Infant Warmer Design with PID Control for Stability and Equal Temperature Distribution Equipped with Digital Scales for Prevention of Hypothermia in Newborns

Babies need temperatures that match the temperature in the mother's womb, which is between 35°C – 37°C. the latest research on infant warmer equipment uses the fuzzy method as a system for temperature control in infant warmers, The problem in previous research is that at each temperature setting, the temperature is not evenly distributed throughout the bed, when it reaches the setting temperature, the heater continues to turn on so that the bed gets hotter. The purpose of this research is to make an infant warmer equipped with digital scales, with temperature settings of 350C, 360C, and 370C using PID control to stabilize the temperature and ensure the spread of heat on the bed evenly, then the addition of skin temperature aims to make nurses know what the patient's body temperature is when observations were made. The infant warmer in this module uses an arduino microcontroller which is displayed in 7segment, then the skin sensor used is the DS18B20 temperature sensor to read the skin temperature, and the infant warmer temperature sensor used is LM35 as a PID control system. The results of the research in making the tool module were compared with the measurement results against the comparator. This research has obtained the results of the smallest error in the measurement of setting temperature of 350C with an error of 0%. For comparison with the incu analyzer, the smallest error is obtained at the setting temperature of 370C with an error value of 0% on the T5 measurement, the difference in skin temperature against the thermometer is 0.10C. The results showed that the temperature spread on the module had different error values. So that this research can be implemented on the PID control infant warmer system to improve performance on infant temperature stability.

Impact of synbiotics on gut microbiota during early life: a randomized, double-blind study

Human milk is considered the optimal nutrition for infants and found to contain significant numbers of viable bacteria. The aim of the study was to assess the effects of a specific synbiotic combination at doses closer to the bacterial cells present in human milk, on intestinal bifidobacteria proportions (relative abundance), reduction of potential pathogens and gut physiological conditions. A clinical study was conducted in 290 healthy infants aged from 6 to 19 weeks. Infants received either a control infant formula or one of the two investigational infant formulas (control formula with 0.8 g/100 ml scGOS/lcFOS and Bifidobacterium breve M-16V at either 1 × 104 cfu/ml or 1 × 106 cfu/ml). Exclusively breastfed infants were included as a reference. Analyses were performed on intention-to-treat groups and all-subjects-treated groups. After 6 weeks of intervention, the synbiotics at two different doses significantly increased the bifidobacteria proportions in healthy infants. The synbiotic supplementation also decreased the prevalence (infants with detectable levels) and the abundance of C. difficile. Closer to the levels in the breastfed reference group, fecal pH was significantly lower while l-lactate concentrations and acetate proportions were significantly higher in the synbiotic groups. All formulas were well tolerated and all groups showed a comparable safety profile based on the number and severity of adverse events and growth. In healthy infants, supplementation of infant-type bifidobacterial strain B. breve M-16V, at a dose close to bacterial numbers found in human milk, with scGOS/lcFOS (9:1) created a gut environment closer to the breastfed reference group. This specific synbiotic mixture may also support gut microbiota resilience during early life.Clinical Trial Registration This clinical study named Color Synbiotics Study, was registered in ClinicalTrials.gov on 18 March 2013. Registration number is NCT01813175. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01813175.

Functional food promotes digestive functions and healthy growth of animals nurtured in confinement

