Family Nurture Intervention and mother-preterm infant autonomic emotional connection in the neonatal intensive care unit: A review.

Aim: We review methods and outcomes of a novel parenting intervention, Family Nurture Intervention (FNI), that promotes early mother-infant autonomic co-regulation and emotional connection in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

Methods: FNI involves individualised mother-infant calming sessions combined with maternal emotional expression. Two parallel group randomised controlled trials have evaluated FNI.

Family nurture intervention increases term age forebrain EEG activity: A multicenter replication trial.

Objective: This trial (RCT-2) sought to replicate the EEG findings of a randomized controlled trial of Family Nurture Intervention in the NICU (FNI-NICU) (RCT-1) comparing infants receiving standard care (SC) with infants receiving SC plus FNI .

Methods: RCT-2 (NCT02710474) was conducted at two NICUs. Subjects were randomly assigned to receive SC or FNI during their NICU stay.

Factors in Premature Infants Associated With Low Risk of Developing Retinopathy of Prematurity.

Importance: Most premature infants will not develop retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) of clinical relevance, yet screening evaluations often continue beyond hospital discharge, even for those infants without ROP.

Objectives: To identify the characteristics of infants at low risk for ROP, for whom further postdischarge screening may be of limited value.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This study took place in North American neonatal intensive care units where clinicians had expertise in ROP.

Favorable Outcomes of Preterm Infants With Parenteral Nutrition-associated Liver Disease Treated With Intravenous Fish Oil-based Lipid Emulsion.

Objectives: The aim of the study was to determine the acute and long-term outcomes of preterm infants treated with an intravenous fish oil-based lipid emulsion (FishLE) for parenteral nutrition-associated liver disease (PNALD).

Methods: Preterm infants 14 days to 24 months of age with anatomic short gut or severe intestinal dysmotility, serum direct bilirubin ≥4 mg/dL, and requiring >60% calories from parenteral nutrition were eligible. Enrolled infants received 1 g · kg · day of FishLE until resolution of direct hyperbilirubinemia or return of enteral nutrition.

Texas Pulse Oximetry Project: A Multicenter Educational and Quality Improvement Project for Implementation of Critical Congenital Heart Disease Screening Using Pulse Oximetry.

 Critical congenital heart disease (CCHD) is a leading cause of death in infants. Newborn screening (NBS) by pulse oximetry allows early identification of CCHD in asymptomatic newborns. To improve readiness of hospital neonatal birthing facilities for mandatory screening in Texas, an educational and quality improvement (QI) project was piloted to identify an implementation strategy for CCHD NBS in a range of birthing hospitals.

A Multicenter Initiative for Critical Congenital Heart Disease Newborn Screening in Texas Neonatal Intensive Care Units.

 The objective of this study was to implement a strategy for critical congenital heart disease (CCHD) newborn screening in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).  A NICU-specific curriculum, screening algorithm, slide presentations, and templates of orders, policies, and procedures were developed into a toolkit for training NICU personnel. Screening was conducted on first and second screen pre- and postductal oxygen saturations (SpO) on newborns admitted or transferred to the NICU.

Changes in Course of Retinopathy of Prematurity from 1986 to 2013: Comparison of Three Studies in the United States.

Purpose: To compare infant and retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) characteristics from 3 clinical studies conducted over a 27-year period in the United States.

Design: Secondary analysis of results of 3 clinical studies.

Participants: Infants with birth weight (BW) <1251 g.

Safety of Retinopathy of Prematurity Examination and Imaging in Premature Infants.

Objectives: To describe adverse events (AEs) and noteworthy clinical or ocular findings associated with retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) evaluation procedures.

Study Design: Descriptive analysis of predefined AEs and noteworthy findings reported in a prospective observational cohort study of infants <1251 g birth weight who had ROP study visits consisting of both binocular indirect ophthalmoscopy (BIO) and digital retinal imaging. We compared infant characteristics during ROP visits with and without AEs.

Newborn intensive care survivors: a review and a plan for collaboration in Texas.

Background: Neonatal intensive care is a remarkable success story with dramatic improvements in survival rates for preterm newborns. Significant efforts and resources are invested to improve mortality and morbidity but much remains to be learned about the short and long-term effects of neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) interventions. Published guidelines recommend that infants discharged from the NICU be in an organized follow-up program that tracks medical and neurodevelopmental outcomes.

The nurse champion model for advancing newborn screening of critical congenital heart disease.

Critical congenital heart disease (CCHD) is the leading cause of death in infants younger than age one year in the United States. Early detection and timely intervention can significantly reduce newborn morbidity and mortality. In Texas, nurse champions provided leadership to develop an educational program to screen newborns for CCHD using pulse oximetry.

A transition strategy for becoming a baby-friendly hospital: exploring the costs, benefits, and challenges.

The objectives of this study were to provide an economic assessment as well as a calculated projection of the costs that typical U.S. tertiary-care hospitals would incur through policy reconfiguration and implementation to achieve the UNICEF/World Health Organization Baby-Friendly® Hospital designation and to examine the associated challenges and benefits of becoming a Baby-Friendly Hospital.

Impact of early and high amino acid supplementation on ELBW infants at 2 years.

Objective: The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of early and high intravenous (IV) amino acid (AA) supplementation on growth, health, and neurodevelopment of extremely-low-birth-weight (ELBW) infants throughout their first 2 years of life.

Methods: Infants were prospectively randomized in a double-masked fashion and treated for 7 days with either IV AA starting at 0.5 g · kg (-1) · day(-1) and increased by 0.

Cost comparison of baby friendly and non-baby friendly hospitals in the United States.

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to provide an economic assessment of the incremental costs associated with obtaining the World Health Organization and United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund designation as a Infant-Friendly hospital. We hypothesized that baby-friendly hospitals will have higher costs than similar non-baby-friendly hospitals.

Methods: Data from the 2007 American Hospital Association and the 2007 Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Cost Reports were used to compare labor and delivery costs in baby-friendly and non-baby-friendly hospitals.

Early changes in plasma amino acid concentrations during aggressive nutritional therapy in extremely low birth weight infants.

Objective: To examine the changes in plasma amino acid (AA) concentrations over time when extremely low birth weight infants are provided either a standard intravenous AA supplementation (standard AA) or an early and high supplementation regimen (early and high AA).

Study Design: Sixty-two infants were enrolled at birth in a randomized, double-masked, prospective fashion and treated for 7 days. The infants with standard AA concentrations received intravenous AA starting at 0.

Metabolic responses to early and high protein supplementation in a randomized trial evaluating the prevention of hyperkalemia in extremely low birth weight infants.

Objective: To determine whether early and higher intravenous amino acid (EHAA) supplementation decreases hyperkalemia in extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infants (<1000 g).

Study Design: Infants were enrolled at birth in a randomized, double-masked, prospective fashion and treated for 7 days. The standard group (SAA) infants received intravenous amino acid (AA) starting at 0.