraperitoneal injection of Streptozotocin (STZ), and after diabetes confirmation, mice were infected with RSV-A2, and the immune responses were followed for 5 days until the mice were sacrificed. Analyses on airway immune cell influx, T-Lymphocyte subtypes, cytokines secretion, lung histopathology, and viral load were conducted. Our results showed that hyperglycemia resulted in reduced lung immune cells infiltration totally and it was associated with decreased pathological damage of the lung. Following RSV infection in hyperglycemic mice, the ratio of CD4/CD8 T-Lymphocytes due to CD8+ depletion, increased. Furthermore, the level of IFN-γ and IL-17A cytokines decreased, whereas IL-10 showed an upward trend and the viral load increased in hyperglycemic mice compared with normoglycemic mice. In conclusion, these findings indicate that hyperglycemia can ameliorate and downregulate RSV-induced inflammatory and antiviral responses, and result in increment of viral load.

Viral lower respiratory tract infections-strict admission guidelines for young children can safely reduce admissions.

Viral lower respiratory tract infection (VLRTI) is the most common cause of hospital admission among small children in high-income countries. Guidelines to identify children in need of admission are lacking in the literature. In December 2012, our hospital introduced strict guidelines for admission. This study aims to retrospectively evaluate the safety and efficacy of the guidelines. We performed a single-center retrospective administrative database search and medical record review. ICD-10 codes identified children < 24 months assessed at the emergency department for VLRTI for a 10-year period. To identify adverse events related to admission guidelines implementation, we reviewed patient records for all those discharged on primary contact followed by readmission within 14 days. During the study period, 3227 children younger than 24 months old were assessed in the ED for VLRTI. The proportion of severe adverse events among children who were discharged on their initial emergency department contact was low both before (0.3%) and after the intervention (0.5%) (p=1.0). Admission rates before vs. after the intervention were for previously healthy children > 90 days 65.3% vs. 53.3% (p<0.001); for healthy children ≤ 90 days 85% vs. 68% (p<0.001); and for high-risk comorbidities 74% vs. 71% (p=0.5).Conclusion: After implementation of admission guidelines for VLRTI, there were few adverse events and a significant reduction in admissions to the hospital from the emergency department. Our admission guidelines may be a safe and helpful tool in the assessment of children with VLRTI. What is Known: • Viral lower respiratory tract infection, including bronchiolitis, is the most common cause of hospitalization for young children in the developed world. Treatment is mainly supportive, and hospitalization should be limited to the cases in need of therapeutic intervention. • Many countries have guidelines for the management of the disease, but the decision on whom to admit for inpatient treatment is often subjective and may vary even between physicians in the same hospital. What is New: • Implementation of admission criteria for viral lower respiratory tract infection may reduce the rate of hospital admissions without increasing adverse events.

Maternal and newborn health risks of climate change: A call for awareness and global action.

Climate change represents one of the largest global health threats of the 21st century with immediate and long-term consequences for the most vulnerable populations, especially in the poorest countries with the least capacity to adapt to climate change. Pregnant women and newborns are increasingly being recognized as vulnerable populations in the context of climate change. The effects can be direct or indirect through heat stress, extreme weather events and air pollution, potentially impacting both the immediate and long-term health of pregnant women and newborns through a broad range of mechanisms. In 2008, the World Health Organization passed a resolution during the 61st World Health Assembly, recognizing the need for research to identify strategies and health-system strengthening to mitigate the effects of climate change on health. Climate adaptation plans need to consider vulnerable populations such as pregnant women and neonates and a broad multisectoral approach to improve overall resilience of societies.

