Temporal trends in intraventricular hemorrhage in preterm infants: A Brazilian multicenter cohort.

BACKGROUND: Intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) is a serious problem in preterm infants. Brazilian national data are unknown. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the incidence and temporal trend of IVH in very low birth weight (VLBW) preterm infants of 18 centers of the Brazilian Network on Neonatal Research. STUDY DESIGN: National prospective multicenter cohort study including inborn VLBW preterm infants aged 230/7- 336/7 weeks' gestation, admitted between 2013 and 2018. The center with the mean incidence rate was used as reference. We applied two adjustments models using perinatal variables, and perinatal + neonatal diseases. RESULTS: Of 6,420 infants, 1951/30.4% (range 27.1-33.8%) had IVH and the disease showed a significant trend towards an overall increase in incidence over time (p = 0.003), especially in three centers. Severe IVH (grade III or IV) occurred in 32.2% (range 29.2-34.5%) of those affected by IVH, with a stable incidence. After adjustments for perinatal variables, the differences persisted among centers: for global IVH, 7 centers had significantly lower rates (OR ranging from 0.31 to 0.62), and 2 presented rates higher than the reference center (OR ranging from 2.00 to 12.46) for severe HIV. Considering perinatal and neonatal variables, 6 centers had significantly lower rates (OR ranging from 0.36 to 0.60) for global IVH than the reference center and 3 had statistically higher rates (OR 1.72, 1.86 and 11.78) for severe forms. CONCLUSION: The incidence rate of IVH in this Brazilian cohort was high and it revealed an increasing trend towards over time. The severe IVH rate was also worrisome.

Biochemical predictors for metabolic syndrome in preterm infants according to weight ratio.

OBJECTIVE: Prematurity and low birth weight predispose preterm infants to cardiovascular disease in later life. Is the metabolic profile of these children impacted by the relation between birth weight and gestational age (GA)? This study aimed to evaluate whether the relationship between birth weight and GA of preterm infants has a positive correlation with the metabolic profile from birth to the sixth month of corrected age. METHODS: This is a longitudinal, prospective study with a cohort of 70 preterm and 54 term infants, who were enrolled in the study and shared into two groups: Appropriate for GA (AGA) and Small for GA (SGA), both classified at birth by Fenton and Kim curves. Longitudinal evaluation of anthropometry measures and blood samples of total cholesterol, glucose, triglycerides, and insulin were collected at birth, NICU discharge, and the sixth month of corrected age. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistical analysis (ANOVA, Fisher test, Shapiro-Wilk, and Cochran test). The effect size was 0.15, power was 0.92, and confidence interval 95%. RESULTS: No significant statistical differences were observed in relation to biochemical tests between AGA and SGA groups. However, a significant increase in triglyceride results above the reference values for age in the SGA group was observed throughout the follow-up. CONCLUSION: Changes observed in the preterm infant metabolic profile show no correlation with adequacy of birth weight. Preterm lipid profile requires continuous evaluation at follow-up, due to the increased cardiovascular risk in later life.

The impact of coronavirus outbreak on breastfeeding guidelines among Brazilian hospitals and maternity services: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: The World Health Organization recognizes exclusive breastfeeding a safe source of nutrition available for children in most humanitarian emergencies, as in the current pandemic caused by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Despite the Brazilian national guideline protecting breastfeeding practices, there are many concerns about protecting infants from their infected mothers. This study aimed to analyze how the Brazilian hospitals and maternity services promote and support mothers suspected or diagnosed with coronavirus disease (COVID-19). METHODS: This is a descriptive cross-sectional and multicenter study which collected data from 24 Brazilian hospitals and maternity services between March and July 2020. Representatives of the institutions completed a questionnaire based on acts to promote and support breastfeeding, the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative, and Brazil's federal law recommendations. RESULTS: The results showed that in delivery rooms, 98.5% of the services prohibited immediate and uninterrupted skin-to-skin contact between mothers and their infants and did not support mothers to initiate breastfeeding in the first hour. On the postnatal ward, 98.5% of the services allowed breastfeeding while implementing respiratory hygiene practices to prevent transmission of COVID-19. Companions for mothers were forbidden in 83.3% of the hospitals. Hospital discharge was mostly between 24 and 28 h (79.1%); discharge guidelines were not individualized. Additionally, a lack of support was noticed from the home environment's health community network (83.3%). Hospital and home breast pumping were allowed (87.5%), but breast milk donation was not accepted (95.8%). There was a lack of guidance regarding the use of infant comforting strategies. Guidelines specific for vulnerable populations were not covered in the material evaluated. CONCLUSIONS: In Brazil, hospitals have not followed recommendations to protect, promote, and support breastfeeding during the COVID-19 outbreak. The disagreement between international guidelines has been a major issue. The absence of recommendations on breastfeeding support during the pandemic led to difficulties in developing standards among hospitals in different regions of Brazil and other countries worldwide. The scientific community needs to discuss how to improve maternal and infant care services to protect breastfeeding in the current pandemic.