Prematurity and ADHD in Childhood: An Observational Register-Based Study in Catalonia.

Objective: To evaluate the association between prematurity (by the gestational week [gw]) and ADHD during childhood. Method: Observational, matched cohort study using data from children born in a tertiary-level hospital (Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Catalonia, Spain) during 1995-2007 and data from the Information System for the Development of Research in Primary Health Care (SIDIAP database, Catalonia, Spain). Results: Prevalence of ADHD increases as gestational age decreases, 12.7% for those born ≤28 gw, compared to 3.2% for those born after the 37 gw. The risk of developing ADHD in the non-premature children tends to increase as the gw decreases (35-36 gw, hazard ratio [HR] = 1.70, 95% confidence interval [CI] [1.19, 2.44]; 33-34 gw, HR = 3.38, 95% CI [2.08, 5.50]; 29-32 gw, HR = 2.37, 95% CI [1.54, 3.63]; and ≤28 gw, HR = 5.57, 95% CI [2.49, 12.46]) Conclusion: Being born preterm is associated with a risk of developing ADHD, also in late preterm children (35-36 gw). Attention when taking care of these infants regarding their mental health must be made.

Antenatal corticosteroids and perinatal outcomes in infants born at 23-25 weeks of gestation.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the perinatal results of infants born between 23 and 25.6 weeks of gestation. METHODS: Medical charts of all women giving birth prematurely (23-25.6 w) from January 2005 to December 2011 were retrospectively reviewed. Cases of malformed infants or deliveries elsewhere were excluded. RESULTS: 198 infants were included. Chorioamnionitis occurred in 86 (43.4%) of the whole group: 26 (86.7%) in the 23-week; 35 (53.8%) in the 24-week and 25 (24.3%) in the 25-week groups. Foetal maturation with antenatal corticosteroids was complete in 119 cases (60.1%): 4 (13.3%) in the 23-week; 35 (53.8%) in the 24-week and 80 (77.7%) in the 25-week groups. Foetal death at birth occurred in 22 cases (11%) and 61 newborns (30.8%) died in the neonatal period. Of the 106 survivors with 2 years complete follow-up, 45 infants (42.4%) did not present sequelae; 16 infants (15.1%) had severe sequelae. A 66.6% (4) of infants born at 23 weeks of gestation did not present sequelae compared with a 32.3% (11) at 24 weeks and 45.4% (30) at 25 weeks. CONCLUSIONS: The chorioamnionitis rate was higher when gestational age was lower. The foetal maturation rate was higher when gestational age was higher. A low severe sequelae rate was observed in the whole series, particularly in the 23-week group where the rate was lower than expected; however, these results could have been influenced by the small size of the 23-week group.

Extubación electiva durante el contacto piel con piel en el prematuro extremo / Elective extubation during skin-to-skin contact in the extremely premature newborn

No disponible

Prevalence of neurological damage in monochorionic twins with selective intrauterine growth restriction and intermittent absent or reversed end-diastolic umbilical artery flow.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the incidence of parenchymal lesions on early and late neonatal brain scans and its association with the presence or absence of intermittent absent or reversed end-diastolic umbilical artery flow velocity (A/REDV) in monochorionic twins complicated by selective intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), as compared to dichorionic twins and monochorionic twins without selective IUGR. METHODS: This was a prospective cohort study involving 42 monochorionic twins diagnosed with selective IUGR and managed expectantly. The presence or absence of intermittent A/REDV was recorded in all cases. This study group was compared to dichorionic twins (n = 29) and monochorionic twins without selective IUGR (n = 32) delivered at 26-34 weeks during the study period. All infants underwent an early neonatal brain scan (at or before the fourth day of postnatal life) and at least one follow-up scan during the first 28 days of postnatal life. Perinatal outcome and the incidence of neurological damage were compared between the study groups. RESULTS: The incidence of intrauterine fetal death (IUD) and periventricular leukomalacia was significantly increased in monochorionic twins complicated with selective IUGR, as compared with the other study groups. Intermittent A/REDV was observed in 22/42 (52.4%) twin pairs, and was always present in the growth-restricted twin. The incidence of IUD (overall 9/44 (20.5%) vs. 0/40, P < 0.001; smaller twin 6/22 (27.3%) vs. 0/20, P < 0.05) and parenchymal brain damage (overall 7/35 (20.0%) vs. 2/40 (5.0%), P = 0.07; larger twin 7/19 (36.8%) vs. 1/20 (5.0%), P < 0.05) was significantly higher in pregnancies with intermittent A/REDV than in those without intermittent A/REDV. Brain damage usually occurred in the larger twin, irrespective of whether the smaller twin was liveborn or not. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of intermittent A/REDV in monochorionic twins with selective IUGR identifies a subgroup with an elevated risk of intrauterine demise of the smaller twin and neurological damage in the larger twin; this latter finding is not restricted to cases with IUD of the cotwin.

