Hydronephrosis-Induced Polycythemia with Low Erythropoietin Level: A Case Report and Literature Review.

Introduction: Polycythemia is a rare condition that can be either primary or secondary. We report a case of an adolescent with progressive hydronephrosis-induced polycythemia and low erythropoietin levels, along with a thorough literature review.

Report Of A Case: A 17-year-old girl with epilepsy had progressively elevated hemoglobin levels and low erythropoietin levels.

The developmental phenotype of motor delay in extremely preterm infants following early-life respiratory adversity is influenced by brain dysmaturation in the parietal lobe.

Background: Research indicates that preterm infants requiring prolonged mechanical ventilation often exhibit suboptimal neurodevelopment at follow-up, coupled with altered brain development as detected by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at term-equivalent age (TEA). However, specific regions of brain dysmaturation and the subsequent neurodevelopmental phenotype following early-life adverse respiratory exposures remain unclear. Additionally, it is uncertain whether brain dysmaturation mediates neurodevelopmental outcomes after respiratory adversity.

Severe brain injury and trends of gestational-age-related neurodevelopmental outcomes in infants born very preterm: A population cohort study.

Aim: To investigate the impact of severe neonatal brain injury (SNBI) on gestational age-related trends in neurodevelopmental impairment (NDI) outcome in infants born very preterm.

Method: A population-based cohort study recruited 1091 infants born at a gestational age of less than 31 weeks between 2011 and 2020. The trends in neonatal morbidities, mortality, and 24-month NDI severity (no/mild, moderate, severe) by epoch (2011-2015, 2016-2020) and gestational age (22-25 weeks, 26-28 weeks, 29-30 weeks) were determined in infants with and without SNBI inclusion.

Association of Neonatal Antibiotic Exposure with Long-Term Growth Trajectory Faltering in Preterm-Birth Children.

Introduction: Preterm neonates often receive a variety of duration of antibiotic exposure during admission. The aim of the study was to evaluate whether neonatal antibiotic exposure is relevant with longitudinal growth problems in preterm-birth children.

Methods: This prospective study enrolled 481 infants who were born <32 weeks of gestation, discharged, and longitudinally followed from corrected age (CA) 6-60 months.

The Quartile Levels of Thyroid-stimulating Hormone at Newborn Screening Stratified Risks of Neurodevelopmental Impairment in Extremely Preterm Infants: A Population Cohort Study.

Background: To evaluate whether thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) measured during newborn screening (NBS) at birth and at discharge can be surrogate markers for neurodevelopmental impairment (NDI) in extremely preterm infants.

Methods: The population cohort enrolled infants born <29 weeks' gestation in 2008-2020 in southern Taiwan. Infants with a maternal history of thyroid disorders and infants who required thyroxine supplementation during hospitalization were excluded.

Neurodevelopment After Neonatal Acute Kidney Injury in Very Preterm-Birth Children.

Introduction: This study aimed to assess head circumference (HC) growth and neurodevelopmental outcomes in very preterm-birth children after neonatal acute kidney injury (AKI).

Methods: This longitudinal follow-up cohort included 732 very preterm neonates of gestational age <31 weeks admitted to a tertiary center between 2008 and 2020. AKI was categorized as nonoliguric and oliguric AKI based on the urine output criteria during admission.

Trends in Gestational Age-Related Intelligence Outcomes of School-Age Children Born Very Preterm from 2001 to 2015 in Taiwan.

Objective: To investigate whether gestational age (GA)-related intelligence outcomes of children born very preterm improved over time.

Study Design: A multicenter cohort study recruited 4717 infants born at GA <31 weeks and admitted to neonatal intensive care units between 2001 and 2015 in Taiwan. Intelligence outcomes at age 5.

Preceding risks and mortality outcomes of different neonatal acute kidney injury in preterm infants.

Background: The aim of the study was to examine preceding risks and mortality outcomes of oliguric and non-oliguric acute kidney injury (AKI) in very preterm infants.

Methods: Infants born ≤30 weeks' gestation were included. AKI was diagnosed based on neonatal Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes criteria and was classified as oliguric and non-oliguric according to the urine-output criteria.

Association of Cystic Periventricular Leukomalacia and Postnatal Epilepsy in Very Preterm Infants.

Introduction: Cystic periventricular leukomalacia (PVL) is the most common white matter injury and a common cause of cerebral palsy in preterm infants. Postnatal epilepsy may occur after cystic PVL, but their causal relationship remains uncertain. Our aim was to validate the contribution of cystic PVL to postnatal epilepsy in very preterm infants and demonstrate their seizure characteristics.

