The impact of second-hand tobacco smoke exposure on pregnancy outcomes, infant health, and the threat of third-hand smoke exposure to our environment and to our children.

Smoking during pregnancy is associated with various adverse effects on pregnancy and fetal development, carries a lot of serious complications such as spontaneous abortion, placental abruption, and reduced birth weight of the newborn. Children of smoking mothers have an increased risk of premature birth, low birth weight, sudden infant death syndrome and respiratory diseases during infancy. Smoking also causes long-term risk of maternal health problems such as: heart disease, cancer, emphysema, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and higher mortality rate. Because women are more likely to quit smoking during pregnancy than at any other time, there are attempts to increase motivation and help them to stop smoking at the procreative phase of their life. The article describes interventions that are carried out in Loma Linda, where the educational program "When You Smoke Your Baby Smokes" reminds parents about the health effects of smoking during pregnancy and harmful impact on child's health caused by second-hand smoke. Another threat to health and environment of our children, is the nicotine coming from indirect exposure to tobacco smoke. Residual nicotine that persists in high concentrations on the interior surfaces, including clothing, is forming in the reaction of nitric acid carcinogenic compounds of specific nitrosamines. In addition, ozone and related atmospheric oxidants react with nicotine smoke or smoke coming from the second-hand smoke, giving the smallest particles with high risk of asthma. Efforts towards reducing exposure to tobacco smoke coming from the passive and indirect smoking should be placed at a high priority throughout the European Union.

Cerebral oxygenation and bioelectrical activity in preterm infants during surfactant replacement therapy with porcine and bovine preparations.

Introduction: Surfactant replacement therapy (SRT) might cause acute changes in cerebral oxygenation and alteration of brain bioelectrical activity. Varying physiologic responses and clinical outcomes were observed when different surfactant preparations were instilled to treat neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (RDS). Material and methods: Neonates born at 26-30 weeks of gestation with RDS requiring intubation and mechanical ventilation were randomized to SRT either with poractant alfa (A) or beractant (B). Saturation (SpO2), heart rate (HR), cerebral tissue oxygenation (StO2) and amplitude-integrated electroencephalography (aEEG) were simultaneously recorded prior to and up to 4 h after SRT. Results: Mean SpO2, HR and StO2 values were comparable between groups at baseline and after SRT. There were differences in mean aEEG voltage before SRT, but amplitudes were within a range considered as normal in both groups. Immediately after SRT and at a few single post-intervention time points mean aEEG voltage was higher in the beractant group. There was a significant difference in the percentage of time with the aEEG signal < 5 µV after SRT between groups (mean 25.7% (A) vs. 16.5% (B), p < 0.05). Quantity of bursts per minute and mean length of inter-burst intervals (IBI) in the aEEG recording varied insignificantly but there was a significant difference in the percentage of IBI > 30 s between groups (52.5% (A) vs. 36.6% (B), p <0.05). Conclusions: This is the first study assessing brain bioelectrical function and oxygenation while using two different surfactant preparations in a neonate. Cerebral effects of SRT are observed regardless of the type of surfactant, but their magnitude may depend on the preparation and/or dosing used.

Comparison of cerebral tissue oxygenation values in full term and preterm newborns by the simultaneous use of two near-infrared spectroscopy devices: an absolute and a relative trending oximeter.

The aim of this study is to compare a two-wavelength light emitting diode-based tissue oximeter (INVOS), which is designed to show trends in tissue oxygenation, with a four-wavelength laser-based oximeter (FORE-SIGHT), designed to deliver absolute values of tissue oxygenation. Simultaneous values of cerebral tissue oxygenation (StO2) are measured using both devices in 15 term and 15 preterm clinically stable newborns on the first and third day of life. Values are recorded simultaneously in two periods between which oximeter sensor positions are switched to the contralateral side. Agreement between StO2 values before and after the change of sensor position is analyzed. We find that mean cerebral StO2 values are similar between devices for term and preterm babies, but INVOS shows StO2 values spread over a wider range, with wider standard deviations than shown by the FORE-SIGHT. There is relatively good agreement with a bias up to 3.5% and limits of agreement up to 11.8%. Measurements from each side of the forehead show better repeatability for the FORE-SIGHT monitor. We conclude that performance of the two devices is probably acceptable for clinical purposes. Both performed sufficiently well, but the use of FORE-SIGHT may be associated with tighter range and better repeatability of data.