[Socio-demographic characteristics and vitamin D status in women born before 32 weeks'].

Unlabelled: Deficiency of vitamin D (25-OHD) is a health problem among prematurely born women and their newborns independently of the geographical location of the country.

Objectives: To study serum levels of vitamin D in patients born before 32 weeks and their newborns at birth. To analyse the socio-demographic factors, complications of pregnancy and their relationship with vitamin D status of women.

[Blood transfusions suppress erythropoiesis in anemia of prematurity].

Unlabelled: AIM AND TASKS: The major gene regulating erythropoietin /EPO/ synthesis is hypoxia induced factor/HIF/. Proceeding from the assumption that the transfusions /HT/ remove hypoxia due to anemia and inactivate HIF, the aim of the study was to show the decreased activity of erythropoiesis after HT MATERIALS AND METHODS:

Patients: 40 premature infants <34 g.a.

[Respirtory distress in newborns of mothers with factor V-Leiden thrombophilia].

Aim: The main aim of the trial is to determine the frequency of respiratory distress syndrome / RDS/ and disorders of coagulation in infants of mothers with thrombophilia.

Materials And Methods: In 51 newborns of mothers with thrombophilia were evaluated the presence of respiratory distress and maternal-fetal infection /MFI/. The children were divided in two groups: Group I--16 newborns of mothers with thrombophilia and Group II--15 healthy children.

[Blood lactate measurments as a diagnostic and prognostic tool after birth asphyxia in newborn infants with gestational age > or = 34 gestational weeks].

Unlabelled: Blood lactate at birth as result of activated anaerobic glycolysis is a marker of perinatal asphyxia.

Aim: To evaluate the dynamics of blood lactate, pH and base excess (BE) as a tool for assessing the severity of fetal hypoxia and predicting neonatal outcome.

Methods: 79 neonates (> or = 34 gestational weeks) were included and followed up until discharge: 43 with pathologic fetal hearth rate patterns and/or 1-minute Apgar score < 7 ("asphyxia group"); 36 without obstetric or clinical signs of asphyxia (control group).

[Problems and neonatal outcome of very low birth weight newborn infants after in vitro fertilization].

Unlabelled: The use of assisted reproduction technologies is undoubtedly successful in the treatment of sterility. However it sets up numerous of issues for the obstetricians and neonatologists.

Aims: To evaluate the incidence, the specific problems and the neonatal outcome of newborns with very low birth weight (VLBW) <1500 g born from pregnancies after in vitro fertilization (IVF).

[Frequency, severity and risk factors for bronchopulmonary dysplasia among very low birth weight premature infants admitted in the NICU of the University Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Sofia].

Background: The progress in the perinatology improved the survival rate of the infants with extremely low birth weight and gestational age. Among the most immature of them the frequency of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) remains high..

[Vitamin D levels in maternal--VLBW infants pairs].

Unlabelled: Normal foetal growth depends on sufficient mother's vit D intake. Premature birth interrupts vit D and mineral mother-to-foetus transfer and leads to vit D deficiency and disturbs newborn mineral bone metabolism.

Objectives: To determine vit.

[Osteopenia of prematurity--prophylaxis, diagnostics and treatment].

Unlabelled: Osteopenia of prematurity is a metabolic bone disease of premature infants with birth weight < 1500 g and gestational age < 32 weeks. Sub-optimal bone matrix, poor skeletal support and an increased risk of fractures characterized the disease. Its importance is determined by relatively high frequency--between 30-70% of infants at risk, multifactorial etiology and impact on early and late morbidity of the newborns.

[Guidelines for parenteral nutrition in high risk newborn babies].

High risk newborn babies, admitted and treated at the Intensive care units often have to be started on intravenous nutrition--total or partial. The guidelines which we propose are adapted to the specific needs of the various groups of critically ill newborns--daily intake of liquids and essential nutritional substances according the day of life and the birth weight, as well their variations depending on the clinical condition and the morbidity of the baby.

[Does human recombinant erythropoetin /R-HU-EPO/ treatment for anemia of prematurity have any effect on reducing the number of blood transfusions?].

Objectives: The aim of the study is to establish the influence of r-hu-EPO treatment for anemia of prematurity on changes in blood count values and the number of inevitable blood transfusions in premature infants.

Study Design: The study includes 148 newborn babies--birth weight < or =1400 g, gestational age < or =34 g.w.

[Early parenteral nutrition with very low and extremely low birth weight infants--practical approach].

Unlabelled: Newborn infants with birth weight 1500 g and less (VLBW/ELBW) have higher nutritional needs, but enteral feeding is often insufficient or impossible. Parenteral nutrition (PN) as an important component of intensive care with them minimizes the risk of nutritional deficiency.

Objective: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of early PN administration in VLBW/ELBW infants.

[Early diagnosis of Turner syndrome in a newborn].

The Turner syndrome, karyotype 45,X0 in the classical form, often remains undiagnosed until significant growth retardation is presented and sexual maturation at the puberty fails to occur. The girls are as a rule with normal IQ. We report a case of an infant of a 24 years mother after two spontaneous abortions and one birth of a normal boy.

[Treatment of anaemia of prematurity with SS-R-Hu-erythropoietin and significance of hypoxia-inducible factor].

Unlabelled: The main cause of anaemia of prematurity is low erythropoietin levels. A few years ago hypoxia-inducible factor/HIF/gene transcriptor was established, regulating not only the synthesis of erythropoietin /EPO/, but also other growth factors as well as enzymes of anaerobic glycolysis, activated by hypoxia.

