Neonatal Resuscitation Practices in Turkey: A Survey of the Turkish Neonatal Society and the Union of European Neonatal and Perinatal Societies.

OBJECTIVE: Optimal care in the delivery room is important to decrease neonatal morbidity and mortality. We aimed to evaluate neonatal resuscitation practices in Turkish centers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional survey consisted of a 91-item questionnaire focused on delivery room practices in neonatal resuscitation and was sent to 50 Turkish centers. Hospitals with <2500 and those with ≥2500 births/year were compared. RESULTS: In 2018, approximately 240 000 births occurred at participating hospitals with a median of 2630 births/year. Participating hospitals were able to provide nasal continuous-positiveairway-pressure/high-flow nasal cannula, mechanical ventilation, high-frequency oscillatory ventilation, inhaled nitric oxide, and therapeutic hypothermia similarly. Antenatal counseling was routinely performed on parents at 56% of all centers. A resuscitation team was present at 72% of deliveries. Umbilical cord management for both term and preterm infants was similar between centers. The rate of delayed cord clamping was approximately 60% in term and late preterm infants. Thermal management for preterm infants (<32 weeks) was similar. Hospitals had appropriate equipment with similar rates of interventions and management, except conti nuous-positive-airway-pressure and positive-end-expiratory-pressure levels (cmH2O) used in preterm infants (P = .021, and P = .032). Ethical and educational aspects were also similar. CONCLUSIONS: This survey provided information on neonatal resuscitation practices in a sample of hospitals from all regions of Turkey and allowed us to see weaknesses in some fields. Although adherence to the guidelines was high among centers, further implementations are required in the areas of antenatal counseling, cord management, and circulation assessment in the delivery room.

The prevalence and diagnostic criteria of health-care associated infections in neonatal intensive care units in Turkey: A multicenter point- prevalence study.

BACKGROUND: Healthcare-acquired infections (HAIs) in the neonatal period cause substantial morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs. Our purpose was to determine the prevalence of HAIs, antimicrobial susceptibility of causative agents, and the adaptivity of the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) criteria in neonatal HAI diagnosis. METHODS: A HAI point prevalence survey was conducted in the neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) of 31 hospitals from different geographic regions in Turkey. RESULTS: The Point HAI prevalence was 7.6%. Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) and central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI) and late onset sepsis were predominant. The point prevalence of VAP was 2.1%, and the point prevalence of CLABSI was 1.2% in our study. The most common causative agents in HAIs were Gram-negative rods (43.0%), and the most common agent was Klebsiella spp (24.6%); 81.2% of these species were extended spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) (+). Blood culture positivity was seen in 33.3% of samples taken from the umbilical venous catheter, whereas 0.9% of samples of peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs) were positive. In our study, 60% of patients who had culture positivity in endotracheal aspirate or who had purulent endotracheal secretions did not have any daily FiO2 change (p = 0.67) and also 80% did not have any increase in positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) (p = 0.7). On the other hand, 18.1% of patients who had clinical deterioration compatible with VAP did not have endotracheal culture positivity (p = 0.005). CONCLUSIONS: Neonatal HAIs are frequent adverse events in district and regional hospitals. This at-risk population should be prioritized for HAI surveillance and prevention programs through improved infection prevention practices, and hand hygiene compliance should be conducted. CDC diagnostic criteria are not sufficient for NICUs. Future studies are warranted for the diagnosis of HAIs in NICUs.

Multiplex PCR-Based Newborn Screening for Severe T and B-Cell Lymphopenia: The first Pilot Study in Turkey.

