Hypothermic treatment for neonatal asphyxia in low-resource settings using phase-changing material-An easy to use and low-cost method.

Aim: To evaluate whether phase-changing material can be used for therapeutic hypothermia of asphyxiated newborns in low-resource settings.

Methods: Prospective interventional study of asphyxiated term infants fulfilling criteria for hypothermia treatment at Vietnam National Children's Hospital from September 2014 to September 2016. Hypothermia was induced within 6 hours after birth and maintained for 72 hours by a phase-changing material mattress with melting point of 32°C.

Midwives' Perception of Using a Knowledge Base on Fetal Impact of Drugs.

A non-commercial knowledge base providing assessments of fetal risks of medicinal drugs is a useful tool in the everyday work of midwives. The information is freely available on the internet, and according to a questionnaire study, nearly 95% of the midwives are familiar with the database, 30% use the information weekly, and 80% express that it affects their medical decisions. A vast majority of the midwives also state that it is time-saving.

A rapid smartphone-based lactate dehydrogenase test for neonatal diagnostics at the point of care.

There is a growing recognition of the importance of point-of-care tests (POCTs) for detecting critical neonatal illnesses to reduce the mortality rate in newborns, especially in low-income countries, which account for 98 percent of reported neonatal deaths. Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) is a marker of cellular damage as a result of hypoxia-ischemia in affected organs. Here, we describe and test a POC LDH test direct from whole blood to provide early indication of serious illness in the neonate.

Perinatal Outcomes After Treatment With ADHD Medication During Pregnancy.

Objectives: To analyze perinatal outcomes after maternal use of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medication during pregnancy.

Methods: The study included singletons born between 2006 and 2014 in Sweden. Data on prescription drug use, pregnancies, deliveries, and the newborn infants' health were obtained from the Swedish Medical Birth Register, the Prescribed Drug Register, and the Swedish Neonatal Quality Register.

Relationship between various maternal conditions and lactic acid dehydrogenase activity in umbilical cord blood at birth.

Background: Lactic acid dehydrogenase (LDH) is a valuable marker for some of the most important diseases in newborns and the plasma LDH activity in newborns correlates well with conditions such as asphyxia. If LDH should be considered as a useful tool also in obstetric care, key factors associated with maternal health before and during pregnancy which could affect umbilical cord LDH activity need to be known. The aims of this study were to explore relationships between selected maternal conditions and arterial lactic acid dehydrogenase activity (aLDH) in umbilical cord blood at delivery.