Multi-modal analysis of infant cry types characterization: Acoustics, body language and brain signals.

Background: Infant crying is the first attempt babies use to communicate during their initial months of life. A misunderstanding of the cry message can compromise infant care and future neurodevelopmental process.

Methods: An exploratory study collecting multimodal data (i.

How can cry acoustics associate newborns' distress levels with neurophysiological and behavioral signals?

Introduction: Even though infant crying is a common phenomenon in humans' early life, it is still a challenge for researchers to properly understand it as a reflection of complex neurophysiological functions. Our study aims to determine the association between neonatal cry acoustics with neurophysiological signals and behavioral features according to different cry distress levels of newborns.

Methods: Multimodal data from 25 healthy term newborns were collected simultaneously recording infant cry vocalizations, electroencephalography (EEG), near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) and videos of facial expressions and body movements.

Staying alert with polyhydramnios; an Ondine syndrome case.

Objectives: Amniotic fluid is essential for proper fetal development. In the case of severe polyhydramnios associated with low fetal growth, a number of different underlying disorders must be considered. One such condition is congenital central hypoventilation syndrome (CCHS) or Ondine's curse, a rare genetic disease caused by mutation of the PHOX2B gene.

Effects of Antioxidant Intake on Fetal Development and Maternal/Neonatal Health during Pregnancy.

During pregnancy, cycles of hypoxia and oxidative stress play a key role in the proper development of the fetus. Hypoxia during the first weeks is crucial for placental development, while the increase in oxygen due to the influx of maternal blood stimulates endothelial growth and angiogenesis. However, an imbalance in the number of oxidative molecules due to endogenous or exogenous factors can overwhelm defense systems and lead to excessive production of reactive oxygen species (ROS).

A Breast Milk Pump at the Bedside: A Project to Increase Milk Production in Mothers of Very Low Birth Weight Infants.

The amount of milk production in mothers of babies admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is mostly determined by some actions focused on the first hours and days after birth. Working for an improvement in our previous results in terms of maternal expressed breast milk (MEBM) production, we designed a pilot project and a small observational study. After increasing the number of breast milk pumps to allow full-time availability and implementing educational strategies and updated information for parents, the volume of MEBM production by day 14 after birth was doubled and increased to >500 mL per day.

Massive thymic hemorrhage and hemothorax occurring in utero.

Background: Thymic enlargement is a common and physiological finding in children and neonates' X-rays, but it is usually asymptomatic. Occasionally it can cause respiratory distress. In most cases the aetiology of this expansion remains unclear and it is diagnosed as a thymic hyperplasia.