Variation in antibiotic consumption in very preterm infants-a 10 year population-based study.

OBJECTIVES: Wide variations in antibiotic use in very preterm infants have been reported across centres despite similar rates of infection. We describe 10 year trends in use of antibiotics and regional variations among very preterm infants in Norway. PATIENTS AND METHODS: All live-born very preterm infants (<32 weeks gestation) admitted to any neonatal unit in Norway during 2009-18 were included. Main outcomes were antibiotic consumption expressed as days of antibiotic therapy (DOT) per 1000 patient days (PD), regional variations in use across four health regions, rates of sepsis and sepsis-attributable mortality and trends of antibiotic use during the study period. RESULTS: We included 5296 infants: 3646 (69%) were born at 28-31 weeks and 1650 (31%) were born before 28 weeks gestation with similar background characteristics across the four health regions. Overall, 80% of the very preterm infants received antibiotic therapy. The most commonly prescribed antibiotics were the combination of narrow-spectrum ß-lactams and aminoglycosides, but between 2009 and 2018 we observed a marked reduction in their use from 100 to 40 DOT per 1000 PD (P < 0.001). In contrast, consumption of broad-spectrum ß-lactams remained unchanged (P = 0.308). There were large variations in consumption of vancomycin, broad-spectrum ß-lactams and first-generation cephalosporins, but no differences in sepsis-attributable mortality across regions. CONCLUSIONS: The overall antibiotic consumption was reduced during the study period. Marked regional variations remained in consumption of broad-spectrum ß-lactams and vancomycin, without association to sepsis-attributable mortality. Our results highlight the need for antibiotic stewardship strategies to reduce consumption of antibiotics that may enhance antibiotic resistance development.

Detection of severe congenital heart defects in live-born infants in Norway 2017-2020.

AIM: The aims of this nationwide retrospective cohort study were to determine the time and causes of detection of severe congenital heart defects (CHDs) in live-born infants in Norway between 2017 and 2020. METHODS: Information regarding live-born infants with severe CHDs was retrieved from national registries and medical records. RESULTS: A total of 219 776 infants were born in Norway from 01.01.2017 to 31.12.2020. Severe CHDs were diagnosed in 442 (0.2%) infants. Of these, 376 (85%) infants were diagnosed either prenatally (n = 203, 46%) or before discharge from hospital after birth (n = 173, 39%). A total of 56 (13%) infants were discharged with undetected CHDs. Time of detection was unknown in 10 cases (2%). The most frequent undetected CHDs at discharge were coarctation of the aorta/aortic arch hypoplasia (n = 24), atrioventricular septal defect (n = 13), anomalous pulmonary venous connection (n = 5) and coronary artery anomalies (n = 4). Seven (13%) children with undetected CHD experienced circulatory collapse out of hospital. CONCLUSION: Most infants with severe CHDs in Norway were identified prior to hospital discharge. However, some infants were discharged undiagnosed. Awareness of undetected CHDs and immediate cardiac assessment in infants with signs of circulatory failure early in life are still important.

Early Empirical Antibiotics and Adverse Clinical Outcomes in Infants Born Very Preterm: A Population-Based Cohort.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to evaluate the association between empirical antibiotic therapy in the first postnatal week in uninfected infants born very preterm and the risk of adverse outcomes until discharge. STUDY DESIGN: Population-based, nationwide registry study in Norway including all live-born infants with a gestational age <32 weeks surviving first postnatal week without sepsis, intestinal perforation, or necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) between 2009 and 2018. Primary outcomes were severe NEC, death after the first postnatal week, and/or a composite outcome of severe morbidity (severe NEC, severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia [BPD], severe retinopathy of prematurity, late-onset sepsis, or cystic periventricular leukomalacia). The association between empirical antibiotics and adverse outcomes was assessed using multivariable logistic regression models, adjusting for known confounders. RESULTS: Of 5296 live-born infants born very preterm, 4932 (93%) were included. Antibiotics were started in first postnatal week in 3790 of 4932 (77%) infants and were associated with higher aOR of death (aOR 9.33; 95% CI: 1.10-79.5, P = .041), severe morbidity (aOR 1.88; 95% CI: 1.16-3.05, P = .01), and severe BPD (aOR 2.17; 95% CI: 1.18-3.98; P = .012), compared with those not exposed. Antibiotics ≥ 5 days were associated with higher odds of severe NEC (aOR 2.27; 95% CI: 1.02-5.06; P = .045). Each additional day of antibiotics was associated with 14% higher aOR of death or severe morbidity and severe BPD. CONCLUSIONS: Early and prolonged antibiotic exposure within the first postnatal week was associated with severe NEC, severe BPD, and death after the first postnatal week.

