Publications by authors named "Emily Tam"
Precis: In this prospective multicenter study, eyes with primary congenital glaucoma exhibited lower retinal vascular parameters compared to healthy controls, as assessed by optical coherence tomography angiography fractal dimension analysis.
Purpose: To study the retino-choroidal peripapillary microvascular pattern in primary congenital glaucoma (PCG) using fractal dimension (FD) analysis and compare it to healthy controls.
Methods: This was a prospective multicenter comparative study.
Objective: To examine among infants born very preterm the role of hemodynamic disturbances in the occurrence of cerebellar hemorrhage (CbH) and whether cardiovascular instability is associated with larger CbH volume.
Study Design: Prospective, longitudinal, multisite cohort study. Early-life and/or term-equivalent age brain magnetic resonance imaging were performed in 309 very preterm infants admitted to 3 tertiary-level neonatal intensive care units.
Background: The objective of this study was to examine the association between early brain MRI T2 hyperintensity and neurodevelopmental outcomes in term infants with neonatal encephalopathy.
Methods: A prospective cohort of neonates born ≥ 36 weeks postmenstrual age with neonatal encephalopathy underwent brain MRI in the early postnatal period. Scans were graded for T2 hyperintensity using Kidokoro scoring, and diffusion restriction using Barkovich scoring.
The genus comprises fungal species closely related to , with and being medically important. These species can cause infections in both immunocompetent and immunocompromised individuals. The current detection methods are limited, prompting the need for rapid and specific diagnostic tools.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground/aims: Handheld swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT) was previously used to measure foveal maturity through semiautomated methods in awake premature infants. This study assesses the relationship between foveal maturity and retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) severity.
Methods: This is a prospective, observational study using handheld SS-OCT imaging of premature infants undergoing ROP screening.
Objective: Assess the capacity of brain state of the newborn (BSN) to predict neurodevelopment outcomes in neonatal encephalopathy.
Methods: Trends of BSN, a deep learning-based measure translating EEG background to a continuous trend, were studied from a three-channel montage long-term EEG monitoring from a prospective cohort of 92 infants with neonatal encephalopathy and neurodevelopmental outcomes assessed by Bayley Scales of Infant Development, 3rd edition (Bayley-III) at 18 months. Outcome prediction used categories "Severe impairment" (Bayley-III composite score ≤70 or death) or "Any impairment" (score ≤85 or death).
Article Synopsis
- Mangrove ecosystems are facing threats from climate change and urban pollution, leading to the emergence of potentially harmful yeasts, as studied in Hong Kong's mangroves.
- The researchers collected water and sediment samples, identifying 45 yeast isolates from 18 species, with a significant presence of pathogenic yeasts known for drug resistance.
- The study highlights the urgent need for surveillance and collaboration among various disciplines to manage the risks posed by these pathogens, emphasizing the broader public health implications of unchecked urban development in coastal areas.
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates dome-shaped macula (DSM) in preterm and full-term infants using advanced optical imaging technology, highlighting increased occurrence in preterm infants.
- Out of 217 imaging sessions, DSM was found in 40% of preterm infants compared to 14% of full-term infants, showing a significant difference in diagnosis timing and dome characteristics.
- The results suggest that while DSM is common in infants and typically round in shape, it isn't linked to macular fluid presence, indicating unique differences from DSM in older children and adults.
Article Synopsis
- The study focused on neonates with perinatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, comparing two groups: one receiving reoriented care and another with standard care.
- Results showed that infants in the reoriented care group had worse clinical outcomes and electrographic findings, with higher injury scores on cranial ultrasounds and MRI.
- Overall, the findings suggest that reorientation of care may lead to more severe brain injury and clinical challenges in these infants.
Neonatal dysglycemia has been a longstanding interest of research in neonatology. Adverse outcomes from hypoglycemia were recognized early but are still being characterized. Premature infants additionally introduced and led the reflection on the importance of neonatal hyperglycemia.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- This text is a correction for a previously published article with the DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2021.675154.
- It addresses errors or inaccuracies found in the original publication.
- The correction aims to clarify or update information that may affect the conclusions drawn in the study.
Article Synopsis
- This study aimed to compare early cranial ultrasounds (cUS) and brain MRIs after rewarming in newborns diagnosed with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) and their relation to neurodevelopmental outcomes at 18 months.
- A total of 149 infants were evaluated, showing that severe HIE correlated with more significant abnormalities on cUS and MRI, with severe cUS abnormalities strongly predicting adverse developmental outcomes.
- The findings suggest that early cUS can effectively predict brain injury severity on MRI, highlighting its potential as a valuable diagnostic tool in the first 48 hours after birth.