Objectives: The aim of the study is to establish in clinical practice the role of hypoxia, respectively, activated HIF during treatment with erythropoietin by analyzing variations in hematological values; to examine blood lactate levels as an indicator of activated HIF and anaerobic glycolysis with Hb values 110-120 g/l; to analyze the number and impact of red blood cells transfusions on different categories of babies.

[Using the CRIB as an early prognostic index for very low birthweight infants, treated in neonatal intensive care unites].

Unlabelled: The illness severity by admission in NICU reflects the intensity of the therapy, the prognosis for the newborn and the hospital costs. Using the CRIB (Clinical Risk Index for Babies) as an objective and easy method for measuring the illness severity in the first 12 h of life allows assessing the risk of death until discharge.

Aim: To apply the CRIB for assessing the illness severity and to investigate its prognostic value for life and risk of permanent disabilities among very low birthweight (VLBW) and gestational age (VLGA) infants.

[Criteria for diagnosis and therapy of hyporegeneratory anemia in premature newborns below 33 week of gestation and body weight below 1500 grams].

Aim: The aim of the present study is to define criteria for erythropoietin therapy of hyporegeneratory anemia in premature newborns according to hemoglobin (Hb) and hematocrit (Hct) concentration, and reticulocyte count (Ret).

Materials And Methods: The prospective study includes two groups of 20 newborns with anemia of prematurity, body weight at birth below 1500 grams and gestation age below 33 gestation week. The newborns in the first group have been treated with beta-erythropoietin for four weeks--750-1000 E/kg weekly dose, divided q48h.

[Inborn bacterial infections during neonatal period].

Considering the high mortality and serios morbilidy associatent with neonatal infections. A competent diagnostic marker also needs to have reasonably high specificity. Good evidence exists to support the use of CRP measurements in conjunction with other established diagnostic tests (such as a white blood cell (WBC) count with differential and blood culture) to establish or exclude the diagnosis of sepsis in full-term or near-term infants.

[Prevention of brain hemorrhage in infants with low and extremely low birth weight and infants treated with surfactants. Late observation].

Prematurely born infants with intraventricular haemorrhage (IVH) suffer significant morbidity and mortality, particularly those infants with high grade haemorrhage. The more premature infants have a higher incidence, experiencing more severe IVH. The etiology of IVH is clearly multifactorial.

[Use of aminoglycoside antibiotic gentamycin in extremely premature infants--administration schedule and suggested dosage based on pharmacokinetic studies in plasma].

The pharmacokinetics of Gentamycin administered to 22 infants intravenously at currently recommended doses (2-2.5 mg every 24 h for infants less than 7 days of life and 28 g.a.

[Upper extremity gangrene in an infant of a diabetic mother, presenting at birth].

In utero gangrene of an extremity because of an arterial thrombosis is rare. More than 20% of the reported cases concern infants of diabetic mothers (IDM) with poor control of diabetes. Changes in coagulation related to deviation of clotting factors and low plasminogen activity may be the cause.

[Upper extremity gangrene in an infant of a diabetic mother, presenting at birth].

In utero gangrene of an extremity because of an arterial thrombosis is rare. More than 20% of the reported cases concern infants of diabetic mothers (IDM) with poor control of diabetes. Changes in coagulation related to deviation of clotting factors and low plasminogen activity may be the cause.

[The significance of parameters of the acid-base status, blood gas and blood lactate level for the adequate resuscitation and prognosis in newborns with very low birth weight].

Unlabelled: The aim of this prospective study was to optimize the resuscitation guidelines for VLBW and ELBW premature newborns, to improve their life prognosis and to minimize the permanent complications of the perinatal asphyxia.

Results: The newborns were divided in 2 groups: main group--28 ELBW and 55 VLBW infants born from 01.10.

[Problems and outcome in extremely low birth weight newborns, depending on the mode of delivery].

The Aim: Of this study is to determine the impact of the mode of delivery on survival, morbidity and prognosis of ELBW and extremely low gestational age (ELGA) newborns.

Methods: The retrospective review includes ELBW and ELGA infants born at the State maternity hospital "Maichin dom" Sofia from 1997 to 1999. These are 95 newborns divided into two groups: 31 born by Cesarean section (C.

[Administration of exogenous surfactant in premature very low birth weight infants with RDS].

A retrospective study is carried out with the aim of establishing the effect from surfactant therapy on pulmonary function, survival and complication from intensive therapy on VLBWI with RDS. 67 premature infants below 1500 grams are included in the study divided in 3 groups: I gr.--27 babies treated with Corosurf; II gr.

[Retinopathy of prematurity--frequency and risk factors].

Unlabelled: Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a significant problem in very low birth weight (VLBW) newborns, patients of the neonatal intensive care units (NICU). The aim of the present investigation is to report the results of our ROP-screening program: 1. Current frequency of ROP and the need for retinal surgery; 2.

[The duration and extent of intensive therapy for newborns].

The aim of the study is to evaluate the duration, the extent and the complications of the intensive care of neonates, treated in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of DUB "Maĭchin Dom" Sofia. Included retrospectively are all 383 neonates, admitted in the NICU for 1995, classified as mature--131, premature stage I--70, stage II--75, stage III--71 and stage IV--36 babies. The duration of the stay is increasing progressively according their weight: from 4 days for the mature children to 15.