[Serum selenium levels in neonates]. / Concentraciones séricas de selenio en recién nacidos.

BACKGROUND: Despite their increasing importance in children's nutrition, studies on selenium levels in neonates in Spain are scarce and often contradictory. OBJECTIVES: To establish the standard serum levels of selenium in healthy full term neonates in our area and to contribute knowledge of the perinatal factors that influence these levels. METHODS: We determined selenium levels in serum by atomic absorption spectrophotometry in 247 neonates: 70 healthy full term neonates, 60 sick full term neonates, 18 neonates with intrauterine growth retardation (> 37 weeks; birthweight < 2500 g), 44 healthy preterm neonates and 55 sick preterm neonates. RESULTS: Healthy full term newborns showed higher serum selenium levels than healthy preterm neonates (35.11 6.94 g/l, range: 18.4-48 g/l versus 28.65 5.95 g/l, range: 15-44.4 g/l, p < 0.001). In the group with intrauterine growth retardation, serum selenium levels were higher than in the healthy preterm group (30.80 6.97 g/l, range: 20-45.6 g/l versus 28.65 5.95 g /L, range: 15-44.4 g/l) but lower than in the full term and normal birthweight group (idem versus 35.11 6.94 g/l, range 18.4-48 g/l). Likewise, the low birthweight group (< 2500 g) showed lower mean serum selenium levels than the normal birthweight group (27.98 6.75 g/l, range 15-48 g/l versus 33.09 7.52 g/l, range 14.4-48 g/l; p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Prematurity and low birthweight are the best predictors for risk of neonatal hyposeleniemia.

[Neonatal conjunctivitis: microbiologic study and antibiotic sensitivity]. / Conjuntivitis neonatal: estudio microbiológico y sensibilidad antibiótica.

We have analyzed retrospectively fifty conjunctival samples from infants less than one month of age affected with conjunctivitis. Of these samples, 84% had a positive bacterial culture, with the microorganisms isolated, in order of frequency, being: Staphylococcus epidermidis (14%), Staphylococcus aureus (14%), Streptococcus pneumoniae (12%), Haemophilus sp, Chlamydia and alpha-hemolytic Streptococcus (8%). All of these showed a high sensitivity to most of the drugs tested, except to penicillin and its derivatives. Cefotaxime, ceftriaxone and ciprofloxacin showed the highest in vitro activities. Of the pharmacological ophthalmic preparations commercially available in our country, sulfonamides, chloramphenicol, rifampicin, erythromycin and tobramycin are the agents more active against the bacteria described above.