Fungemia with Saccharomyces cerevisiae in two newborns, only one of whom had been treated with ultra-levura.

Ultra-Levura (Upsamedica, Spain) is a yeast (Saccharomyces boulardii) widely used as a biotherapeutic agent. To date, few adverse effects have been reported, although fungemia with Saccharomyces cerevisiae can occur in weak and immunosuppressed patients. Reported here are two cases of fungemia with Saccharomyces cerevisiae. One patient had been treated with Ultra-Levura and the other contracted the infection from the first. This is the first report of infection with Saccharomyces boulardii (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) in a patient who was not being treated with the agent.

Recomendaciones para la utilización del óxido nítrico inhalado en patología neonatal / Recommendations for inhaled nitric oxide treatment in the newborn

Las recomendaciones incluidas en este documento señalan las indicaciones actuales del tratamiento con óxido nítrico inhalado (ONi) en el recién nacido, diferenciando claramente las apoyadas en evidencia científica de las que todavía no lo están, como su uso en prematuros. Tras comentar la metodología, dosificación y efectos secundarios, se insiste en las causas de falta de respuesta al ONi

The recommendations in this document describe the current indications for inhaled nitric oxide (iNO) treatment in the newborn and clearly distinguish between those supported by scientific evidence and those for which evidence is still lacking, such as its use in preterm infants. The methodology for iNO administration, its dosage and the main secondary effects are discussed, and the reasons for lack of response to this treatment are analyzed

Recomendaciones para la prevención de la infección por virus respiratorio sincitial / Recommendations for the prevention of respiratory syncytial virus infection

Los prematuros de 35 semanas o menos de gestación, con o sin enfermedad pulmonar crónica (EPC), y los lactantes con cardiopatía congénita grave tienen un mayor riesgo de infección y hospitalización por el virus respiratorio sincitial (VRS). Las medidas higiénicas y los anticuerpos monoclonales para el VRS son eficaces en la disminución de la hospitalización en estos pacientes. Su utilización: a) es muy recomendable en prematros de 28 semanas o menos de gestación al nacer, o nacidos entre las 29-32 semanas con menos de 6 meses al inicio de la estación del VRS o dados de alta durante la misma, o niños afectados de EPC en tratamiento en los últimos 6 meses, o de cardiopatía congénita grave. Los dos últimos grupos pueden recibir la profilaxis durante dos estaciones del VRS. b) Es recomendable en prematuros 32-35 semanas de gestación menores de 6 meses que presenten dos o más factores de riesgo: edad cronológica inferior a 10 semanas al comienzo de la estación VRS, lactancia materna de 2 meses o menos (por indicación médica), tener al menos un hermano de menos de 14 años, asistencia a guardería, antecedentes familiares de sibilancias, 4 personas o más adultas en el hogar o malformaciones de vías aéreas o enfermedad neuromuscular

Premature babies = 4 adults at home, airways malformation or neuromuscular disease

Fetoscopia y coagulación láser en transfusión fetofetal: resultados y evolución neonatal / Fetoscopic laser coagulation in twin-twin transfusion syndrome: results and neonatal outcome

Objetivos: Evaluar los resultados perinatales en los primeros 50 casos de transfusión feto-fetal (TFF) tratados en España con coagulación fetoscópica láser de anastomosis placentarias. Sujetos y métodos: Estudio prospectivo con 50 casos de TFF grave tratadas con láser. Se evaluó la supervivencia y la evolución neonatales, las complicaciones obstétricas, y la tasa de lesión neurológica neonatal (28 días). Resultados: La edad gestacional media de tratamiento fue de 19,8 semanas (rango: 16,6-25,8). La supervivencia neonatal global fue del 72 por ciento (72/100), con un 86 por ciento (43/50) de casos con, al menos, un superviviente. Ocurrió rotura prematura de membranas en 9 pacientes (18 por ciento), tres de ellas (6 por ciento) precoces (menos de 32 semanas). La edad gestacional media de parto fue de 31,8 semanas (rango: 26,0-38,2), con un 94 por ciento (47/50) por encima de las 28 semanas. El peso medio fue de 1.840 g (rango: 640-3.390) para receptores y 1.415 g (rango: 390-2.250) en donantes. Se observó algún grado de lesión neurológica en el 5,5 por ciento (4/72) de los supervivientes. Conclusión: Los resultados presentados se sitúan en el rango alto de lo previamente reportado por otros grupos. La coagulación fetoscópica láser permite ofrecer una alternativa terapéutica a una proporción importante de casos de TFF grave (AU)