In the study, the growth pattern, morphometric and morphological changes in the gastrointestinal tract of growing male and female Sprague-Dawley rats fed crude honey (CH)-supplemented diets as measures of nutrient utilization, digestive functions and healthy growth were investigated. Thirty-five suckling (7-day old male and female) rats were fed CH either as low (10mLkg-1 BW) or high (20mLkg-1 BW) dose daily via stomach tube for 14 days, while the control group was gavaged with distilled water. Rats were kept with their dams to nurse freely between gavages. On weaning, CH was mixed with commercial rat feed as low (20%) or high, 50% (volume/weight, v/w), while 20% (v/w) tap water was added to the control diet. The feed intake of honey-fed male rats and control (infant: 6 – 10g; adult:31 – 38g) was significantly higher (p < 0.05) than their high dose-diet mates (infant: 5 – 8g; adult: 31 – 38g). All the rats were killed at 13 weeks old for gross and microscopic measurements of the abdominal viscera. Grossly, there were no significant differences (p ≥ 0.05) in the relative lengths (%BW) and weight: length ratio (g cm-1 ) of the small and large intestines in both sexes. Crude honey increased the absolute and relative weights of the caecum (1.73 ± 0.05g; 0.38 ± 0.02%BW) and pancreas (2.52 ± 0.11g; 0.55 ± 0.03%BW), with significant influence (p<0.05) in the male rats. In addition, dietary inclusion of CH at low dose enhanced intestinal villi growth in height (84.0 ± 4.0µm) and width (25.2 ± 1.5µm). Dietary supplementation with crude honey also enhanced body weight gain of male rats (495.52 ± 8.98g) and females (242.52 ± 6.87g), improved abdominal organs' functional size: liver (10.92 ± 0.32g; 2.72 ± 0.13%BW); spleen (1.25 ± 0.06g; 0.27 ± 0.02%BW), devoid of pathological changes, as shown by liver histomorphology (1.2 ± 0.3) and normal hepatocellular architecture thereby conferring nutritional and health benefits on animals nurtured in confinement.

Cardiac-associated biliary atresia (CABA): a prognostic subgroup

ObjectivesTo describe the range of concurrent cardiac malformations in biliary atresia (BA) while providing a functional framework of risk.MethodsDemographic and variables were collected from a prospectively maintained single-centre database. Infants were grouped according to a cardiac functional framework (A=acyanotic, B=cyanotic and C=insignificant shunt). Primary outcome was set as clearance of jaundice (bilirubin ≤20 μmol/L) following Kasai portoenterostomy (KPE). Native liver survival and overall actuarial survival were compared with a date-matched control infant with BA (n=77). P value <0.05 was regarded as significant.Results524 infants with histologically confirmed BA were treated between January 1999 and December 2018, 37 (7%) had a concurrent cardiac anomaly (A: n=23 (62%), B: n=10 (27%), C: n=4 (11%)). Infants with biliary atresia splenic malformation (BASM) or cat-eye syndrome (CES) contributed over half of the cases (21/37; 57%).Overall, 20 (54%) infants cleared jaundice (vs 50/77 (65%) controls; p=0.2), but with higher mortality compared with the non-cardiac controls (15/37 (40%) vs 3/77 (4%); HR 15.5 (95% CI 5.5 to 43.4); p<0.00001). Infants requiring cardiac intervention in the first year of life (n=15) were more likely to clear jaundice (6/7 vs 2/8; p=0.04) and had a trend towards higher survival (6/7 vs 3/8; p=0.1) when KPE followed cardiac surgery. Yet, the type of cardiac pathology did not impact clearance of jaundice or mortality.ConclusionWe propose the term cardiac-associated biliary atresia (CABA) as a high-risk group. We believe that restorative cardiac surgery should precede KPE wherever possible to improve outcome.

GWAS on longitudinal growth traits reveals different genetic factors influencing infant, child, and adult BMI

Early childhood growth patterns are associated with adult health, yet the genetic factors and the developmental stages involved are not fully understood. Here, we combine genome-wide association studies with modeling of longitudinal growth traits to study the genetics of infant and child growth, followed by functional, pathway, genetic correlation, risk score, and colocalization analyses to determine how developmental timings, molecular pathways, and genetic determinants of these traits overlap with those of adult health. We found a robust overlap between the genetics of child and adult body mass index (BMI), with variants associated with adult BMI acting as early as 4 to 6 years old. However, we demonstrated a completely distinct genetic makeup for peak BMI during infancy, influenced by variation at the LEPR/LEPROT locus. These findings suggest that different genetic factors control infant and child BMI. In light of the obesity epidemic, these findings are important to inform the timing and targets of prevention strategies.