Objectives: Severe combined immunodeficiency disease (SCID), non-SCID T-cell lymphopenia, and other primary immunodeficiency diseases with T-cell and B-cell lymphopenia have low the T-cell-receptor-excision circles (TRECs) and κ-deleting-recombination-excision circles (KRECs) levels that can be measured in dried blood spots (DBS) of the newborn. The incidence of SCID and non-SCID T-cell lymphopenia in Western societies has been reported by TREC screening of newborns as 1: 58,000 and 1: 7300, respectively. Since there is no similar study in our country, we aimed to perform the first pilot study of TREC and KREC screening of newborn for SCID and non-SCID T-cell lymphopenia in Turkey. Methods: The heel blood samples of newborns born between 1st October 2015 and 31st December 2016 at two major hospitals in our city were included in this study. TREC and KREC copies were determined by a multiplex quantitative PCR-based method from newborn DBS. Cutoff levels were used as 7 copies per DBS for TRECs and KRECs, 1000 copies for ACTB (internal control). Failed samples or abnormal results in measurements were tested the second time. An immunologist evaluated data of newborns with low TREC and KREC copies clinically and through the laboratory. Results: A total of 1960 DBS were tested. The results of 1856 newborns were evaluated. The low TRECs and/or KRECs levels were detected in 71 newborns (3.8 %). The low TRECs rate was 1.1 %. Preterm newborns have lower levels of TRECs and KRECs than term newborns (both p <0.0001). As a result of immunological research, we did not detect any SCID, but we detected 2 newborns with non-SCID T-cell lymphopenia (1:928). These 2 newborns were found to have frequent and severe infectious diseases or hypogammaglobulinemia in their clinical follow-up, although they did not have absolute lymphopenia. Conclusion: Non-SCID T-cell lymphopenia is common in our country than in western societies. TRECs and KRECs assay should be considered for routine NBS programs in our country. Studies involving more newborns should be conducted to detect SCID.

An observational, prospective, multicenter study on rescue high-frequency oscillatory ventilation in neonates failing with conventional ventilation.

BACKGROUND: To achieve gas exchange goals and mitigate lung injury, infants who fail with conventional ventilation (CV) are generally switched to high-frequency oscillatory ventilation (HFOV). Although preferred in many neonatal intensive care units (NICUs), research on this type of rescue HFOV has not been reported recently. METHODS: An online registry database for a multicenter, prospective study was set to evaluate factors affecting the response of newborn infants to rescue HFOV treatment. The study population consisted of 372 infants with CV failure after at least 4 hours of treatment in 23 participating NICUs. Patients were grouped according to their final outcome as survived (Group S) or as died or received extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) (Group D/E). Patients' demographic characteristics and underlying diseases in addition to their ventilator settings, arterial blood gas (ABG) analysis results at 0, 1, 4, and 24 hours, type of device, ventilation duration, and complications were compared between groups. RESULTS: HFOV as rescue treatment was successful in 58.1% of patients. Demographic and treatment parameters were not different between groups, except that infants in Group D/E had lower birthweight (BW) (1655 ± 1091 vs. 1858 ± 1027 g, p = 0.006), a higher initial FiO2 setting (83% vs. 72%, p < 0.001), and a higher rate of nitric oxide exposure (21.8% vs. 11.1%, p = 0.004) in comparison to infants who survived (Group S). The initial cut-offs for a successful response on ABG were defined as pH >7.065 (OR: 19.74, 95% CI 4.83-80.6, p < 0.001), HCO3 >16.35 mmol/L (OR: 1.06, 95% CI 1.01-1.1, p = 0.006), and lactate level <3.75 mmol/L (OR: 1.09%95 CI 1.01-1.16, p = 0.006). Rescue HFOV duration was associated with retinopathy of prematurity (p = 0.005) and moderate or severe chronic lung disease (p < 0.001), but not with patent ductus arteriosus or intraventricular hemorrhage, in survivors (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Rescue HFOV as defined for this population was successful in more than half of the patients with CV failure. Although the response was not associated with gestational age, underlying disease, device used, or initial MV settings, it seemed to be more effective in patients with higher BW and those not requiring nitric oxide. Initial pH, HCO3, and lactate levels on ABG may be used as predictors of a response to rescue HFOV.