The effect of age at onset of type 1 diabetes mellitus on epilepsy vulnerability.

Aims: To examine whether type 1 diabetes age onset correlates with epilepsy incidence.

Methods: We used type 1 diabetes longitudinal data with onset age ≤ 40 years enrolled in Taiwan National Health Insurance program to examine type 1 diabetes onset age effect on epilepsy occurrence.

Results: In 6,165 type 1 diabetes patients, onset age groups included 3,571 patients (58%) ≤ 18 years (childhood-onset) and 2,594 patients (42%) > 18 years (adulthood-onset).

Early-Life Slow Enteral Feeding Progression Pattern Is Associated with Longitudinal Head-Size Growth Faltering and Neurodevelopmental Impairment Outcomes in Extremely Preterm Infants.

Objective: To determine whether feeding progression patterns in the first eight postnatal weeks, depicted by clustering analysis of daily enteral feeding volume, are associated with longitudinal head-circumference (HC) growth and neurodevelopmental outcomes in extremely preterm (EP) infants.

Methods: 200 infants who were admitted at gestational ages 23-27 weeks between 2011 and 2018; survived to discharge; and underwent longitudinal HC growth measurements at birth, term-equivalent age (TEA), corrected age (CA) 6-month, 12-month, and 24-month; and neurodevelopmental assessment using the Bayley Scales of Infant Development at CA 24 months were included for analysis.

Results: kmlShape analysis identified two distinct enteral feeding progression patterns: fast progression in 131 (66%) infants and slow progression in 69 (34%) infants.

Associations between Early Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone Levels and Morbidities in Extremely Preterm Neonates.

Introduction: High-end cutoffs of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) have been emphasized for hypothyroidism therapy in extremely preterm infants, but the significance of low TSH levels remains unknown. This study hypothesized that the spectrum of TSH levels by newborn screening after birth signifies specific morbidities in extremely preterm neonates.

Methods: The multicenter population cohort analyzed 434 extremely preterm neonates receiving TSH screening at 24-96 h of age in 2008-2019.

Development of cool and hot executive function deficit in children born very low birth weight with normal early development: A longitudinal cohort from aged 6 to 10.

Background: Studies showed preterm children born with very low birth weight (VLBW, <1500 g) are at risk for poorer executive functions (EFs). However, very little research has been reported longitudinally on the development of both cool and hot EFs deficits in preschool to school-age VLBW preterm children with normal early development.

Aims: Present study aimed to investigate the development of cool and hot EFs in VLWB preterm children longitudinally.

Risk patterns associated with transient hearing impairment and permanent hearing loss in infants born very preterm: A retrospective study.

Aim: To determine the risk patterns associated with transient hearing impairment (THI) and permanent hearing loss (PHL) of infants born very preterm who failed hearing screenings.

Method: We enrolled 646 infants (347 males, 299 females) born at no more than 30 weeks' gestation between 2006 and 2020 who received auditory brainstem response screening at term-equivalent age. Audiological examinations of infants who failed the screening revealed THI, when hearing normalized, or PHL, defined as a persistent unilateral or bilateral hearing threshold above 20 dB.

Retinopathy of Prematurity Is a Biomarker for Pathological Processes in the Immature Brain.

Introduction: Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is considered a neurovascular disease. We investigated whether ROP, mild or severe, is associated with neurodevelopmental impairment (NDI) in extremely preterm children.

Methods: We conducted a multicenter retrospective cohort study in southern Taiwan.

Prognostic factors for functional recovery in children with moderate to severe acute disseminated encephalomyelitis.

Background: Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM) is an immune-mediated encephalopathy with heterogeneous disease courses. However, clinical characteristics for a prognostication of functional recovery from acute episodes of ADEM remain limited. The study aims to characterize the clinical presentations and neuroimaging findings of children with poor functional recoveries from acute episodes of moderate to severe ADEM.

Early-life respiratory trajectories and neurodevelopmental outcomes in infants born very and extremely preterm: A retrospective study.

Aim: To determine whether early-life respiratory trajectories are associated with neurodevelopmental impairment (NDI) in infants born very and extremely preterm.

