Pharyngeal pressure due to high-flow nasal cannula devices in preterm infants.

Background: In infants, a high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) generates continuous positive pressure on the upper airway. This study aimed to evaluate the association between pharyngeal pressure and flow rate, and the association between pharyngeal pressure and bodyweight for two types of HFNC devices commonly used in preterm infants: the Optiflow Junior, hereafter "FP" (Fisher & Paykel, Auckland, New Zealand), and the Precision Flow, hereafter "VT" (Vapotherm, Exeter, NH, USA).

Methods: Pharyngeal pressure measurements were performed in 12 preterm infants who received HFNC support.

A Novel System for Spinal Muscular Atrophy Screening in Newborns: Japanese Pilot Study.

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a neuromuscular disorder caused by gene deletion/mutation. The drug nusinersen modifies mRNA splicing, increasing the production of the full-length SMN protein. Recent studies have demonstrated the beneficial effects of nusinersen in patients with SMA, particularly when treated in early infancy.

Serum unbound bilirubin as a predictor for clinical kernicterus in extremely low birth weight infants at a late age in the neonatal intensive care unit.

Background: This study aimed to evaluate peak serum total bilirubin (TB) and unbound bilirubin (UB) levels in preterm infants with clinical kernicterus (KI) who were diagnosed by clinical findings during infancy.

Design/subjects: For this multicenter retrospective study, 18 Japanese extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infants with clinical KI were included. Clinical KI was diagnosed based on the presence of motor developmental impairment with/without athetosis, and abnormal magnetic resonance imaging or brainstem auditory evoked potential findings during infancy.

Blood lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) levels and characteristic molecular species in neonates: prolonged low blood LPC levels in very low birth weight infants.

Lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) has various stimulatory effects on many types of immune cells. The purpose of our study was to characterize blood LPC levels and to determine the composition of LPC molecular species (LPCs) in the neonatal period. Thirty-six neonates were enrolled in this study and then grouped according to birth-weight as follows: non-very low birth weight (NVLBW); >or=1,500 g (n=17), and very low birth weight (VLBW); <1,500 g (n=19).

Quantification of lysophosphatidylcholines and phosphatidylcholines using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry in neonatal serum.

We established an improved method for quantification of phosphatidylcholine (PC) and lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) molecular species in neonatal serum using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). A multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode of positive ionization for MS/MS was used. The method involved purification of phospholipids by solid phase extraction (SPE) from a 20-microl minimum specimen of serum.