Bedside ultrasonography for the confirmation of gastric tube placement in the neonate.

BACKGROUND: Naso/Orogastric tube (NOGT) misplacement can lead to significant complications. Therefore, the assessment of tube position is essential to ensure patient safety. Although radiography is considered the gold standard for determining NOGT location, new methods may be helpful in reducing repetitive radiation exposure, especially for neonates. In this study, we sought to investigate if bedside ultrasonography (BUSG) can be used to verify NOGT placement in neonatal intensive care patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Infants requiring NOGT placement were enrolled. After insertion of the NOGT, the location was first identified using BUSG and then confirmed using abdominal radiography for comparison. RESULTS: The study cohort included 51 infants with an average gestational age of 34 ± 4.9 weeks. BUSG determined the NOGT location correctly with a sensitivity of 92.2%. The location of the NOGT could not be determined by BUSG in four neonates (7.8%). In one infant, the NOGT was positioned in the esophagus, as determined both by BUSG and radiography. CONCLUSION: BUSG is a promising diagnostic tool for determining NOGT location in neonates, thereby eliminating the need for abdominal radiography.

Hematological disturbances in Down syndrome: single centre experience of thirteen years and review of the literature.

Karakurt N, Uslu I, Aygün C, Albayrak C. Hematological disturbances in Down syndrome: single centre experience of thirteen years and review of the literature. Turk J Pediatr 2019; 61: 664-670. Neonates with Down syndrome (DS) may have hematological abnormalities such as polycythemia, thrombocytopenia and transient leukemia (TL). The primary objective of this study was to report the descriptive data of complete blood counts (CBC) of neonates with DS, which were obtained within first week of life. We wanted to focus on neonates with hematological abnormalities and compare them among those with and without TL. The secondary objective was the description of hematological malignancies in the first six years of life. Medical records of 100 neonates with DS between 2006-2018 were assessed. Hematological abnormalities were present in 73/100. We detected anemia in 16, polycythemia in eight, microcytosis in 10, leukopenia in two, leukocytosis in 11, thrombocytopenia in 26, thrombocytosis in 7 and TL in 11 patients. TL group had higher levels of leukocyte count (115.0±93.0x103/mm3) when compared with neonates without TL (11.7±5.6x103/mm3) (p < 0.001). No other statistically significant difference between groups for hemoglobin, MCV and platelet count levels was detected. In the follow- up period, two patients developed acute lymphoblastic leukemia, one hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis and one Burkitt lymphoma. None of the TL survivors developed myeloid leukemia of Down Syndrome (ML-DS). Thrombocytopenia may be detected frequently in DS and it may not be a part of TL. We suggest that CBC with peripheral blood film should be evaluated for every patient to check for TL and other hematological disturbances. Despite the fact that none of our TL survivors developed overt leukemia (ML-DS), we also suggest that patients with DS be followed due to the risk of developing leukemia.

Neonates born to mothers with immune thrombocytopenia: 11 years experience of a single academic center.

: A major problem associated with immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) in pregnancy is neonatal thrombocytopenia. We analyzed newborns born to mothers with ITP and examined predictive factors for thrombocytopenia. This retrospective study was performed in a single academic center from January 2007 to January 2018. Pregnant women with ITP and their babies are included. All neonates had a complete blood count and cranial ultrasound (USG) performed. Twenty seven neonates of 22 mothers were evaluated. A total of 23 (85%) of neonates were thrombocytopenic (<150 × 10/l) and in 20 (74%) platelet count was below 50 × 10/l. Median platelet count was 30 (4-300) × 10/l. One baby experienced intracranial hemorrhage, eight (29.6%) had minor bleeding. When babies with and without minor bleeding were compared; no significant difference was found regarding maternal age, duration of ITP, lowest and 'before delivery' platelet count, treatment during pregnancy and splenectomy. Cutoff value of platelet count for bleeding was calculated as 27 × 10/l with a sensitivity of 0.88 and specifity of 0.79. Strong correlation for postnatal thrombocytopenia was detected among siblings. Although the incidence of neonatal thrombocytopenia might be high, the incidence of poor neonatal outcomes is extremely low. Neonatal thrombocytopenia does not rely on maternal profile. The occurrence of neonatal thrombocytopenia and bleeding may be a risk factor for subsequent pregnancies. We suggest that the cutoff value for neonatal platelet count for bleeding can be used for management and treatment of neonates born to mothers with ITP.

