Change in body composition of premature infants from parenteral nutrition discontinuation to term equivalent age.

Aim: To compare body composition (BC) of premature infants at parenteral nutrition (PN) suspension and at term equivalent age (TEA).

Methods: Body weight, fat mass (FM), fat free mass (FFM) and FM as % of body weight were measured in infants born at <32 gestational weeks by air-displacement plethysmography at PN suspension and at TEA in a tertiary level hospital. Z-scores were calculated for BC and anthropometric measurements.

Ventilator-associated pneumonia in neonates: the role of point of care lung ultrasound.

No consensus exists regarding the definition of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) in neonates and reliability of chest X-ray (CXR) is low. Lung ultrasound (LU) is a potential alternative diagnostic tool. The aim was to define characteristics of VAP in our patient population and propose a multiparameter score, incorporating LU, for VAP diagnosis.

Phenotypic expression of 19q13.32 microdeletions: Report of a new patient and review of the literature.

The phenotypic manifestations of microdeletions in the 19q13.32 region are still poorly known. In this paper we report a patient who presented with hypotonia, developmental delay, facial dysmorphism, micrognathia, kyphoscoliosis, and buried penis.

Higher growth, fat and fat-free masses correlate with larger cerebellar volumes in preterm infants at term.

Aim: Smaller cerebellar volumes in very low-birthweight (VLBW) infants at term have been related to adverse cognitive outcomes, and this study evaluated whether these volumes were associated with a growth in body composition during hospital stays.

Methods: We prospectively recruited 42 VLBW infants from an Italian neonatal unit between January 2013 and August 2015. Cerebellar volumes and body composition were measured by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and air-displacement plethysmography, respectively, at 40 weeks of gestational age and anthropometric and nutritional data were collected.

Body mass index curves for Italian preterm infants are comparable with American curves for infants born before 34 weeks of gestational age.

Aim: Body mass index (BMI)-for-age curves have been developed in the USA, but not compared with other populations. This study created gender-specific intrauterine BMI-for-age curves for Italian preterm infants and compared them with the USA version.

Methods: Data on 92 262 newborn infants, born at 26-42 weeks of gestational age in the north-eastern Italian region of Friuli Venezia Giulia between 2005 and 2013, were analysed to create gender-specific BMI-for-age curves.

When Feeding Difficulties Are due to Genetics: The Case of Familial Partial 9q Duplication.

Chromosomal abnormalities may cause growth failure before or since birth. 9q duplication is reported as a cause of intrauterine growth restriction, mild dysmporphism, and intellectual disabilities. We report a case of a maternally inherited 9q21.

Advising Mothers on the Use of Medications during Breastfeeding: A Need for a Positive Attitude.

The use of medications by the nursing mother is a common reason for interrupting breastfeeding. Few drugs have been demonstrated to be absolutely contraindicated during breastfeeding. Excessive caution may lead health professionals to unnecessarily advise to interrupt breastfeeding, without assessing the latest evidence or considering the risk-benefit ratio of taking a medication versus terminating breastfeeding.

Impact of Surgery for Neonatal Gastrointestinal Diseases on Weight and Fat Mass.

Objective: To compare growth, fat mass (FM), and fat-free mass in surgical infants vs matched controls at similar postconceptional age (PCA).

Study Design: Anthropometric and body composition measurements by air-displacement plethysmography (PeaPod-Infant Body Composition System; LMI, Concord, California) were performed at the same PCA in 21 infants who received gastrointestinal surgery and in 21 controls matched for gestational age, birth weight, and sex.

Results: Despite similar anthropometry at birth, postsurgical infants were shorter (50.

Making the first days of life safer: preventing sudden unexpected postnatal collapse while promoting breastfeeding.

