Early Respiratory Physiotherapy versus an Individualized Postural Care Program for Reducing Mechanical Ventilation in Preterm Infants: A Randomised Controlled Trial.

Background: Tactile stimulation manoeuvres stimulate spontaneous breathing in preterm newborns. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of early respiratory physiotherapy on the need for mechanical ventilation during the first week of life in preterm infants with respiratory failure.

Methods: This is a monocentric, randomised controlled trial.

PEP mask therapy for the rehabilitation of a pre-term infant with respiratory distress syndrome: a case report.

Background: Preterm infants can develop many complications related to organs underdevelopment. Respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) is considered the most important cause of morbidity and mortality in these patients. Traditional therapies for severe RDS, such as mechanical ventilation, come with a potential risk for pneumothorax and bronchopulmonary dysplasia while evidence on chest physiotherapy in preterm infants are controversial in terms of feasibility, tolerability and safety.

Effects of early respiratory physiotherapy on spontaneous respiratory activity of preterm infants: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Tactile maneuvers stimulating spontaneous respiratory activity in preterm infants are recommended since birth, but data on how and how often these maneuvers are applied in clinical practice are unknown. In the last years, most preterm newborns with respiratory failure are preferentially managed with non-invasive respiratory support and by stimulating spontaneous respiratory activity from the delivery room and in neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), in order to avoid the risks of intubation and prolonged mechanical ventilation.

Methods: Preterm infants with gestational age < 31 weeks not intubated in the delivery room and requiring non-invasive respiratory support at birth will be eligible for the study.

Zfp57 inactivation illustrates the role of ICR methylation in imprinted gene expression during neural differentiation of mouse ESCs.

ZFP57 is required to maintain the germline-marked differential methylation at imprinting control regions (ICRs) in mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs). Although DNA methylation has a key role in genomic imprinting, several imprinted genes are controlled by different mechanisms, and a comprehensive study of the relationship between DMR methylation and imprinted gene expression is lacking. To address the latter issue, we differentiated wild-type and Zfp57 hybrid mouse ESCs into neural precursor cells (NPCs) and evaluated allelic expression of imprinted genes.

Effects of Lycra suits in children with cerebral palsy.

Lycra garments have recently been used for children with cerebral palsy (CP), with favorable effects on alignment, biomechanics and neuromuscular activity. The aim of the present study is to determine the efficacy of a Lycra suit in improving motor function and static balance in children with CP. Five children with CP wore the Lycra suit for more than 4 h per day for 6 months.