Palivizumab prophylaxis, respiratory syncytial virus and subsequent development of asthma.

BACKGROUND: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection is a disease commonly encountered during childhood and it may relapse. An experience in the early childhood would induce asthma development in the future. Palivizumab has a proven efficacy for the RSV prophylaxis so it may prevent asthma. Our aim was to evaluate the possible protective effect of palivizumab on the development of asthma by using the modified Asthma Predictive Index (mAPI). METHODS: This study's data consist of 339 children between 2 to 5 years of age followed up in healthy children unit from 2008 to 2011. Cases were evaluated in terms of wheezing frequency and characteristic features. Evaluations were performed among three groups; palivizumab-treated children born preterm (group 1), palivizumab-untreated children born preterm (group 2) and term newborn children (group 3) with equal number of patients in each group (N.=113). RESULTS: Frequency of the answers about children's experienced wheezing times was significant between groups (P=0.003). A significant difference was found between the groups in terms of the clinician who diagnosed asthma (P=0.045). The groups were compared in terms of the mAPI positivity and a significant difference was found among the groups (P=0.001). Group 1 had lowest and group 3 had highest positivity. Group 1 and group 3 were different (P=0.000), group 2 was found higher than group 1, but was similar to group 3 (P=0.628). CONCLUSIONS: This study supports the benefit of administration of palivizumab to premature children to reduce the risk of asthma development.

Turkish Neonatal Society guideline on the management of patent ductus arteriosus in preterm infants.

Ductus arteriosus is a physiologic phenomenon in utero and it closes spontaneously in term babies. The closure is problematic in preterm infants due to the intrinsic properties of the preterm ductus arteriosus tissue. Although patent ductus arteriosus has been reported to be associated with many adverse outcomes in this population, treatment has not led to a decrease in outcomes such as bronchopulmonary dysplasia. Treatment modalities also have their own risks and restrictions. The aim of the "Turkish Neonatal Society guidelines for the management of patent ductus arteriosus in preterm babies" is to standardize the diagnosis and treatment of patent ductus arteriosus in preterm infants by combining the current scientific data and the resources of our country.

Vitamin D levels in newborns and association with neonatal hypocalcemia.

