Severe Neonatal COVID Pneumonia With Cytokine Storm

COVID infection is not as common in children as in adults. In the first wave, symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection was less common with mild symptoms in children and neonates. But in the second wave, more children and neonates were affected with severe manifestations. COVID infection in neonates is mostly asymptomatic and published data from various neonatal units of India shows that most COVID positive newborns have good prognosis; poor outcomes are due to perinatal complications and rarely due to COVID. 1 However, in the second wave, newborns too were affected. We are presenting the case of a preterm neonate who developed severe COVID pneumonia on day 10 of life with cytokine storm and succumbed to death.

Procedural Sedation of Preterm Neonate with Frequent Apnea during Magnetic Resonance Imaging: A Case Report

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a useful and safe imaging modality for examining preterm infants. However, MRI examination requires careful precautions, and infants and children are likely to require deep sedation or anesthesia to keep them still during the examination. Sedation has various risks and the greatest concern of sedation is cardiorespiratory events. In addition, delicate titration is also necessary for preterm infants because propofol pharmacokinetics is different from those in older children. We successfully completed sedation of a preterm neonate (gestational age, 32+1 weeks; birth weight, 1,970 g) with a history of frequent apnea through careful assessment and continuous monitoring. We want to suggest alternative options for airway management of the high risk of respiratory complications.

Case Report: Clostridium neonatale Bacteremia in a Preterm Neonate With Necrotizing Enterocolitis

Necrotizing enterocolitis is a life-threatening acquired gastrointestinal disorder among preterm neonates and is associated with a high mortality rate and long-term neurodevelopmental morbidity. No etiologic agent has been definitively established; nonetheless, the most implicated bacteria include members of the Clostridium genus. We reported here on a case of Clostridium neonatale bacteremia in a preterm neonate with necrotizing enterocolitis, providing more information regarding the potential role of this bacterium in pathogenesis of necrotizing enterocolitis. We emphasized the sporulating form of C. neonatale that confers resistance to disinfectants usually applied for the hospital environmental cleaning. Further works are needed to establish the causal relationship between the occurrence of NEC and the isolation of C. neonatale, with promising perspectives in terms of diagnostic and therapeutic management.

Evidence of an active Cushing reflex in a preterm neonate with hyaline membrane disease: a case report

Background The Cushing reflex does not appear to have been described in preterm neonates. This case report shows the presence of an active Cushing reflex in a 32-week preterm neonate with hyaline membrane disease. Case presentation The 1.94 kg Caucasian infant was delivered by caesarean section following concerns about possible maternal infection and fetal compromise. Chest X-ray showed mild-to-moderate hyaline membrane disease and treatment was initiated with supplemental oxygen and nasal continuous positive airway pressure. It is probable that a pneumothorax occurred at 5–6 hours of age, with progression during the day. Interstitial air, pneumomediastinum, and tension pneumothorax were diagnosed on subsequent X-ray, and ultrasound of the brain showed a grade IV intraventricular hemorrhage. A review of the nurses’ recordings of heart rate, blood pressure, and respiratory rate showed a progressive increase in blood pressure accompanied by slowing of the heart rate and irregular respiration. These are features of the Cushing reflex that is elicited in response to raised intracranial pressure. Conclusion While well-described in older children and adults, in neonates the Cushing reflex has mainly been described in animal experiments and infants who have developed hydrocephalus. It is likely that in this case, the reflex was elicited as a result of a progressive increase in intracranial pressure due to the combination of elevated intrathoracic pressure, obstructed venous return from the brain, and concurrent intraventricular hemorrhage.

Retinal vein occlusion with cerebral infarction in a preterm neonate: a case report

Background Retinal vein occlusion (RVO) is a common disease that causes blindness in elderly patients, and cerebral infarction is also a severe disorder impairing the health of individuals. Both diseases are not common in neonates and are related to thrombosis. To date, only one case of simultaneous occurrence of RVO with intracranial haemorrhage in a full-term neonate has been reported. Case presentation A preterm neonate was diagnosed with cerebral infarction and RVO. Retinal haemorrhage and macular oedema were detected in the left eye after the onset of ipsilateral stroke. Although the retinal conditions in this case resolved spontaneously without ocular treatment, the long-term effect on visual function is still unknown. Conclusions Given that ocular fundus examinations are rarely performed in paediatric stroke patients, a screening fundus examination in these newborns with stroke might be worth considering.