Biochemical surveillance versus clinical observation of term infants born after prolonged rupture of membranes - A quality assurance initiative.

AIM: To examine whether biochemical surveillance vs clinical observation of term infants with prolonged rupture of membranes as a risk factor for early-onset sepsis is associated with differences in patient trajectories in maternity and neonatal intensive care units. METHODS: A retrospective study of live-born infants with gestational age ≥ 37 + 0 weeks born after prolonged rupture of membranes (≥24 h) in four Norwegian hospitals 2017-2019. Two hospitals used biochemical surveillance, and two used predominantly clinical observation to identify early-onset sepsis cases. RESULTS: The biochemical surveillance hospitals had more C-reactive protein measurements (p < 0.001), neonatal intensive care unit admissions (p < 0.001) and antibiotic treatment (p < 0.001). Hospitals using predominantly clinical observation initiated antibiotic treatment earlier in infants with suspected early-onset sepsis (p = 0.04) but not in infants fulfilling early-onset sepsis diagnostic criteria (p = 0.09). There was no difference in antibiotic treatment duration (p = 0.59), fraction of infants fulfilling early-onset sepsis diagnostic criteria (p = 0.49) or length of hospitalisation (p = 0.30), and no early-onset sepsis-related adverse outcomes. CONCLUSION: The biochemical surveillance hospitals had more C-reactive protein measurements, but there was no difference in antibiotic treatment duration, early-onset sepsis cases, length of hospitalisation or adverse outcomes. Personnel resources needed for clinical surveillance should be weighed against the limitation of potentially painful procedures.

Preterm birth in the Nordic countries-Capacity, management and outcome in neonatal care.

AIM: Organisation of care, perinatal and neonatal management of very preterm infants in the Nordic regions were hypothesised to vary significantly. The aim of this observational study was to test this hypothesis. METHODS: Information on preterm infants in the 21 greater healthcare regions of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden was gathered from national registers in 2021. Preterm birth rates, case-mix, perinatal interventions, neonatal morbidity and survival to hospital discharge in very (<32 weeks) and extremely preterm infants (<28 weeks of gestational age) were compared. RESULTS: Out of 287 642 infants born alive, 16 567 (5.8%) were preterm, 2389 (0.83%) very preterm and 800 (0.28%) were extremely preterm. In very preterm infants, exposure to antenatal corticosteroids varied from 85% to 98%, live births occurring at regional centres from 48% to 100%, surfactant treatment from 28% to 69% and use of mechanical ventilation varied from 13% to 77% (p < 0.05 for all comparisons). Significant regional variations within and between countries were also seen in capacity in neonatal care, case-mix and number of admissions, whereas there were no statistically significant differences in survival or major neonatal morbidities. CONCLUSION: Management of very preterm infants exhibited significant regional variations in the Nordic countries.

Sepsis treatment options identified by 10-year study of microbial isolates and antibiotic susceptibility in a level-four neonatal intensive care unit.