OBJECTIVE: Vitamin D has many important functions in our body. Especially in intrauterine and early infancy periods, Vitamin D plays a major role in bone development, growth, and the maturation of tissues such as lung and brain. Fetus is dependent on the mother in terms of Vitamin D and maternal Vitamin D deficiency results in a Vitamin D deficient newborn. The purpose of this study was to determine the levels of Vitamin D in newborns and to investigate the association between Vitamin D status of the baby and neonatal hypocalcemia. METHOD: Vitamin D, calcium, and parathyroid hormone levels of 750 infants, born between 1 January 2014 and 30 June 2015 and followed in Ondokuz Mayis University Neonatal Intensive Care Unit were analyzed retrospectively. Blood levels of Vitamin D were checked within 3 days after birth. A 25(OH)D3 level of <10 ng/ml indicated severe, levels between 10 and 20 ng/ml, which indicated moderate and levels between 20 and 30 ng/ml indicated mild Vitamin D deficiency. Serum calcium levels below 8 mg/dl in term infants and below 7 mg/dl in preterm infants were accepted as hypocalcemia. Hypocalcemia that developed within the first week after birth was defined as early, while hypocalcemia after one week were defined as late hypocalcemia. RESULTS: A total of 44% of the infants in the study were girls, while 56% were boys; 38% were term and 62% were preterm. Average 25(OH)D3 level of all infants was 11.4 ± 10.2 (0-153) ng/ml. Only 30 (4%) infants had normal (>30 ng/ml) 25(OH)D3 levels; 68 (9%) had mild, 234 (31%) had moderate and 418 (56%) had severe vitamin D deficiency. No correlation was found between Vitamin D levels and gender, mother's age, gestational week or birth weight. In 79 (17.2%) preterms, neonatal hypocalcemia was observed. Vitamin D levels of the premature infants who had early neonatal hypocalcemia were statistically significantly lower when compared with those who did not have early neonatal hypocalcemia (p = .02). No significant difference was found between the Vitamin D levels of the term infants who had early neonatal hypocalcemia and those who did not (p= .29). No significant difference was found between the Vitamin D levels of the infants who had late neonatal hypocalcemia and those who did not (in preterm p = .27; in term p = .29). CONCLUSIONS: Although lack of Vitamin D is preventable and curable, it is an important health problem for newborns in Turkey. In our study, 56% of the infants were found to have severe lack of Vitamin D and lack of Vitamin D was found to be associated with early neonatal hypocalcemia in preterm newborns. However, long-term effects of lack of Vitamin D in infancy are not fully known. In order to be able to prevent neonatal Vitamin D deficiency, 1200 IU/day vitamin D was supplemented to mothers from the 12th gestational week to 6th month of the birth, which was put into effect by the Ministry of Health in 2011, and should be applied by all health workers.

Maternal and neonatal outcomes in advanced maternal age: a retrospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the effect of extremely advanced maternal age (EAMA) on maternal/neonatal outcomes. METHODS: This was a case-control study in which 127 women ≥40 years at the time of delivery out of 2853 singleton hospital deliveries in Ondokuz Mayis University between 1 January 2008 and 31 August 2010 constituted the study group. One hundred and twenty-seven else were chosen randomly out of 2412, 21-35 years old women, via a computer system as controls. Demographic features of 254 mothers and infants as well as maternal and neonatal complications were recorded. RESULTS: Mean maternal age was 41.5 ± 1.9 (40-49) years in EAMA group and 28.9 ± 4.2 (21-35) years in controls. Primigravidity was 19.6% in the EAMA group, whereas 37.8% in controls (p = 0.003). No difference was found between groups according to route of delivery, stillbirth, preterm birth, congenital abnormalities, gender of babies, NICU admission and respiratory problems (for all p > 0.05). A 5th min Apgar score <7 was more frequent in babies born to EAMA mothers compared to controls (9.8% versus 4.9%, p = 0.004). CONCLUSION: The present study shows that EAMA mothers and their offsprings have similar peri and neonatal risks compared to younger mothers, except lower 5th minute Apgar scores. We conclude that with good perinatal care, EAMA women and their babies can pass through the perinatal period with similar risks of younger women.

Clinical significance of glucocorticoid receptor expression in premature infants with respiratory distress syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: Previous studies have shown the relationship between lung development and glucocorticoids, but no studies have been conducted to investigate if a relationship exists between respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) and glucocorticoid receptor (GR) expression in preterm babies. We intended to investigate whether low GR expression is a risk factor for RDS. METHODS: Forty-one preterm babies, 24-35 weeks of gestation, were included in the study following informed consent from the parents. The relative gene expression of GRalpha and GRbeta was measured in the peripheral mononuclear cells form cord blood samples. The demographic characteristics of the babies and the diagnosis of RDS were recorded. RESULTS: RDS was more frequent in the group with low GRalpha expression: 12 (60%) in the GRalpha-I group and 6 (28%) in the GRalpha-II group (p = 0.043). Oxygen use with a hood, time to reach full enteral feeds and the duration of neonatal intensive care unit stay was shorter, and nosocomial sepsis episodes and number of erythrocyte transfusions were less in the GRbeta-I group. Higher hospital costs were found in the GRbeta-II group. CONCLUSIONS: Less RDS development, and better clinical follow-up was observed in premature babies with higher GR expression.

