Delayed cord clamping in South African neonates with expected low birthweight: a randomised controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate safety and haematological effects of delayed cord clamping (DCC) in infants with expected low birthweight born in a resource-poor setting. METHODS: Randomised controlled trial involving pregnant women in early labour ≥18 years with intrapartum symphysal-fundal height ≤32 cm. Mothers were randomised for either early cord clamping (ECC, <30 s) or DCC (2-3 min after birth). RESULTS: We included 104 vigorous infants born by vaginal delivery, of whom 39% had a birthweight <2500 g. Infant haemoglobin (Hb) levels 24 h after birth were significantly higher in the DCC group (18.0 g/dl vs. 16.8 g/dl, P = 0.006). Despite successful placental transfusion, hyperbilirubinemia and hyperviscosity were not observed. Two months after birth, there were no differences in Hb between groups (9.9 g/dl vs. 9.8 g/dl, P = 0.60), but the infants in the DCC group had better weight gain from baseline than those with ECC (2.2 kg vs. 1.9 kg, P = 0.058). CONCLUSIONS: In this South African cohort of newborns with a subnormal distribution of birthweight delayed cord clamping was a safe procedure. Two months after birth the effect of DCC on Hb was not detectable anymore. DCC should be promoted in every singleton delivery in a resource-poor setting irrespective of the birthweight.

Vibrating membrane devices deliver aerosols more efficient than standard devices: a study in a neonatal upper airway model.

BACKGROUND: Aerosol therapy in preterm infants is challenging, as a very small proportion of the drug deposits in the lungs. AIM: Our aim was to compare efficiency of standard devices with newer, more efficient aerosol delivery devices. METHODS: Using salbutamol as a drug marker, we studied two prototypes of the investigational eFlow(®) nebulizer for babies (PARI Pharma GmbH), a jet nebulizer (Intersurgical(®) Cirrus(®)), and a pressurized metered dose inhaler (pMDI; GSK) with a detergent-coated holding chamber (AeroChamber(®) MV) in the premature infant nose throat-model (PrINT-model) of a 32-week preterm infant (1,750 g). A filter or an impactor was placed below the infant model's "trachea" to capture the drug dose or particle size, respectively, that would have been deposited in the lung. RESULTS: Lung dose (percentage of nominal dose) was 1.5%, 6.8%, and 18.0-20.6% for the jet nebulizer, pMDI-holding chamber, and investigational eFlow nebulizers, respectively (p<0.001). Jet nebulizer residue was 69.4% and 10.7-13.9% for the investigational eFlow nebulizers (p<0.001). Adding an elbow extension between the eFlow and the model significantly lowered lung dose (p<0.001). A breathing pattern with lower tidal volume decreased deposition in the PrINT-model and device residue (p<0.05), but did not decrease lung dose. CONCLUSIONS: In a model for infant aerosol inhalation, we confirmed low lung dose using jet nebulizers and pMDI-holding chambers, whereas newer, more specialized vibrating membrane devices, designed specifically for use in preterm infants, deliver up to 20 times more drug to the infant's lung.

[A neonate without claviculae]. / Een neonaat met verkorte claviculae.

A 1-week-old girl, term born after a non-complicated parturition, presented with abnormal clavicles. At physical examination small and short clavicles were seen, as well as a widened anterior and posterior fontanelle. An X-ray of the thorax showed hypoplastic clavicles and an X-ray of the skull showed delayed ossification of the bones, hypoplasia of the maxilla and extra teeth. This led to the diagnosis 'cleidocranial dysplasia'.