scholarly journals Long-Term Course of Hypothyroidism Detected through Neonatal TSH Screening in a Population-Based Cohort of Very Preterm Infants Born at Less than 32 Weeks of Gestation

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 65
Author(s):  
Birgit Odenwald ◽  
Aline Fischer ◽  
Wulf Röschinger ◽  
Bernhard Liebl ◽  
Heinrich Schmidt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Preterm Infants ◽  
False Negative ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Federal State ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Screening Criteria ◽  
Very Preterm Infants ◽  
Very Preterm ◽  
Transient Hypothyroidism

After several decades of successful newborn screening (NBS) for congenital hypothyroidism, the optimal hypothyroidism NBS algorithm for very preterm infants is still controversial. Due to concerns about an elevated risk of a false-negative initial thyroid-stimulation hormone (TSH) screening, repeat NBS has been implemented for this group. While transient hypothyroidism is known to be more frequent among very preterm infants, the prevalence of permanent hypothyroidism is generally assumed to be the same as in more mature newborns. This study analyses screening and long-term follow-up data from the population-based cohort of 51 infants born from 1999–2017 at less than 32 weeks of gestation and diagnosed with hypothyroidism after NBS in the German Federal State of Bavaria (total number of infants screened 2,107,864). Severe permanent hypothyroidism was always detected at initial TSH screening unless there was a known confounding factor. Cases detected by repeat screening after a negative initial screen most frequently proved to be transient, less frequently mild permanent, or a definitive diagnosis was not possible because of inadequate re-evaluation of the thyroid axis. The prevalence of both permanent and transient hypothyroidism was elevated compared to a cohort of children from the same region born at a higher gestational age. The results seem to support the need for the repeated NBS of very preterm infants. However, as the recommendation to treat mild hypothyroidism is not based on high quality evidence, important issues for future research include treatment outcome studies or even a general review of whether this diagnosis meets the screening criteria. Meanwhile, involving a paediatric endocrinologist in treatment decisions is crucial for optimising the benefit of hypothyroidism screening for this particularly vulnerable group.

Incidence of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) and ROP treatment in Switzerland 2006–2015: a population-based analysis

2017 ◽  
Vol 103 (4) ◽  
pp. F337-F342 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roland Gerull ◽  
Viviane Brauer ◽  
Dirk Bassler ◽  
Bernard Laubscher ◽  
Riccardo E Pfister ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Preterm Infants ◽  
Retinopathy Of Prematurity ◽  
Cohort Analysis ◽  
Survival Rates ◽  
Patient Characteristics ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Screening Criteria ◽  
Very Preterm Infants ◽  
Very Preterm

BackgroundRetinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a severe complication of preterm birth and can lead to severe visual impairment or even blindness if untreated. The incidence of ROP requiring treatment is increasing in some developed countries in conjunction with higher survival rates at the lower end of gestational age (GA).Material and methodsThe incidence of ROP and severe ROP (sROP) requiring treatment in Switzerland was analysed using the SwissNeoNet registry. We conducted a retrospective cohort analysis of very preterm infants with a GA below 32 weeks who were born between 2006 and 2015 in Switzerland. Patient characteristics were stratified according to GA.Results9.3% and 1.8% of very preterm infants in Switzerland developed ROP of any stage and sROP, respectively. The incidence of ROP treatment was 1.2%. Patients with 24 and 25 weeks GA had the highest proportion of ROP treatment at 14.5% and 7.3%, respectively, whereas the proportion of treated infants at or above a GA of 29 weeks was 0.06%. Similarly, the risk of sROP declined strongly with increasing GA. During the observation period of 10 years, the incidence of ROP treatment ranged between 0.8% and 2.0%. Incidences of sROP or ROP treatment did not increase over time.ConclusionThe incidence of ROP treatment in Switzerland is low and was stable over the analysed period. The low incidence of sROP in patients with a GA of 29 weeks or more leaves room for a redefinition of ROP screening criteria.

scholarly journals Maternal Vaginal Ureaplasma spp. Colonization in Early Pregnancy Is Associated with Adverse Short- and Long-Term Outcome of Very Preterm Infants

Children ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 276
Author(s):  
Judith Rittenschober-Böhm ◽  
Tanja Habermüller ◽  
Thomas Waldhoer ◽  
Renate Fuiko ◽  
Stefan M. Schulz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Preterm Infants ◽  
Early Pregnancy ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Term Outcome ◽  
Long Term Outcome ◽  
Very Preterm Infants ◽  
Very Preterm ◽  
Vaginal Colonization ◽  
Short And Long Term