Assessment of different folic acid supplementation doses for low-birth-weight infants.

AIM: The adequacy of 50 mcg folic acid supplementation given to low-birth-weight babies was investigated. The folate levels of the mothers and infants, and breastmilk, and the optimum dose for folic acid supplementation were also investigated. MATERIAL AND METHODS: After obtaining blood from 141 low-birth-weight infants on the 1st day of life for serum and red cell folate levels, the infants were randomly allocated into three groups according to the folic acid supplement dose. Forty-six infants were given 25 µg/d folic acid, 39 were given 50 µg/d folic acid, and 44 were given 75 µg/d folic acid. Folic acid could not be given to 12 infants. Follow-up blood samples were obtained at the end of folic acid supplementation. Maternal samples for red cell and serum folate levels and breast milk folate levels were obtained within the first 48 hours and the samples for measuring breastmilk folate level were obtained on the 3rd day postnatally. The feeding modes of the infants, maternal folic acid intake, and details of neonate intensive care unit course were recorded. RESULTS: The mean birth weight and gestational age of the infants were found as 1788.2±478.4 g and 33.5±2.9 weeks, respectively. The mean serum and red cell folate levels on admission were found as 21.2±12.2 ng/mL and 922.7±460.7 ng/mL, respectively. The mean maternal serum and red cell folate levels and the mean breast milk folate levels were found as 12.3±7.5 ng/mL, 845.5±301.4 ng/mL, and 30.6±33.0 ng/m, respectively. The breast milk folate levels of mothers who were supplemented with folic acid during pregnancy were significantly higher compared with mothers who were not supplemented with folic acid (p<0.001). Infants who were supplemented with folic acid had higher follow-up serum folate levels compared with the basal level in all groups, but there was no statistically significant difference between the groups. CONCLUSION: This study showed that the folic acid doses of 25, 50, and 75 µcg/d affected serum folate levels similarly. We can conclude that the dose of 25 µcg/d is adequate for low-birth-weight infants.

Ectopic cerebellar tissue of the posterior cranial fossa: diffusion tensor tractography and MR spectroscopy findings.

PURPOSE: Well-differentiated ectopic cerebellar tissue is extremely rare, with only 12 cases in the literature. Here, we describe a unique case of radiologically proven ectopic cerebellar tissue, using diffusion tensor tractography (DTT) and MR spectroscopy (MRS) findings, in a 6-day-old newborn. CASE: A 6-day-old newborn who had previously a fetal MRI referred to our department with the suspicion of an arachnoid cyst of the posterior fossa. Including the central nervous system, all of his physical examination tests were normal. Postnatal transcranial ultrasound (US) imaging and brain MRI also revealed a large posterior fossa cyst and a solid mass nearby the cerebellar tissue. The tissue showed a small connection and isointense signal with the cerebellum. Upon DTT, both the cerebellum and nearby solid tissue represented the same FA values. Tractographic studies showed a connection with fibers extending along the left cerebellar hemisphere from this tissue. The single voxel MRS of this solid tissue also revealed high choline (Cho) and a smaller N-acetylaspartate (NAA) concentration similar to that of the normal newborn cerebellum. CONCLUSION: Ectopic cerebellar tissue can be characterized by advanced neuroimaging tools, like DTT and MRS, which provide information about brain metabolite concentrations and the microstructural integrity. In this way, unnecessary surgery can be avoided in order to obtain a histopathological diagnosis.

International Nosocomial Infection Control Consortium (INICC) national report on device-associated infection rates in 19 cities of Turkey, data summary for 2003-2012.