Early and prolonged skin-to-skin contact (SSC) after birth between a mother and her newborn has been shown to generate beneficial effects on the mother-infant relationship and breastfeeding. Close mother-infant body contact immediately after birth positively enhances exclusive breastfeeding during the hospital stay, with a dose-response relationship. Skin-to-skin contact may ease the infant's transition to extra-uterine life and helps regulate the infant's body temperature and nursing behavior.

From tube to breast: the bridging role of semi-demand breastfeeding.

Determination of the optimal timing of breastfeeding initiation for preterm infants is still a challenge for health professionals. Often unjustified delays and restrictions of breastfeeding occur due to non-evidence-based current opinions about preterm infants' feeding capacity. Semi-demand feeding has been proposed for preterm infants during the transition from scheduled to full demand feeding, to promote the establishment of self-regulated oral feeding.

Longitudinal growth and body composition of twins versus singletons in the first month of life.

Background: Although twin gestation is well recognized to be associated with impaired fetal and postnatal growth, specific data about body composition of twins in the first month of life are scarce.

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the body composition of twins, evaluated with air-displacement plethysmography, to that of singletons of similar gestational age and adequacy of growth, during the first month of life. We tested the hypothesis that the quality of growth would be similar.

Can body mass index accurately predict adiposity in newborns?

Body mass index (BMI) is correlated with body fatness and risk of related diseases in children and adults. Proportionality indexes such as BMI and ponderal index (PI) have been suggested as complementary measures in neonatal growth assessment. Yet, they are still not used in neonates and their correlation with fatness is unknown.

Intermittent kangaroo mother care: a NICU protocol.

The practice of kangaroo mother care (KMC) is steadily increasing in high-tech settings due to its proven benefits for both infants and parents. In spite of that, clear guidelines about how to implement this method of care are lacking, and as a consequence, some restrictions are applied in many neonatal intensive care units (NICUs), preventing its practice. Based on recommendations from the Expert Group of the International Network on Kangaroo Mother Care, we developed a hospital protocol in the neonatal unit of the Institute for Maternal and Child Health in Trieste, Italy, a level 3 unit, aimed to facilitate and promote KMC implementation in high-tech settings.

To feed or not to feed? Case presentation and best practice guidance for human milk feeding and group B streptococcus in developed countries.

Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is the most frequent cause of neonatal invasive disease. Two forms of GBS are recognized: early-onset and late-onset disease. The average incidence of late-onset disease is 0.

Acute and recurrent pancreatitis in children: exploring etiological factors.

Objective: Etiologies of acute pancreatitis (AP) in children are more variable than in adults, including drugs, traumas, infections and multisystem disorders as well as biliary anomalies. While causes of pancreatitis have been extensively analyzed, different series reported different causes. The aims of this study were: 1) to assess the etiological factors of acute and recurrent pancreatitis in a pediatric population from a tertiary care hospital; 2) to assess the usefulness of imaging studies in diagnosing etiologies of pancreatitis.

Under pressure.

Physical urticaria is a rare but challenging subset of chronic urticaria. Wheals of pressure urticaria are typically delayed in appearance. A pressure test can easily be done to confirm the diagnosis.

A case of familial hemiplegic migraine associated with a novel ATP1A2 gene mutation.

Hemiplegic migraine constitutes an unusual form, characterized by periodic attacks of migraine with a motor component (hemiplegia). Familial forms are dominantly inherited, and are attributable to mutations in genes encoding proteins involved in ion transportation, including ATP1A2, which codes for the α-2 isoform of the sodium-potassium adenosine triphosphatase, a P-type cation transport adenosine triphosphatase, and responsible for the so-called familial hemiplegic migraine type 2. We describe a 9-year-old boy affected by familial hemiplegic migraine, with a novel ATP1A2 gene mutation (c.

Safety and efficacy of high-dose acarbose treatment for dumping syndrome.

Dumping syndrome (DS) is a complication of Nissen fundoplication. Dietary strategies can ameliorate symptoms, but this approach is not always foolproof. Limited evidence reports the efficacy of acarbose for children who are unresponsive to feeding manipulations.