Nipple trauma in infants? Bednar aphthae.

Introduction: Bednar aphthae are infected wounds caused by trauma, localized to the hard palate in infants. They do not require specific treatment because they regress spontaneously in a few days. They often remain undiagnosed; other times, because of the pain they caused, they may worsen the nursing.

Oral feeding competences of healthy preterm infants: a review.

Background. With increasing sophistication and technology, survival rates hugely improved among preterm infants admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit. Nutrition and feeding remain a challenge and preterm infants are at high risk of encountering oral feeding difficulties.

Correlations between welfare initiatives and breastfeeding rates: a 10-year follow-up study.

Aim: To evaluate the prevalence of full breastfeeding during the first 6 months of age and to discover if training programs for health caregivers and welfare initiatives at the community level could improve breastfeeding rates.

Methods: Newborn babies with gestational age > or =36 weeks and birth weight > or =2500 g, discharged from the hospital within the first week of life, without any underlying pathologies, were enrolled in 3-month long sample periods between 1997 and 2006. A questionnaire was distributed to the mothers, to be completed and submitted before hospital discharge.

Chlorhexidine vaginal flushings versus systemic ampicillin in the prevention of vertical transmission of neonatal group B streptococcus, at term.

Objective: To investigate the efficacy of intrapartum vaginal flushings with chlorhexidine compared with ampicillin in preventing group B streptococcus transmission to neonates.

Methods: This was a randomized controlled study, including singleton pregnancies delivering vaginally. Rupture of membranes, when present, must not have occurred more than 6 h previously.

[Neonatal cystic fibrosis: report of 2 cases].

Cystic fibrosis is the most common life-limiting recessive genetic disorder in Caucasian. It is caused by mutations of CFTR gene (cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator); at present over 500 mutations are known. Cystic fibrosis as a cause of respiratory distress in the neonate is quite rare.