AIM: This observational study investigated the microbiology of blood culture-positive sepsis episodes and susceptibility to empiric antibiotics in early-onset sepsis (EOS) and late-onset sepsis (LOS) in a level-four neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) from 2010 to 2019. METHODS: It was based on patient records and data that Oslo University Hospital, Norway, routinely submitted to the Norwegian Neonatal Network database. Clinical data were merged with blood culture results, including antibiotic susceptibility. RESULTS: We studied 5249 infants admitted to the NICU 6321 times and identified 324 positive blood cultures from 287 infants, with 30 EOS and 305 LOS episodes. Frequent causative agents for EOS were group B streptococci (33.3%), Escherichia coli (20.0%) and Staphylococcus aureus (16.7%). All were susceptible to empiric ampicillin and gentamicin. LOS was most frequently caused by coagulase-negative staphylococci (CONS) (73.8%), Staphylococcus aureus (15.7%) and Enterococci (6.9%). CONS, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococci, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella and Enterobacter represented 91.9% of LOS episodes and were susceptible to vancomycin and cefotaxime (96.1%), vancomycin and gentamicin (97.0%) and cloxacillin and gentamicin (38.1%). CONCLUSION: Empiric treatment with ampicillin and gentamicin was adequate for EOS. Combining vancomycin and gentamicin may be a safer alternative to cefotaxime for LOS, as this reduces exposure to broad-spectrum antibiotics.

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.

Strictly controlled glucose infusion rates are associated with a reduced risk of hyperglycaemia in extremely low birth weight preterm infants.

AIM: We evaluated a strict strategy that aimed to avoid fluctuations in glucose infusion rates (GIRs) and assessed the independent effects of maximal daily GIRs on the hyperglycaemia risk among extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infants receiving early enhanced parenteral nutrition. METHODS: This study comprised all ELBW infants admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit of Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet, Norway, before (2007-2009) and after (2012-2013) implementing a strict GIR strategy. Severe hyperglycaemia was defined as two consecutive blood glucose values over 12 mmol/L. Maximum daily GIRs (mg/kg/min) were categorised into low (<5.1), intermediate (5.1-7.0) or high (>7.0). Mixed effects logistic regression modelling for repeated measurements was applied to investigate independent determinants of hyperglycaemia. RESULTS: We included 1293 treatment days for 195 infants. The maximum daily GIR decreased (6.3 versus 5.8 mg/kg/min), while mean daily glucose and energy intakes were maintained in the post-strategy period. The prevalence of severe hyperglycaemia (48% versus 23%), insulin use (39% versus 16%) and mortality (26% versus 10%) fell. Intermediate GIR (odds ratio 2.11) and high GIR (odds ratio 2.85) were significant independent predictors of severe hyperglycaemia compared to low GIR. CONCLUSION: A strict GIR strategy reduced the risk of severe hyperglycaemia and adverse outcomes.

Aggressive melanoma in an infant with congenital melanocytic nevus syndrome and multiple, NRAS and BRAF mutation-negative nodules.

We report the case of a newborn boy with multinodular NRAS and BRAF mutation-negative congenital melanocytic nevi and cerebral lesions compatible with congenital intraparenchymal melanosis. Histopathology from skin lesions showed atypical nodular melanocytic proliferation with marked melanocytic atypia and a large number of mitoses and apoptosis, indicating aggressive proliferation. The child developed several new subcutaneous tumors and multiple internal lesions, which were confirmed to be metastases, and died at 5 months of age. This case may represent an infantile melanoma developing from a giant congenital melanocytic nevus or a congenital melanoma.

PGM3 mutations cause a congenital disorder of glycosylation with severe immunodeficiency and skeletal dysplasia.

Human phosphoglucomutase 3 (PGM3) catalyzes the conversion of N-acetyl-glucosamine (GlcNAc)-6-phosphate into GlcNAc-1-phosphate during the synthesis of uridine diphosphate (UDP)-GlcNAc, a sugar nucleotide critical to multiple glycosylation pathways. We identified three unrelated children with recurrent infections, congenital leukopenia including neutropenia, B and T cell lymphopenia, and progression to bone marrow failure. Whole-exome sequencing demonstrated deleterious mutations in PGM3 in all three subjects, delineating their disease to be due to an unsuspected congenital disorder of glycosylation (CDG). Functional studies of the disease-associated PGM3 variants in E. coli cells demonstrated reduced PGM3 activity for all mutants tested. Two of the three children had skeletal anomalies resembling Desbuquois dysplasia: short stature, brachydactyly, dysmorphic facial features, and intellectual disability. However, these additional features were absent in the third child, showing the clinical variability of the disease. Two children received hematopoietic stem cell transplantation of cord blood and bone marrow from matched related donors; both had successful engraftment and correction of neutropenia and lymphopenia. We define PGM3-CDG as a treatable immunodeficiency, document the power of whole-exome sequencing in gene discoveries for rare disorders, and illustrate the utility of genomic analyses in studying combined and variable phenotypes.