Vaginal colonization with Ureaplasma (U.) spp. has been shown to be associated with adverse pregnancy outcome; however, data on neonatal outcome are scarce. The aim of the study was to investigate whether maternal vaginal colonization with U. spp. in early pregnancy represents a risk factor for adverse short- or long-term outcome of preterm infants. Previously, 4330 pregnant women were enrolled in an observational multicenter study, analyzing the association between vaginal U. spp. colonization and spontaneous preterm birth. U. spp. colonization was diagnosed via PCR analysis from vaginal swabs. For this study, data on short-term outcome were collected from medical records and long-term outcome was examined via Bayley Scales of Infant Development at 24 months adjusted age. Two-hundred-and-thirty-eight children were born <33 weeks gestational age. After exclusion due to asphyxia, malformations, and lost-to-follow-up, data on short-term and long-term outcome were available from 222 and 92 infants, respectively. Results show a significant association between vaginal U. spp. colonization and severe intraventricular hemorrhage (10.4% vs. 2.6%, p = 0.03), retinopathy of prematurity (21.7% vs. 10.3%, p = 0.03), and adverse psychomotor outcome (24.3% vs. 1.8%, OR 13.154, 95%CI 1.6,110.2, p = 0.005). The data suggest an association between vaginal U. spp. colonization in early pregnancy and adverse short- and long-term outcome of very preterm infants.

Increasing Prevalence of Cerebral Palsy Among Very Preterm Infants: A Population-Based Study

PEDIATRICS ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 118 (6) ◽  
pp. e1621-e1626 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. J. Vincer ◽  
A. C. Allen ◽  
K. S. Joseph ◽  
D. A. Stinson ◽  
H. Scott ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cerebral Palsy ◽  
Preterm Infants ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Population Based Study ◽  
Very Preterm Infants ◽  
Very Preterm

Necrotizing Enterocolitis in a Dutch Cohort of Very Preterm Infants: Prevalence, Mortality, and Long-Term Outcomes

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ceren Imren ◽  
Lotte E. Vlug ◽  
Barbara A. E. de Koning ◽  
Tessa Diertens ◽  
Heleen E. Snel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Preterm Infants ◽  
Necrotizing Enterocolitis ◽  
Surgical Complication ◽  
Intestinal Failure ◽  
Very Preterm Infants ◽  
Very Preterm ◽  
Anastomotic Strictures ◽  
Multidisciplinary Perspective

Abstract Introduction To improve counseling of parents and to guide care strategies, we studied the disease course and outcomes of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) up to 2 years of corrected age (CA) from a multidisciplinary perspective. Materials and Methods This was a retrospective cohort study in preterm infants (birth weight < 1,500 g, gestational age < 32 weeks), diagnosed with NEC (Bell's stage ≥ II) from 2008 through 2020. Data on prevalence, mortality, surgery, intestinal failure (IF), growth, and neurodevelopment at 2-year follow-up were separately analyzed for medically and surgically treated children. Results Of 3,456 preterm infants, 200 (6%) were diagnosed with NEC, of whom 135 developed an indication for surgery within 7 days after the diagnosis; 28/135 died before surgery, and 37/107 died after an open-and-close procedure. An enterostomy was constructed in 62 patients and an end-to-end anastomosis in 15. The postoperative course was described for 77 patients, of whom 23 developed surgical complications (12/23 incisional hernias, 9/23 anastomotic strictures), 13/77 a short bowel, and 25/77 IF. Sixty-day survival after birth for medical NEC patients was 88% (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.698; p = 0.318), and for surgically treated NEC patients was 40% (HR: 3.729; p < 0.001). At 2-year follow-up, one patient received parenteral nutrition. Severe delay in weight for age, motor, and cognitive development was seen in 3, 6, and 2%, respectively. Conclusion In this cohort, the mortality rate was high, especially in surgically treated NEC patients. The surgical complication rate is comparable to previous studies, but in surviving patients, persisting IF and severe delay in growth and neurodevelopment at 2 years CA were relatively rare.

Long-term effects of pain in infants

2021 ◽  
pp. 38-46
Author(s):  
Ruth E. Grunau ◽  
Jillian Vinall Miller ◽  
Cecil M. Y. Chau
Keyword(s):  
Preterm Infants ◽  
Neonatal Intensive Care ◽  
Pain Treatment ◽  
Inflammatory Responses ◽  
Imaging Techniques ◽  
Preterm Neonates ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Very Preterm Infants ◽  
Very Preterm

The long-term effects of infant pain are complex, and vary depending on how early in life the exposure occurs, due to differences in developmental maturity of specific systems underway. Changes to later pain sensitivity reflect multiple factors such as age at pain stimulation, extent of tissue damage, type of noxious insult, intensity, and duration. In both full-term and preterm infants exposed to hospitalization, sequelae of early pain are confounded by parental separation and quality of pain treatment. Neonates born very preterm are outside the protective uterine environment, with repeated exposure to pain occurring during fetal life. Especially for infants born in the late second trimester, the cascade of autonomic, hormonal, and inflammatory responses to procedures may induce excitotoxicity with widespread effects on the brain. Quantitative advanced imaging techniques have revealed that neonatal pain in very preterm infants is associated with altered brain development during the neonatal period and beyond. Recent studies now provide evidence of pathways reflecting mechanisms that may underlie the emerging association between cumulative procedural pain exposure and neurodevelopment and behavior in children born very preterm. Owing to immaturity of the central nervous system, repetitive pain in very preterm neonates contributes to alterations in multiple aspects of development. Importantly, there is strong evidence that parental caregiving to reduce pain and stress in preterm infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) may prevent adverse effects, and sensitive parenting after NICU discharge may help ameliorate potential long-term effects.

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