Feeding the Larger Low-Birthweight Infant in a Resource-Poor Environment.

The high low birthweight prevalence in resource-poor countries (16.5%) places a burden on overstretched resources. Labor ward must have written guidelines to triage these infants for optimal nutritional support to the special care nursery (SCN; 1,500-1,800 g and <34 weeks) and postnatal ward (PW; >1,800 g and ≥ 34 weeks).

Probiotics Reduce Necrotizing Enterocolitis Severity in HIV-exposed Premature Infants.

Objective: To assess the effect of probiotics on the incidence of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in premature infants born to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive and HIV-negative women.

Patients And Methods: HIV-exposed and HIV-unexposed premature infants were randomized to either the probiotic or the placebo group. The probiotic consisted of 1 × 10(9) colony-forming units, Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG and Bifidobacterium infantis per day.

Human milk oligosaccharides differ between HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected mothers and are related to necrotizing enterocolitis incidence in their preterm very-low-birth-weight infants.

The heavy burden of maternal HIV infection has resulted in a high prevalence of premature birth and associated necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). Human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) were recently associated with HIV infection and transmission through breastfeeding and were also shown to reduce NEC in an animal model, particularly the HMO disialyllacto-N-tetraose (DSLNT). The primary aim of this study was to verify differences in HMO composition between HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected women.

Is continuous positive airway pressure a feasible treatment modality for neonates with respiratory distress syndrome in a rural district hospital?

Objectives: To assess the feasibility of using nasal continuous positive airway pressure (nCPAP) in neonates with respiratory distress syndrome at district hospital level by assessing in-hospital survival rates and the impact on transfer rates.

Methods: A prospective database was kept from 2008 to record the outcomes of neonates with mild to moderate respiratory distress treated with nCPAP at a South African rural district hospital. Transfer rates were compared for the two years before and after introduction of neonatal nCPAP using additional retrospective data from the Perinatal Problem Identification Programme (PPIP) for comparison.