Use of hospital-based health care services among children aged 1 through 9 years who were born very preterm - a population-based study.

BACKGROUND: Very preterm (VPT) children, with a birth weight below 1500 g or delivered before 32 weeks of gestational age, are at increased risk of poorer long-term health outcomes and higher rates of hospitalization in childhood. However, considerable variation exists in the need for in-hospital care within this population. We assessed the utilization and distribution of hospital-based care from ages 1 through 9 years for a nationwide population. METHODS: This was a population-based cohort of VPT children born in the period 2001-2009. We evaluated their utilization of hospital care in 2008-2010, when aged 1-9 years old. Outcomes were the incidence of hospital admissions and outpatient visits. We used Poisson regression models with multiple imputation of missing data. RESULTS: Children born VPT had more hospital admissions compared with the general population of children aged 1-9 years. The rates of hospital admissions and outpatient visits were strongly related to clinical characteristics of the child at birth and age at admission/outpatient visit but to only a variable and minor degree to characteristics pertaining to maternal health, the sociodemographic factors, and geographical proximity to hospital services. CONCLUSIONS: Prior to this study, hospital utilization during the period 5-9 years old has been poorly documented. We found that excess utilization of hospital resources on average declines with increasing age. We also noted substantial differences in the use of hospital care across age groups and clinical factors for VPT children. The added information from the health status of mothers, social background, and geographic measures of access was limited.

Inotropic Therapy in Newborns, A Population-Based National Registry Study.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the use of inotropic drugs and the characteristics of neonates receiving such treatment in a national cohort of patients admitted to neonatal ICUs in Norway. DESIGN: A national registry study of patients included in the Norwegian Neonatal Network database 2009-2014. Demographic and treatment data, including the use of inotropic drugs (dopamine, dobutamine, epinephrine, norepinephrine, milrinone, and levosimendan) and outcomes, were retrieved and analyzed. SETTING: Neonatal ICUs in Norway. PATIENTS: All patients admitted to Norwegian neonatal ICUs 2009-2014 with a postmenstrual age of less than 310 days at admission, corresponding to a postnatal age of less than 28 days for a child born at term (n = 36 397). INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Inotropic drugs were administered to 974 of 361,803 live born infants (0.27%) in the study period, representing 2.7% of the neonatal ICU patient population. The relative proportion of neonatal ICU patients receiving inotropes decreased with increasing gestational age, yet 41% of the patients receiving inotropes were born at term. Of note, 89.8% of treated patients received dopamine. Use of inotropes was particularly prevalent in patients with necrotizing enterocolitis (72.4%) and pulmonary hypertension (42.1%) and in patients with gestational age less than 28 weeks (28.2%). Inotropic treatment initiated in the first week of life (84.2%) was associated with birth asphyxia and pulmonary hypertension, whereas treatment initiated after the first week of life was associated with extremely preterm birth, neonatal surgery, neonatal sepsis, cardiac disease, and necrotizing enterocolitis. CONCLUSIONS: This comprehensive epidemiologic study indicates that less than 0.3% of newborns receive inotropic support in the neonatal period. Dopamine was the most commonly used drug. Relating inotrope use to clinical condition, gestational age, and postnatal age may be useful for clinicians and helpful in delineating relevant patient populations for future clinical trials.

