Differential diagnosis of apneas in preterm infants.

Clinically relevant apneas, which are common in preterm infants, may adversely affect later neuropsychological condition in this group of patients. Pharmacotherapy to stimulate respiratory functions may be unsuccessful. Polygraphic recording may help in the differential diagnosis of these clinically relevant events.

[Psychomotor development of children with signs of intrapartum hypoxia and monitored by intrapartum fetal pulse oxymetry].

Objective: The following questions were investigated: 1) the psychomotor development in newborns with pathological cardiotocographic recording (CTG), having been born spontaneously due to a normal oxygen saturation monitored by intrapartum pulse oxymetry (IFPO)(group I), 2) possible difference in development of children in group I in comparison with those with pathological CTG without IFPO monitoring delivered by cesarean section (group II), 3) possible differences in children in these two groups with signs of intrapartum hypoxia (groups I and II, respectively) from children delivered spontaneously during physiological delivery without signs of hypoxia (group III).

Design: A prospective clinical study

Setting: Institute for the Care of Mother and Child

Methods: There have been 88 children born in the years 2000-2001 from singleton pregnancies in gestational ages > 36 weeks. Three groups of children were established: 1) in the group I (IFPO, n=32) there were children born spontaneously having pathological CTG detected by cardiotocograph HP50A and simultaneously monitored by intrapartum fetal pulse oxymeter NELLCOR Puritan Benett A400 with the NELLCOR FE 14 sensor with normal values of oxygen saturation.

[Effect of early nutrition on growth parameters and psychomotor development of children of very low birth weight].

Objective: The aim of the study was to evaluate influence of early nutrition on growth parameters and psychomotor development of children with very low birth weight (VLBW).

Design: A prospective clinical study.

Setting: Institute for Care of Mother and Child, Prague.

[Further development of neonates with severe pneumopathy].

Objective: To assess the risk and the degree of possible unfavourable development in neonates with bronchopulmonal dysplasia and with congenital diaphragmatic hernia.

Design: Longitudinal monitoring of the mental, motoric and neurological development until the age of 2 years. Comparison of the findings with the result of polygraphic examination carried out at the expected time of birth.

[Psychological condition of children from pregnancies after assisted reproduction in the third year of life].

Objective: To analyse psychological development of children born after assisted reproductive technology.

Design: Psychological analysis of the child's development related to the technology of assisted reproduction, length of pregnancy and multiple birth was performed and compared with the control group.

Setting: Institute for the Care of Mother and Child, Prague.

[Regular respiration during sleep in children in the first months of life].

Regular respiration is an important parameter of quiet sleep in infants. At the earliest age, the periods of regular respiration are shorter as compared with the periods of EEG, EMG and EOG patterns of quiet sleep. The duration of periods with regular respiration significantly increases with age, and their coincidence with other parameters of quiet sleep becomes higher.

Infant feeding behavior: development in patterns and motivation.

Studies of feeding behaviors in human infants not only provide normative data but also allow analyses of the behavioral regulation. Twenty healthy full-term infants were observed by two examiners and were audiovisually and polygraphically recorded under standard conditions at 2, 10, 18, and 26 weeks of age prior to, during, and after breast- or bottle-feeding. The parameters of sucking, breathing and swallowing significantly changed during the first 6 months of age.

[Behavior of neonates with hyperbilirubinemia treated with blue light].

Two groups of fullterm newborns were polygraphically examined. The first group consisted of 10 newborns with hyperbilirubinemia treated by phototherapy, the second group was a control one and consisted also of 10 newborns. The polygrams were made at the age of four days.

[The effect of blue light on the behavior of neonates].

In ten healthy neonates the influence of blue light was analyzed, using polygraphy. In each child the polygrams were assessed under two conditions--without irradiation and without irradiation. The length of the sleep, cycle, the length of quit and paradoxical sleep, the respiration rate during both behavioural states, the frequency of rapid eye movements during paradoxical sleep, the incidence of EEG activity corresponding to age and the EMG activity during both behavioural states did not change significantly under the influence of light.

Feeding behaviour in infants.

20 healthy full-term infants have been studied in their 2nd, 10th, 18th and 26th weeks of life in three standard situations: before feeding, in the course of milk drinking and after feeding. A polygraphic record of sucking, breathing, swallowing, the oculomotor activity, the EEG and vocalization has been taken simultaneously with a video-recording of the infant's behaviour. Physiological patterns and developmental changes of sucking, breathing and swallowing are described.

Screening of perinatal risk factors leading to deviations of physical development and/or mental retardation of the child and their prevention.

We tried to demonstrate some results obtained from the analysis of one selective and one countrywide follow-up study the mode of detection of risk pregnancies and of risk factors that could be the cause of physical and mental congenital defects; the search for optimal form of screening and prevention in these cases; and verification of the effectivity of these measures.

[The development of falling asleep during the first months of life in man (author's transl)].

Ten normal infants were studied at 2, 6, 12 and 20 weeks of age. EEG, respiratory rhythm, eye movements and chin EMG were recorded after the evening meal. Recording was continued during the stages of sleep.