Neurodevelopmental outcome of Italian preterm ELBW infants: an eleven years single center cohort.

Background: Preterm extremely low birth weight infants (ELBWi) are known to be at greater risk of developing neuropsychiatric diseases. Identifying early predictors of outcome is essential to refer patients for early intervention. Few studies have investigated neurodevelopmental outcomes in Italian ELBWi.

Neurodevelopmental outcome of preterm very low birth weight infants admitted to an Italian tertiary center over an 11-year period.

Preterm very low birth weight infants (VLBWi) are known to be at greater risk of adverse neurodevelopmental outcome. Identifying early factors associated with outcome is essential in order to refer patients for early intervention. Few studies have investigated neurodevelopmental outcome in Italian VLBWi.

Placental Histological Features and Neurodevelopmental Outcomes at Two Years in Very-Low-Birth-Weight Infants.

Background: We evaluated the rates of placental pathologic lesions and their relationship with two-year neurodevelopmental outcomes in very-low-birth-weight (VLBW) infants.

Methods: This is a cohort observational study comprising 595 VLBW infants during 2007 to 2015. Neurodevelopmental assessment was carried out at 24 months corrected age.

Placental features of fetal vascular malperfusion and infant neurodevelopmental outcomes at 2 years of age in severe fetal growth restriction.

Background: Placental pathologic lesions suggesting maternal or fetal vascular malperfusion are common among pregnancies complicated by intrauterine growth restriction. Data on the relationship between pathologic placental lesions and subsequent infant neurodevelopmental outcomes are limited.

Objective: This study aimed to assess the relationship between placental pathologic lesions and infant neurodevelopmental outcomes at 2 years of age in a cohort of pregnancies complicated by intrauterine growth restriction.

Oral melatonin as a new tool for neuroprotection in preterm newborns: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Prevention of neurodevelopmental impairment due to preterm birth is a major health challenge. Despite advanced obstetric and neonatal care, to date there are few neuroprotective molecules available. Melatonin has been shown to have anti-oxidant/anti-inflammatory effects and to reduce brain damage, mainly after hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy.

A global perspective on parental stress in the neonatal intensive care unit: a meta-analytic study.

Objectives: The Parental Stressor Scale: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (PSS:NICU) is a well-validated tool to assess different sources of stress in parents during the NICU hospitalization of their infant. The present meta-analytic study assessed the relative impact of different NICU-related sources of parental stress in a pool of studies conducted in a wide set of different countries. Also, differences in stress levels by parent gender and country, as well as the impact of infants' neonatal characteristics and clinical conditions were explored.

Early parenting intervention promotes 24-month psychomotor development in preterm children.

Aim: Although parenting is key to promoting healthy development of at-risk preterm infants, parents have often restricted access to neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). This study aimed to assess the effect of an early parenting intervention on the psychomotor outcome in preterm children at 24 months of corrected age.

Methods: Forty-two preterm children and their parents were consecutively recruited at a level III NICU in Northern Italy and randomly allocated to early intervention (two educational peer-group sessions and four individual infant observation sessions) or care as usual (no educational or infant observation sessions).

New insights into the phenotypic spectrum of 14q22q23 deletions: a case report and literature review.

Background: Mutations occurring in the orthodenticle homeobox 2 gene (OTX2) are responsible for a rare genetic syndrome, characterized mainly by microphthalmia/anophthalmia associated with extra-ocular defects such as brain malformations, pituitary abnormalities, short stature and intellectual disability. To date, the spectrum of radiological features observed in patients with OTX2 mutations has never been summarized.

Case Presentation: In this report, we describe a case of large microdeletion encompassing OTX2 but not BMP4 presenting with a syndromic anophthalmia with corpus callosum hypoplasia, pituitary gland hypoplasia and vermian hypoplasia.

Early-onset movement disorder as diagnostic marker in genetic syndromes: Three cases of FOXG1-related syndrome.

FOXG1-related syndrome is a developmental encephalopathy with a high phenotypic variability. A movement disorder presenting at onset is one of the main features, along with microcephaly and severe psychomotor delay without regression. Specific brain MRI findings facilitate the diagnosis.