Differences in Cerebral Tissue Oxygenation in Preterm Neonates Receiving Adult or Cord Blood Red Blood Cell Transfusions.

Importance: Repeated transfusions in preterm neonates with anemia of prematurity replace fetal hemoglobin (HbF) with adult Hb (HbA), which has a low oxygen affinity. The reduction of HbF is associated with a higher incidence of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP).

Objective: To assess whether HbF and HbA are differently associated with cerebral tissue oxygenation in preterm neonates.

Could myocardial function be predictive of successful extubation in newborns and infants?

Objective: To investigate the relationship between cardiac function and extubation readiness in infants using speckle tracking echocardiography.

Working Hypothesis: Cardiac function combined with established clinical parameters may better identify readiness for extubation.

Study Design: Pilot prospective observational study.