Reassessing vitamin D supplementation in preterm infants: a prospective study and review of the literature.

Objectives Recommendations for vitamin D (VitD) intake and target serum levels of 25(OH)D in preterm infants are diverse. We hypothesized that preterm infants with low birth weight (BW) have low dietary intake of VitD and therefore should be supplemented with higher amounts of VitD. Methods Infants with BW < 2 kg were supplemented with 600 units of VitD a day during the first 2-6 weeks of life, whereas infants with BW>2 kg continued with the routine supplementation of 400 units of VitD daily.

Not all newborns born to mothers with clinical chorioamnionitis need to be treated.

Purpose: The 2010 recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for prevention of perinatal group B Streptococcal Disease (GBS) is that symptomatic newborns suspect for early onset sepsis (EOS), or newborns born to mothers with clinical chorioamnionitis should receive antibiotic treatment. Our protocol was changed accordingly during 2015. We prospectively assessed the safety of the protocol and evaluated the need to treat all newborns born to mothers with clinical chorioamnionitis and retrospectively evaluated the performance of the EOS risk calculator.

Correlation between transcutaneous and serum bilirubin in preterm infants before, during, and after phototherapy.

Background: Transcutaneous bilirubinometry (TcB) is routinely used to monitor jaundice in term and near-term infants. However, before 35 weeks gestation, the technique has not been widely adopted.

Aim: The aim of this study is to study the correlation between TcB and total serum bilirubin (TsB) before, during, and after phototherapy in preterm infants born before 35 weeks' gestation.

Early, rapidly progressive enteral nutrition promotes growth of very low birth weight (VLBW) infants.

Aim: This study describes the effects of a quality improvement program to promote improved postnatal nutrition on the growth of very low birth weight (VLBW) infants.

Methods: Daily data regarding nutrition and growth were collected from the medical record of VLBW infants born during 1995-2010. The infants were grouped by year of birth in order to compare infants from before, during and after the policy change.

Correlation of transcutaneous bilirubinometry (TcB) and total serum bilirubin (TsB) levels after phototherapy.

Aim: To investigate the correlation between transcutaneous bilirubinometry (TcB) and total serum bilirubin (TsB) in jaundiced infants before and after, but not during phototherapy.

Methods: This study prospectively investigated the correlation between TcB and TsB in term and near term infants before and after phototherapy.

Results: Overall 673 pairs of measurements (TcB and TsB) were performed on 371 infants of ≥35 weeks gestation and with birth weight above 2000 g.