Assessing Severity in Pediatric Pneumonia: Predictors of the Need for Major Medical Interventions.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine potential predictors of the need for major medical interventions in the context of assessing severity in pediatric pneumonia. METHODS: This was a prospective, cohort study of previously healthy children and adolescents younger than 18 years presenting to the pediatric emergency room with clinically suspected pneumonia and examining both the full cohort and those with radiologically confirmed pneumonia. The presence of hypoxemia (peripheral oxygen saturation ≤92%), age-specific tachypnea, high temperature (≥38.5°C), chest retraction score, modified Pediatric Early Warning Score, age, C-reactive protein, white blood cell (WBC) count, and chest radiograph findings at first assessment were analyzed by univariate and multivariate analyses to examine their predictive ability for the need for major medical interventions: supplemental oxygen, supplemental fluid, respiratory support, intensive care, or treatment for complications during admission. RESULTS: Fifty percent of the 394 cases of suspected pneumonia and 60% of the 265 cases of proven pneumonia were in need of 1 or more medical interventions. In multivariate logistic regression, only the presence of hypoxemia (odds ratios, 3.66 and 3.83 in suspected and proven pneumonia, respectively) and chest retraction score (odds ratios, 1.21 and 1.31, respectively for each 1-point increase in the score) significantly predicted the need for major medical interventions in both suspected and proven pneumonia. Specificity of 94% or greater, positive likelihood ratio of 6.4 or greater, and sensitivity of less than 40% were found for both hypoxemia and chest retraction score in predicting major medical interventions. C-reactive protein and white blood cell count were not associated with the need for these interventions, whereas multifocal radiographic changes were. CONCLUSIONS: Hypoxemia and an assessment of chest retractions were the predictors significantly able to rule in more severe pneumonia, but with a limited clinical utility given their poor ability to rule out the need for major medical interventions. Future validation of these findings is needed.

Enhanced nutrient supply and intestinal microbiota development in very low birth weight infants.

BACKGROUND: Promoting a healthy intestinal microbiota may have positive effects on short- and long-term outcomes in very low birth weight (VLBW; BW < 1500 g) infants. Nutrient supply influences the intestinal microbiota. METHODS: Fifty VLBW infants were randomized to an intervention group receiving enhanced nutrient supply or a control group. Fecal samples from 45 infants collected between birth and discharge were analyzed using 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) amplicon sequencing. RESULTS: There was considerable individual variation in microbiota development. Microbial richness decreased towards discharge in the controls compared to the intervention group. In the intervention group, there was a greater increase in diversity among moderately/very preterm (MVP, gestational age ≥ 28 weeks) infants and a steeper decrease in relative Staphylococcus abundance in extremely preterm (EP, gestational age < 28 weeks) infants as compared to controls. Relative Bifidobacterium abundance tended to increase more in MVP controls compared to the intervention group. Abundance of pathogens was not increased in the intervention group. Higher relative Bifidobacterium abundance was associated with improved weight gain. CONCLUSION: Nutrition may affect richness, diversity, and microbiota composition. There was no increase in relative abundance of pathogens among infants receiving enhanced nutrient supply. Favorable microbiota development was associated with improved weight gain.

The Complexities of Nurses' Pain Assessment in Hospitalized Preverbal Children.

BACKGROUND: Preverbal children are at increased risk for underassessment of pain. Pain is a social transaction involving the child in pain and the nurse assessor. However, our understanding of the nurse's part in this transaction is limited. AIMS: The aim of this study was to explore nurses' assessment of pain in hospitalized preverbal children based on self-selected clinical examples. DESIGN: Qualitative, descriptive design. SETTINGS: Five different hospital units in Canada and Norway. All units had an observational pain scale for preverbal children available for use. PARTICIPANTS/SUBJECTS: Nurses (N = 22) with ≥1 year experience caring for preverbal children. METHODS: Individual, semistructured interviews. Data were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. RESULTS: Nurses' assessment of pain in hospitalized preverbal children emerged as a nonlinear complex process incorporating different actions and reflections in response to the child's situation and expression of distress. Information from parents was routinely included in the assessment, although further parental involvement varied considerably. Although each assessment was personalized to the individual child, the nurse used previous experiences to interpret observations of and information from the child and the parents. Few nurses described using structured pain scales, but when used, these scales were included as only one aspect of their overall assessment. CONCLUSIONS: Nurses preferred pain assessment based on clinical judgment and tailored to the individual child. Implementation strategies that aim to integrate structured pain scales with clinical judgment to assess pain may be more likely to succed. Further examination of this approach is warranted.

Effects of applying universal fetal growth standards in a Scandinavian multi-ethnic population.