Enhanced feeding and diminished postnatal growth failure in very-low-birth-weight infants.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to determine whether an increased supply of energy, protein, essential fatty acids, and vitamin A reduces postnatal growth failure in very-low-birth-weight infants. METHODS: Fifty infants with birth weight <1500 g were randomized to an intervention (n = 24) or a control (n = 26) feeding protocol within 24 hours after birth. Forty-four infants were included in the final analysis. This study was discontinued because of an increased occurrence of septicemia in the intervention group. RESULTS: The intervention group had a lower mean birth weight (P = 0.03) and a higher proportion of infants small-for-gestational age (P = 0.04) than the control group. Other baseline characteristics were similar. The median (interquartile range) energy and protein supplies during the first 4 weeks of life were higher in the intervention group: 139 (128-145) versus 126 (121-128) kcal · kg · day (P < 0.001) and 4.0 (3.9-4.2) versus 3.2 (3.1-3.3) g · kg · day (P < 0.001). The infants in the intervention group regained birth weight faster (P = 0.001) and maintained their z scores for weight and head circumference from birth to 36 weeks' postmenstrual age (both P < 0.001). The median (interquartile range) growth velocity was 17.4 (16.3-18.6) g · kg · day in the intervention group and 13.8 (13.2-15.5) g · kg · day in the control group (P < 0.001). In line with the improved growth in the intervention group, the proportion of growth-restricted infants was 11 of 23 both at birth and at 36 weeks' postmenstrual age, whereas this proportion increased among the controls from 4 of 21 to 13 of 21 (P = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: Enhanced supply of energy, protein, essential fatty acids, and vitamin A caused postnatal growth along the birth percentiles for both weight and head circumference.

Retrospectively Assessed Muscle Tone and Skin Colour following Airway Suctioning in Video-Recorded Infants Receiving Delivery Room Positive Pressure Ventilation.

Background: Recently, the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation published a systematic review that concluded that routine suctioning of clear amniotic fluid in the delivery room might be associated with lower oxygen saturation (SpO2) and 10 min Apgar score. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of delivery room airway suctioning on the clinical appearance, including muscle tone and skin colour, of video-recorded term and preterm infants born through mainly clear amniotic fluid. Methods: This was a single-centre observational study using transcribed video recordings of neonatal stabilizations. All infants who received delivery room positive pressure ventilation (PPV) from August 2014 to November 2016 were included. The primary outcome was the effect of airway suctioning on muscle tone and skin colour (rated 0−2 according to the Apgar score), while the secondary outcome was the fraction of infants for whom airway suction preceded the initiation of PPV as a surrogate for "routine" airway suctioning. Results: Airway suctioning was performed in 159 out of 302 video recordings and stimulated a vigorous cry in 47 (29.6%) infants, resulting in improvements in muscle tone (p = 0.09) and skin colour (p < 0.001). In 43 (27.0%) infants, airway suctioning preceded the initiation of PPV. Conclusions: In this single-centre observational study, airway suctioning stimulated a vigorous cry with resulting improvements in muscle tone and skin colour. Airway suctioning was often performed prior to the initiation of PPV, indicating a practice of routine suctioning and guideline non-compliance.

Video-Recorded Airway Suctioning of Clear and Meconium-Stained Amniotic Fluid and Associated Short-Term Outcomes in Moderately and Severely Depressed Preterm and Term Infants.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to investigate delivery room airway suctioning and associated short-term outcomes in depressed infants. METHODS: This is a single-centre prospective observational study of transcribed video recordings of preterm (gestational age, GA < 37 weeks) and term (GA ≥ 37 weeks) infants with a 5 min Apgar score ≤ 7. We analysed the association between airway suctioning, breathing, bradycardia and prolonged resuscitation (≥10 min). For comparison, non-suctioned infants with a 5 min Apgar score ≤ 7 were included. RESULTS: Two hundred suction episodes were performed in 19 premature and 56 term infants. Breathing improved in 1.9% of premature and 72.1% of term infants, and remained unchanged in 84.9% of premature and 27.9% of term infants after suctioning. In our study, 61 (81.3%) preterm and term infants who were admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit experienced bradycardia after airway suctioning. However, the majority of the preterm and more than half of the term infants were bradycardic before the suction procedure was attempted. Among the non-airway suctioned infants (n = 26), 73.1% experienced bradycardia, with 17 non-airway suctioned infants being admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit. There was a need for resuscitation ≥ 10 min in 8 (42.1%) preterm and 32 (57.1%) term infants who underwent airway suctioning, compared to 2 (33.3%) preterm and 19 (95.0%) term infants who did not receive airway suctioning. CONCLUSIONS: In the infants that underwent suctioning, breathing improved in most term, but not preterm infants. More non-suctioned term infants needed prolonged resuscitation. Airway suctioning was not directly associated with worsening of breathing, bradycardia, or extended resuscitation needs.