Method: The daily type of respiratory supports in the first 8 weeks after birth were analysed in 546 infants (285 males, 261 females; median gestational age = 28.0 weeks, interquartile range = 3 weeks), comprising 301 infants born very preterm (gestation = 28-30 weeks) and 245 infants born extremely preterm (gestation <28 weeks), who survived to discharge from 2004 to 2018 and received follow-up assessment by Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development at a corrected age of 24 months.

Gestational Age-Related Associations between Early-Life Feeding Trajectories and Growth Outcomes at Term Equivalent Age in Very Preterm Infants.

Establishing the different feeding trajectories based on daily enteral feeding data in preterm infants at different gestational ages (GAs), may help to identify the risks and extrauterine growth restriction (EUGR) outcomes associated with the adverse feeding pattern. In a single center, we retrospectively included 625 infants born at 23-30 weeks of gestation who survived to term-equivalent age (TEA) from 2009 to 2020. The infants were designated into three GA groups: 23-26, 27-28, and 29-30 weeks.

Early Mental Trajectories Predict Different Cognitive Levels at School Age in Very Preterm Children.

Introduction: Early identification of preterm children at high risk of intellectual disability (intelligence quotient [IQ] <70) or borderline intelligence (IQ = 70-84) is critical for different early intervention. We investigated whether early-life mental trajectories predict intellectual disability and borderline intelligence, respectively, among school-age preterm children.

Methods: A multicenter study recruited preterm infants born at <32 weeks' gestation between 2001 and 2014 in Taiwan who underwent mental assessments (Bayley Scales of Infant Development) at corrected ages 6, 12, and 24 months and IQs at age 5.

Lactate Predicts Neurological Outcomes after Perinatal Asphyxia in Post-Hypothermia Era: A Prospective Cohort Study.

Background: Neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) is the most common cause of mortality and neurological disability in infancy after perinatal asphyxia. Reliable biomarkers to predict neurological outcomes of neonates after perinatal asphyxia are still not accessible in clinical practice.

Methods: A prospective cohort study enrolled neonates with perinatal asphyxia.

Temporal Trends of Acute Kidney Injury and Associated Risk Exposures in Extremely Preterm Infants.

Background And Objectives: Neonatal AKI in the preterm population is an under-recognized morbidity. Detecting AKI in preterm infants is important for their long-term kidney health. We aimed to examine the yearly trends of incidence and the related morbidities and care practices affecting the occurrence of neonatal AKI in extremely preterm (gestational age <29 weeks) and very preterm (gestational age 29-32 weeks) infants.

Endothelial-specific insulin receptor substrate-1 overexpression worsens neonatal hypoxic-ischemic brain injury via mTOR-mediated tight junction disassembly.

Hypoxic-ischemic (HI) encephalopathy is the major cause of mortality and disability in newborns. The neurovascular unit is a major target of acute and chronic brain injury, and therapies that protect simultaneously both neurons and vascular endothelial cells from neonatal HI injury are in demand. Insulin receptors and its key downstream molecule-insulin receptor substrate -1 (IRS-1) are potential neuroprotective targets and expressed both in neuron and endothelial cells.

Effect of first-month head-size growth trajectory on cognitive outcomes in preterm infants.

Background: To examine whether the patterns of head-size growth trajectory in the first month after birth are associated with different susceptibility to cognitive impairment outcomes at age 24 months.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study included 590 infants of very-preterm survivors born between 2001 and 2016 receiving neurodevelopmental assessment at age 24 months. 403 children were enrolled for analysis after excluding infants with small-for-gestational age and severe brain injury.

Early neuroimaging and ultrastructural correlates of injury outcome after neonatal hypoxic-ischaemia.

Hypoxic ischaemia encephalopathy is the major cause of brain injury in new-borns. However, to date, useful biomarkers which may be used to early predict neurodevelopmental impairment for proper commencement of hypothermia therapy is still lacking. This study aimed to determine whether the early neuroimaging characteristics and ultrastructural correlates were associated with different injury progressions and brain damage severity outcomes after neonatal hypoxic ischaemia.

Artemin Is Upregulated by TrkB Agonist and Protects the Immature Retina Against Hypoxic-Ischemic Injury by Suppressing Neuroinflammation and Astrogliosis.

Hypoxic-ischemia (HI) is a major cause of acquired visual impairment in children from developed countries. Previous studies have shown that systemic administration of 7,8-dihydroxyavone (DHF), a selective tropomyosin receptor kinase B (TrkB) agonist, provides long-term neuroprotection against HI injury in an immature retina. However, the target genes and the mechanisms of the neuroprotective effects of TrkB signaling are not known.