Current strategies for treating infants with severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia.

Advances in neonatal intensive care have markedly improved survival rates for infants born at a very early lung development stage (<26 weeks gestation). In these premature infants, even low inspired oxygen concentrations and gentle ventilatory methods may disrupt distal lung growth, a condition described as "new" bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). BPD usually develops into a mild form, with only few infants requiring ventilator support and oxygen supplementation at 36 weeks post-conception.

Mandibular distraction osteogenesis for neonates with Pierre Robin sequence and airway obstruction.

Neonates with Pierre Robin Sequence (PRS) usually present with varying degrees of upper airway obstruction and difficulty feeding. Early treatment is important for such children in order to prevent impaired cognitive development resulting from hypoxemic episodes. Various procedures aimed at widening the pharyngeal space have been proposed, including prone position, tongue-lip adhesion, mandibular traction, non-invasive ventilation and palatal plates.

Gut microbial translocation in critically ill children and effects of supplementation with pre- and pro biotics.

Bacterial translocation as a direct cause of sepsis is an attractive hypothesis that presupposes that in specific situations bacteria cross the intestinal barrier, enter the systemic circulation, and cause a systemic inflammatory response syndrome. Critically ill children are at increased risk for bacterial translocation, particularly in the early postnatal age. Predisposing factors include intestinal obstruction, obstructive jaundice, intra-abdominal hypertension, intestinal ischemia/reperfusion injury and secondary ileus, and immaturity of the intestinal barrier per se.