Late-onset sepsis in very preterm infants in Norway in 2009-2018: a population-based study.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate epidemiology and outcomes among very preterm infants (<32 weeks' gestation) with culture-positive and culture-negative late-onset sepsis (LOS). DESIGN: Cohort study using a nationwide, population-based registry. SETTING: 21 neonatal units in Norway. PARTICIPANTS: All very preterm infants born 1 January 2009-31 December 2018 and admitted to a neonatal unit. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Incidences, pathogen distribution, LOS-attributable mortality and associated morbidity at discharge. RESULTS: Among 5296 very preterm infants, we identified 582 culture-positive LOS episodes in 493 infants (incidence 9.3%) and 282 culture-negative LOS episodes in 282 infants (incidence 5.3%). Extremely preterm infants (<28 weeks' gestation) had highest incidences of culture-positive (21.6%) and culture-negative (11.1%) LOS. The major causative pathogens were coagulase-negative staphylococci (49%), Staphylococcus aureus (15%), group B streptococci (10%) and Escherichia coli (8%). We observed increased odds of severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) associated with both culture-positive (adjusted OR (aOR) 1.7; 95% CI 1.3 to 2.2) and culture-negative (aOR 1.6; 95% CI 1.3 to 2.6) LOS. Only culture-positive LOS was associated with increased odds of cystic periventricular leukomalacia (cPVL) (aOR 2.2; 95% CI 1.4 to 3.4) and severe retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) (aOR 1.8; 95% CI 1.2 to 2.8). Culture-positive LOS-attributable mortality was 6.3%, higher in Gram-negative (15.8%) compared with Gram-positive (4.1%) LOS, p=0.009. Among extremely preterm infants, survival rates increased from 75.2% in 2009-2013 to 81.0% in 2014-2018, p=0.005. In the same period culture-positive LOS rates increased from 17.1% to 25.6%, p<0.001. CONCLUSIONS: LOS contributes to a significant burden of disease in very preterm infants and is associated with increased odds of severe BPD, cPVL and severe ROP.

The association between infant salivary cortisol and parental presence in the neonatal intensive care unit during and after COVID-19 visitation restrictions: A cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVES: Parent-infant interaction in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) promotes health and reduces infant stress. During the COVID-19 pandemic, however, NICUs restricted parent-infant interaction to reduce viral transmission. This study examined the potential relationship between pandemic visitation restrictions, parental presence and infant stress as measured by salivary cortisol. METHODS: A two-NICU cross-sectional study of infants with gestational age (GA) 23-41 weeks, both during (n = 34) and after (n = 38) visitation restrictions. We analysed parental presence with and without visitation restrictions. The relationship between infant salivary cortisol and self-reported parental NICU presence in hours per day was analysed using Pearson's r. A linear regression analysis included potential confounders, including GA and proxies for infant morbidity. The unstandardised B coefficient described the expected change in log-transformed salivary cortisol per unit change in each predictor variable. RESULTS: Included infants had a mean (standard deviation) GA of 31(5) weeks. Both maternal and paternal NICU presence was lower with versus without visitation restrictions (both p ≤0.05). Log-transformed infant salivary cortisol correlated negatively with hours of parental presence (r = -0.40, p = .01). In the linear regression, GA (B = -0.03, p = .02) and central venous lines (B = 0.23, p = .04) contributed to the variance in salivary cortisol in addition to parental presence (B = -0.04 p = .04). CONCLUSION: COVID-19-related visitation restrictions reduced NICU parent-infant interaction and may have increased infant stress. Low GA and central venous lines were associated with higher salivary cortisol. The interaction between immaturity, morbidity and parental presence was not within the scope of this study and merits further investigation.

A Piglet Perinatal Asphyxia Model to Study Cardiac Injury and Hemodynamics after Cardiac Arrest, Resuscitation, and the Return of Spontaneous Circulation.