BACKGROUND: Device-associated healthcare-acquired infections (DA-HAI) pose a threat to patient safety, particularly in the intensive care unit (ICU). We report the results of the International Infection Control Consortium (INICC) study conducted in Turkey from August 2003 through October 2012. METHODS: A DA-HAI surveillance study in 63 adult, paediatric ICUs and neonatal ICUs (NICUs) from 29 hospitals, in 19 cities using the methods and definitions of the U.S. NHSN and INICC methods. RESULTS: We collected prospective data from 94,498 ICU patients for 647,316 bed days. Pooled DA-HAI rates for adult and paediatric ICUs were 11.1 central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) per 1000 central line (CL)-days, 21.4 ventilator-associated pneumonias (VAPs) per 1000 mechanical ventilator (MV)-days and 7.5 catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) per 1000 urinary catheter-days. Pooled DA-HAI rates for NICUs were 30 CLABSIs per 1000 CL-days, and 15.8 VAPs per 1000 MV-days. Extra length of stay (LOS) in adult and paediatric ICUs was 19.4 for CLABSI, 8.7 for VAP and 10.1 for CAUTI. Extra LOS in NICUs was 13.1 for patients with CLABSI and 16.2 for patients with VAP. Extra crude mortality was 12% for CLABSI, 19.4% for VAP and 10.5% for CAUTI in ICUs, and 15.4% for CLABSI and 10.5% for VAP in NICUs. Pooled device use (DU) ratios for adult and paediatric ICUs were 0.54 for MV, 0.65 for CL and 0.88 for UC, and 0.12 for MV, and 0.09 for CL in NICUs. The CLABSI rate was 8.5 per 1,000 CL days in the Medical Surgical ICUs included in this study, which is higher than the INICC report rate of 4.9, and more than eight times higher than the NHSN rate of 0.9. Similarly, the VAP and CAUTI rates were higher compared with U.S. NHSN (22.3 vs. 1.1 for VAP; 7.9 vs. 1.2 for CAUTI) and with the INICC report (22.3 vs. 16.5 in VAP; 7.9 vs. 5.3 in CAUTI). CONCLUSIONS: DA-HAI rates and DU ratios in our ICUs were higher than those reported in the INICC global report and in the US NHSN report.

A newborn with antenatal testis tortion.

Testis tortion in the newborn (especially antenatal testis tortion) is observed very rarely and constitutes 10-12% of childhood testis tortions. In testis tortion, firm and painless testicular tissue is palpated on physical examination. Doppler ultrasonography is a sensitive method in the diagnosis. In cases of neonatal testis tortion, the testis can be saved with appropriate surgical exploration in only 0-5% of the cases. Here, a newborn with antenatal testis tortion who underwent orchiectomy in the first day of life was presented.

Experience of a tertiary care center on 100 newborns with neural tube defects.

The aim of this study was to analyze the sociodemographic features, postoperative complications, long-term problems, and cost of care of patients followed in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) with a diagnosis of neural tube defects (NTDs). Babies with NTD followed in the Neonatology Unit of Ondokuz Mayis University Faculty of Medicine between January 2003 and December 2011 were analyzed retrospectively. One hundred (1.2%) of 8408 babies admitted to the NICU were diagnosed as NTD during the study period. Of the cases with NTD, 74% of mothers were graduates of primary school/illiterate, and none had used folic acid (FA) preconceptionally. Prenatal diagnosis was made in 72%, but parents had chosen not to terminate the pregnancy. The most frequent type and site of NTD was meningomyelocele (82%) of the lumbosacral region (36%). In 80% of the babies, the NTD sac was closed with in the first 72 hours of life. The most frequently observed postoperative complications were wound infection and septicemia. The mortality rate of babies with NTD during the follow-up period was 7%, and all deaths occurred in the first year of life. Sixty-two percent of the patients had neurologic deficits on follow-up. Patients were rehospitalized during the follow-up for an average of 2.9 times. Neural tube defect (NTD) is a disabling problem, with operations, rehospitalizations and other costly treatments. Maternal education regarding preconceptional FA use/fortification of food with FA and appropriate guidance to the family with prenatal diagnosis will decrease the incidence and burden of the disease.