INTRODUCTION: The question of whether universal growth charts can be used in multi-ethnic settings is of general interest. The Intergrowth-21st fetal growth and newborn size standards are suggested to represent optimal fetal growth regardless of country origin. Our aim was to examine whether women fulfilling the strict Intergrowth-21st inclusion criteria were healthier, showed less ethnic differences in fetal growth and newborn size, and less adverse perinatal outcomes. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Data were drawn from a population-based multi-ethnic cohort of 823 presumably healthy pregnant women in Oslo, Norway. We assessed differences in fetal and neonatal gestational age specific z-scores and compared maternal health parameters, pregnancy and birth complications between pregnancies fulfilling and not fulfilling the Intergrowth-21st criteria. RESULTS: Only 21% of pregnancies enrolled in our cohort fulfilled the Intergrowth-21st criteria. Fetal growth deviated substantially from the new standards, in particular for ethnic Europeans. Ethnic differences persisted in pregnancies fulfilling the criteria. In South Asian fetuses, estimated fetal weight was -0.60 SD (95% confidence interval -1.00, -0.20) lower at 24 gestational weeks, and birthweight was -0.62 SD (-0.95, -0.29) lower, compared with ethnic Europeans. Corresponding numbers for Middle-East/North Africans were -0.13 (-0.62, 0.36) and -0.60 (-1.00, -0.20). Maternal health indicators and birth complications were similar in women fulfilling and not fulfilling the criteria, but the relation depended on ethnic origin. CONCLUSIONS: In an urban multi-ethnic Norwegian population, applying an extensive list of criteria to define "healthy" pregnancies excludes the majority of women but does not cancel ethnic differences in fetal growth.

Uniform national guidelines do not prevent wide variations in the clinical application of phototherapy for neonatal jaundice.

AIM: This study compared the use of phototherapy for neonatal jaundice in all 21 Norwegian neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) from 2013-2014 to improve practice. METHODS: Information on all types of phototherapy devices was collected, and irradiance was measured from random units at 20 cm and 50 cm from the light source. We gathered information on local practice rules, including the use of single, double or triple phototherapy, how infants were positioned, the frequency of blood sampling, rules for using reflective surfaces and interrupting phototherapy. In every NICU, we asked one nurse with more than five years of experience and one with less than one year to set up phototherapy equipment, then measured the irradiance and distance. RESULTS: Photodiodes were the most common of the eight types of phototherapy devices used. Rules for the distance from the device to the infant varied from 10 to 40 cm and in practice they varied from 15 to 48 cm, with irradiance ranging from 11.1-56.1 W/m2 . There were significant variations between NICUs with regard to the overall treatment duration and duration in most birthweight categories. CONCLUSION: There were considerable variations in phototherapy practices among Norwegian NICUs. In particular, the significant variations in duration need to be addressed.

Phototherapy is commonly used for neonatal jaundice but greater control is needed to avoid toxicity in the most vulnerable infants.

AIM: Limited information is available about how guidelines on phototherapy for neonatal jaundice are applied in practice and toxicity is a concern. We studied the use of phototherapy in relation to birthweight and gestational age (GA) in Norwegian neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). METHODS: The study population was all 5382 infants admitted to the 21 NICUs in Norway between September 1, 2013 and August 31, 2014. Data were recorded daily in the Norwegian Neonatal Network database and anonymised data on patient characteristics, diagnoses, duration, the ages at the start and discontinuation of phototherapy were analysed. RESULTS: More than a quarter (26.6%) of all infants admitted to Norwegian NICUs during the study period received phototherapy. The use of phototherapy was inversely related to GA and birthweight. More than 80% of the preterm infants under 28 weeks of GA received phototherapy. The duration was significantly longer in the lowest birthweight and GA groups and decreased with increasing birthweight and GA. CONCLUSION: Phototherapy is proved to be a strong candidate for the most common therapeutic modality in NICU infants. However, in the light of reported toxicity in the smallest, most vulnerable infants, we recommend increased emphasis on quality control.