Neonatal piglets have been extensively used as translational models for perinatal asphyxia. In 2007, we adapted a well-established piglet asphyxia model by introducing cardiac arrest. This enabled us to study the impact of severe asphyxia on key outcomes, including the time taken for the return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC), as well as the effect of chest compressions according to alternative protocols for cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Due to the anatomical and physiological similarities between piglets and human neonates, piglets serve as good models in studies of cardiopulmonary resuscitation and hemodynamic monitoring. In fact, this cardiac arrest model has provided evidence for guideline development through research on resuscitation protocols, pathophysiology, biomarkers, and novel methods for hemodynamic monitoring. Notably, the incidental finding that a substantial fraction of piglets have pulseless electrical activity (PEA) during cardiac arrest may increase the applicability of the model (i.e., it may be used to study pathophysiology extending beyond the perinatal period). However, the model generation is technically challenging and requires various skill sets, dedicated personnel, and a fine balance of the measures, including the surgical protocols and the use of sedatives/analgesics, to ensure a reasonable rate of survival. In this paper, the protocol is described in detail, as well as experiences with adaptations to the protocol over the years.

Associations between unit workloads and outcomes of first extubation attempts in extremely premature infants below a gestational age of 26 weeks.

Objective: The objective was to explore whether high workloads in neonatal intensive care units were associated with short-term respiratory outcomes of extremely premature (EP) infants born <26 weeks of gestational age. Methods: This was a population-based study using data from the Norwegian Neonatal Network supplemented by data extracted from the medical records of EP infants <26 weeks GA born from 2013 to 2018. To describe the unit workloads, measurements of daily patient volume and unit acuity at each NICU were used. The effect of weekend and summer holiday was also explored. Results: We analyzed 316 first planned extubation attempts. There were no associations between unit workloads and the duration of mechanical ventilation until each infant's first extubation or the outcomes of these attempts. Additionally, there were no weekend or summer holiday effects on the outcomes explored. Workloads did not affect the causes of reintubation for infants who failed their first extubation attempt. Conclusion: Our finding that there was no association between the organizational factors explored and short-term respiratory outcomes can be interpreted as indicating resilience in Norwegian neonatal intensive care units.

Advanced Clinical Neonatal Nursing Students' Transfer of Performance: From Skills Training With Real-Time Feedback on Ventilation to a Simulated Neonatal Resuscitation Scenario.

Background: Advanced clinical neonatal nurses are expected to have technical skills including bag-mask ventilation. Previous studies on neonatal bag-mask ventilation skills training focus largely on medical students and/or physicians. The aim of this study was to investigate whether advanced clinical neonatal nursing students' bag-mask ventilation training with real-time feedback resulted in transfer of bag-mask ventilation performance to a simulated setting without feedback on ventilation. Materials and Methods: Students in advanced clinical neonatal nursing practiced bag-mask ventilation on a premature manikin (Premature Anne, Laerdal Medical, Stavanger, Norway) during skills training. A flow sensor (Neo Training, Monivent AB, Gothenburg, Sweden) was placed between the facemask and the self-inflating bag (Laerdal Medical), and visual feedback on mask leak (%), expiratory tidal volume (VT e in ml/kg), ventilation rate and inflation pressure was provided. Two months later, the students participated in a simulated neonatal resuscitation scenario. The same variables were recorded, but not fed back to the students. We compared ventilation data from skills- and simulation training. A structured questionnaire was used to investigate the students' self-perceived neonatal ventilation competence before and after the skills- and simulation training. Results: Mask leakage and ventilation rate was higher, and VT e lower and highly variable in the simulated scenario compared with skills training (all p < 0.001). There was no statistically significant difference in inflation pressure (p = 0.92). The fraction of ventilations with VT e within the target range was lower during simulation (21%) compared to skills training (30%) (p < 0.001). There was no difference in the students' self-perceived competence in bag-mask ventilation before vs. after skills- and simulation training. Conclusion: Skills training with real-time feedback on mask leak, ventilation rate, tidal volume, and inflation pressure did not result in objective or subjective improvements in bag-mask ventilation in a simulated neonatal resuscitation situation. Incorrect VT e delivery was common even when feedback was provided. It would be of interest to study whether more frequent training, and training both with and without feedback, could improve transfer of performance to a simulated resuscitation setting.