Retinopathy of prematurity in extremely low birth weight infants in Turkey.

PURPOSE: This study was designed to determine the incidence rate of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) in extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infants in the middle Black Sea region of Turkey. METHODS: The charts of 1,719 preterm infants were reviewed between January 2003 and September 2011. Of them, 225 (13.1%) infants with birth weights of less than 1,000 g were enrolled in the study. ROP was classified according to the international classification of retinopathy. RESULTS: Of the 225 ELBW infants, 47.6% had advanced ROP, 23.1% had mild ROP, and 29.3% did not have ROP; 30.2% infants required treatment. ROP was detected in 75.6% of multiple births versus 69.6% of singleton births; there were no significant differences between the two groups (P = .388). CONCLUSION: Extremely premature infants with low gestational ages had high incidence rates of advanced ROP. Most ELBW infants require ROP treatment. In addition, increased survival of ELBW infants owing to advancements in neonatal care warrants the specialization of ophthalmologists in regard to improved diagnosis and treatment of ROP.

Urinary neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin in septic preterm babies: a preliminary study.

OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to evaluate the predictive value of urinary neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (uNGAL) for acute kidney injury (AKI) among septic preterm infants. METHODS: Twenty-six very low-birth-weight (VLBW) babies were separated into three groups: group I, healthy preterms; group II, preterms with sepsis but without AKI; group III, preterms with sepsis and AKI. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory data of the babies were recorded. uNGAL and creatinine values were obtained on days 1, 3, and 7 of life. RESULTS: uNGAL levels differed statistically among three groups for all 3 days. Levels in group I (days 1, 3, and 7) were significant lower than levels in both groups II and III [median (interquartile range): 4.5 (10.8) µ/L, 8.7 (18.5) µ/L, and 4.3 (1.1) µ/L, respectively]. In group III, uNGAL levels on days 1 and 3 were significantly higher than levels in group II (p = 0.001, 0.016, respectively). CONCLUSION: First-day uNGAL levels were higher in VLBW preterm infants who later developed sepsis; whether the baby had AKI or not; but uNGAL levels were higher in septic babies with AKI compared with the infants without AKI. uNGAL is a promising early biomarker of AKI in VLBW infants with sepsis.

Is vitamin d deficiency a risk factor for respiratory distress syndrome?

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have shown the relationship between in utero lung development and vitamin D [25(OH)D], but there have been no studies to investigate whether vitamin D deficiency is a risk factor for respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) in preterm babies. OBJECTIVES: In this study, we investigated if 25(OH)D deficiency is a risk factor for RDS. METHODS: One hundred fifty-two preterm newborns, born at 29 - 35 weeks gestational age, were included in the study following informed consent from the parents. Peripheral blood samples were collected within the first 24 hours of life and 25(OH)D levels were measured by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Demographic characteristics of the babies and the diagnosis of RDS were recorded. RESULTS: In 64 % of preterm infants, 25(OH)D levels were compatible with severe deficiency (≤ 10 ng/mL), 33 % with moderate deficiency (10 - 20 ng/mL), and 3 % with mild deficiency (20 - 30 ng/mL). In none of the babies was a normal 25(OH)D level observed. Serum 25(OH)D levels were not correlated with gestational age. Respiratory distress syndrome was more common in preterm babies with severe (28 %) compared to mild-moderate 25(OH)D deficiency (14 %) (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: None of the preterm infants in this study had normal vitamin D level, which underlined the burden of vitamin D deficiency in pregnant women and their offspring. RDS was more common in severely vitamin D-deficient preterms. Determination of vitamin D status of the mothers and appropriate supplementation might be a valuable strategy to reduce RDS, in addition to antenatal steroids. Besides, since vitamin D is a regulatory factor in many organs during fetal development, long-term effects of in utero vitamin D deficiency warrant further studies.