Gastrointestinal Tolerance, Growth and Safety of a Partly Fermented Formula with Specific Prebiotics in Healthy Infants: A Double-Blind, Randomized, Controlled Trial

This study evaluated the effect of a partly fermented infant formula (using the bacterial strains Bifidobacterium breve C50 and Streptococcus thermophilus 065) with a specific prebiotic mixture (short-chain galacto-oligosaccharides (scGOS) and long-chain fructo-oligosaccharides (lcFOS; 9:1)) on the incidence of gastrointestinal symptoms, stool characteristics, sleeping and crying behaviour, growth adequacy and safety. Two-hundred infants ≤28 days of age were assigned either to experimental infant formula containing 30% fermented formula and 0.8 g/100 mL scGOS/lcFOS or to non-fermented control infant formula without scGOS/lcFOS. A group of breastfed infants served as a reference. No relevant differences in parent-reported gastrointestinal symptoms were observed. Stool consistency was softer in the experimental versus control group with values closer to the breastfed reference group. Daily weight gain was equivalent for both formula groups (0.5 SD margins) with growth outcomes close to breastfed infants. No clinically relevant differences in adverse events were observed, apart from a lower investigator-reported prevalence of infantile colic in the experimental versus control group (1.1% vs. 8.7%; p < 0.02). Both study formulae are well-tolerated, support an adequate infant growth and are safe for use in healthy term infants. Compared to the control formula, the partly fermented formula with prebiotics induces stool consistencies closer to breastfed infants.

2′-Fucosyllactose Is Well Tolerated in a 100% Whey, Partially Hydrolyzed Infant Formula With Bifidobacterium lactis: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Human milk oligosaccharides are important components of breast milk. We evaluated feeding tolerance of the human milk oligosaccharide 2′-fucosyllactose (2′FL) in a 100% whey, partially hydrolyzed infant formula with the probiotic Bifidobacterium animalis ssp lactis strain Bb12 ( B lactis; Test) as compared with the same formula without 2′FL (Control) in a randomized controlled trial of healthy infants enrolled at 2 weeks of age (±5 days). After 6 weeks of feeding the assigned formula, the primary outcome of tolerance was assessed using the Infant Gastrointestinal Symptom Questionnaire. Stooling, vomiting, spit-up, crying, and fussing were compared between groups. Seventy-nine infants were enrolled and 63 completed the study per protocol (30 Test, 33 Control). Infant Gastrointestinal Symptom Questionnaire scores were similar between groups (Test 20.9 ± 4.8, Control 20.7 ± 4.3, P = .82). Partially hydrolyzed infant formula with 2′FL and B lactis is tolerated well, as confirmed by a validated multi-symptom index.

Immunohistochemical Changes after Metoclopramide Administration in Rat Brain Cells

Metoclopramide, used as an anti-emetic drug in clinical practice, has recently also begun being used to establish hyperprolactinemic effects in the breastfeeding. The purpose of this study was to investigate the potential side-effects of metoclopramide applied in the lactation period in the central nervous system of infant rats. 18 female albino Wistar rats that had just given birth were divided into 3 groups together with their pups: Healthy controls, low-dose metoclopramide (10 mg/kg, twice per day i.p.) and a high-dose metoclopramide group (45 mg/kg, twice per day i.p.). Brain tissues from 6 pups from each mother were harvested at the end of the 21st day. Immunohistochemical technique was performed using dopamine D2 receptor (DRD2), brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and neural growth factor (NGF), markers of extrapyramidal reaction in the brain, as signal molecules. Based on immunohistochemical results, DRD2 expression decreased only in the external pyramidal layer neurons in the high-dose infant group. Strong BDNF reaction was determined in pyramidal neurons in all layers in the control infant group, and decreased reaction was observed in the high- and low-dose groups. No significant difference was observed in NGF expression between the three groups. Since high-dose metoclopramide caused a decrease in DRD2 expression in the external pyramidal layer in the prefrontal cortex, and since both high and low doses reduced BDNF expression, care needs to be taken with the use of metoclopramide in the lactation period due to the possibility of extrapyramidal reactions in infants.