Screening for Delayed Thyroid Stimulation Hormone Rise and Atypical Congenital Hypothyroidism in Infants Born Very Preterm and Infants with Very Low Birth Weight.

Objective: To determine among infants born very preterm (VPT) or with very low birth weight (VLBW) the incidence of alterations in thyroid function and associated comorbidities; the incidence of atypical congenital hypothyroidism (CH) requiring thyroxine therapy; and reference ranges for rescreening at 1 month of age.

Study Design: A retrospective review of infants born VPT or with VLBW and admitted to UC Irvine Medical Center between January 1, 2012, and December 31, 2020. Repeat thyroid screening was obtained at 1 month of life (+10 days).

Umbilical Cord Milking Versus Delayed Cord Clamping in Infants 28 to 32 Weeks: A Randomized Trial.

Objectives: To determine whether rate of severe intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) or death among preterm infants receiving placental transfusion with UCM is noninferior to delayed cord clamping (DCC).

Methods: Noninferiority randomized controlled trial comparing UCM versus DCC in preterm infants born 28 to 32 weeks recruited between June 2017 through September 2022 from 19 university and private medical centers in 4 countries. The primary outcome was Grade III/IV IVH or death evaluated at a 1% noninferiority margin.

Intergenerational Influence of Antenatal Betamethasone on Growth, Growth Factors, and Neurological Outcomes in Rats.

Antenatal steroids suppress growth in the fetus and newborn. Although weight deficits are regained by weaning, studies show that intrauterine growth restriction with postnatal "catch-up" growth is a risk factor for hypertension, insulin resistance, and ischemic heart disease in adult life, with multigenerational consequences. We tested the hypothesis that fetal exposure to betamethasone suppresses fetal growth in the F1 pups and their untreated F2 offspring.

Combined antenatal and postnatal steroid effects on fetal and postnatal growth, and neurological outcomes in neonatal rats.

Preterm infants are often exposed to both antenatal and postnatal glucocorticoids (GCs). We tested the hypothesis that combined antenatal and postnatal GCs have long-lasting adverse effects on fetal and neonatal growth, growth factors, and neurological outcomes. Pregnant rats were administered a single IM dose of betamethasone (0.

Can Fetal Umbilical Venous Blood Be a Reliable Source for Admission Complete Blood Count and Culture in NICU Patients?

Background: Minimizing initial neonatal blood draws and their associated pain is important. The placenta has ample fetal blood that is otherwise discarded; obtaining admission laboratory evaluations from fetal umbilical venous blood (FUVB) may provide a suitable alternative.

Objective: We hypothesized that obtaining an aerobic bacterial blood culture (BCX) and a complete blood count with manual differential (CBC/diff) from FUVB is feasible and yields results comparable to those obtained directly from the neonate.