A Qualitative Study of the Experiences of Norwegian Parents of Very Low Birthweight Infants Enrolled in a Randomized Nutritional Trial.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to examine how parents of very low birth weight (VLBW) infants experienced having their newborn infant enrolled in a randomized controlled intervention trial (RCT). DESIGN AND METHODS: A qualitative descriptive design was used. Data were collected through individual semi-structured interviews with 15 parents of 9 participating VLBW infants. The data were then made the object of an inductive qualitative content analysis. RESULTS: The parents expressed trust in the competence and motivation of the researchers and were confident that participating in the project would do no harm, but instead would potentially benefit their infant. The parents felt privileged for being given the chance to participate, to commit to the project; they were willing to invest their time and effort in the project. Participation could be stressful for the parents, ranging from minor irritation to situations in which they felt overwhelmed and not entirely in control. Many families lived stressful lives, and participation, particularly the follow-up after being discharged, may have added to this. CONCLUSIONS: Infant participation in an RCT can be a positive experience, making the parents feel that they are given a chance to both contribute and receive something special. Participation can also be stressful because of conditions both related and unrelated to the RCT. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: We identified several issues that researchers in future trials with VLBW infants need to address to minimize parental stress. Recruitment to intervention studies within the immediate period around birth should be avoided, if possible.

Hope in Parents of Very-Low Birth Weight Infants and its Association with Parenting Stress and Quality of Life.

PURPOSE: Being a parent of a very-low-birth-weight (VLBW) infant can be stressful. We aimed to describe parental hope 42months after the birth of a VLBW infant and determine whether there is an association between hope and parenting stress with quality of life (QoL), respectively. DESIGN AND METHODS: Fifty-nine parents of VLBW infants completed questionnaires about hope, parenting stress and QoL. Pearson correlation coefficients (r) and linear regression models were used to examine the relationship between the selected variables. To compare groups, t-test was used and Cohen's d for effect size was calculated. RESULTS: Parents of VLBW infants were more hopeful than the general population (p<0.001). Parenting stress and hope were both independently associated with QoL (p<0.001). The subgroup of parents of infants with birth weight <1000g had less hope (p=0.041) and higher parenting stress (p=0.041) than parents of infants with birth weight 1000-1500g. CONCLUSIONS: Hope and parenting stress were both independent determinants of QoL. Parents of the presumably sickest infants had less hope and higher parenting stress than parents of VLBW infants with a birth weight over 1000g. Hope should be further explored as a coping mechanism in parents of VLBW infants. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: The clinical implications of the strong association between hope, parenting stress and QoL remain to be determined, but reducing stress and strengthening hope seem to be important. This should be taken into account both at hospital discharge and at follow-up, especially for lower-birth-weight infants.

Outcomes following neonatal cardiopulmonary resuscitation. / Utfallet etter hjerte-lunge-redning av nyfødte.

BAKGRUNN: Hjerte-lunge-redning av et kritisk sykt barn ved fødsel kan føre til overlevelse eller død. De som overlever kan utvikle komplikasjoner direkte etter fødsel eller senere i småbarns- og skolealder. Hypoksisk iskemisk encefalopati er en tilstand med nevrologiske symptomer hos den nyfødte etter hypoksi ved fødsel. Tilstanden klassifiseres som mild, moderat eller alvorlig. Vi ønsket å gi en oversikt over kort- og langtidsutfall etter hjerte-lunge-redning ved fødsel. KUNNSKAPSGRUNNLAG: Vi søkte i databasen Medline for utfall etter hjerte-lunge-redning ved fødsel. RESULTATER: Vi identifiserte 15 indekserte, fagfellevurderte originalartikler og to metaanalyser om utfall etter hjerte-lunge-redning ved fødsel eller fødselsasfyksi. Hypoksisk iskemisk encefalopati rammer generelt 38 % av pasientene i mild til moderat grad og 23 % i alvorlig grad. Dødeligheten varierte fra 10 % i høy- til 28 % i lavinntektsland. Overlevende utvikler ofte motoriske, kognitive og sensoriske utviklingshemninger. I noen tilfeller blir det først avdekket ved skolestart når mer komplekse ferdigheter kreves. FORTOLKNING: Funksjonshemning ved skolealder er sterkt korrelert til tilstanden i småbarnsalder. Endringer i algoritmene ved hjerte-lunge-redning og rutinebehandling med hypotermi har redusert risikoen for alvorlige følgetilstander etter hypoksisk iskemisk encefalopati.