Background: Evidence is needed to inform thresholds for glycemic management in neonatal encephalopathy (NE). We investigated how severity and duration of dysglycemia relate to brain injury after NE.
Methods: A prospective cohort of 108 neonates ≥36 weeks gestational age with NE were enrolled between August 2014 and November 2019 at the Hospital for Sick Children, in Toronto, Canada.
White matter (WM) injury is the most common type of brain injury in preterm infants and is associated with impaired neurodevelopmental outcome (NDO). Currently, there are no treatments for WM injury, but optimal nutrition during early preterm life may support WM development. The main aim of this scoping review was to assess the influence of early postnatal nutrition on WM development in preterm infants.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- * The effectiveness of the removal procedure depends on the type of eye structure affected and the specific attributes of the hook.
- * A new surgical technique called the clamp and retract technique was successfully used for the first time to remove a fishhook from the eyelid of an eight-year-old boy, due to challenges faced with traditional methods.
Background And Objectives: Seizures are common during neonatal encephalopathy (NE), but the contribution of seizure burden (SB) to outcomes remains controversial. This study aims to examine the relationship between electrographic SB and neurologic outcomes after NE.
Methods: This prospective cohort study recruited newborns ≥36 weeks postmenstrual age around 6 hours of life between August 2014 and November 2019 from a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
Purpose: To develop a semi-automated method of measuring foveal maturity using investigational handheld swept source-optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT).
Methods: In this prospective, observational study, full-term newborns and preterm infants undergoing routine retinopathy of prematurity screening were imaged. Semi-automated analysis measured foveal angle and chorioretinal thicknesses at the central fovea and average two-sided parafovea by three-grader consensus, correlating with OCT features and demographics.
Article Synopsis
- Infantile epileptic spasm syndrome (IESS) is a serious condition in infants linked to developmental regression, and this study explores how heart rate variability (HRV) could indicate the onset of IESS.
- Sixty infants at risk for IESS were monitored over the first year, with their heart rate data measured during sleep to identify patterns that might predict the condition's development.
- The findings suggest that higher sympathetic activity (measured by cardiac sympathetic index) and specific heart rate metrics at 2 months are associated with a higher likelihood of developing IESS, indicating that early HRV assessments could be useful for prognosis.
Genetic epilepsies, such as gene variants, although uncommon, are potential causes of neonatal seizures in infants with complex congenital heart disease (CHD). -related seizures commonly present as tonic posturing with autonomic changes and a distinctive amplitude-integrated EEG (aEEG) pattern with increase in amplitude, immediately followed by background suppression. Seizures are typically refractory to commonly used antiepileptics in this age group and respond best to sodium channel blockers such as carbamazepine and fosphenytoin.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAim: To evaluate the clinical characteristics, demographics, and visual outcomes of patients with ocular syphilis at an urban hospital to increase awareness and assist in earlier diagnosis and treatment of the resurgent disease.
Methods: A retrospective chart review was performed on patients with ICD-9 and ICD-10 diagnosis codes correlating with syphilis or syphilis-related ocular diseases between 2010 and 2019. Variables evaluated included age, gender, race, vision, ocular findings, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) status and men who have sex with men status, recreational drug and alcohol use.
Article Synopsis
- A 75-year-old man experienced worsening left eye pain, swelling, and difficulty moving his eye, with a medical history of diabetes and chronic lymphocytic leukemia.
- Imaging showed significant swelling and changes around his optic nerve, leading to a diagnosis of orbital cellulitis initially.
- Further tests revealed he had cryptococcal meningitis causing optic nerve inflammation, but after a month of antifungal treatment, his symptoms improved despite challenges from immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome.
Purpose: To describe the etiology, clinical features, and outcomes for a large contemporary cohort of children presenting with glaucoma at a tertiary referral center.
Methods: The medical records of patients presenting to Boston Children's Hospital from January 2014 to July 2019 with a diagnosis of childhood glaucoma were retrospectively reviewed. Data regarding etiology, treatment, and visual and anatomic outcomes were collected; visual acuity outcomes were analyzed by laterality and diagnosis categories, using the Childhood Glaucoma Research Network (CGRN) classifications.
Background: Evaluation of structural lung abnormalities with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has previously been shown to be predictive of clinical neonatal outcomes in preterm birth. MRI during free-breathing with phase-resolved functional lung (PREFUL) may allow for complimentary functional information without exogenous contrast.
Purpose: To investigate the feasibility of structural and functional pulmonary MRI in a cohort of neonates and infants with no cardiorespiratory disease.