Vitamin A Supplementation by Endotracheal Application of a Nano-encapsulated Preparation Is Feasible in Ventilated Preterm Lambs.

Background: Vitamin A (VA) is crucial for lung growth and development. In premature infants, inadequate VA levels are associated with an increased risk of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). Intramuscular VA supplementation has been shown to decrease the incidence of BPD, but is not widely used in the clinical setting due to concerns about feasibility and pain.

Systematic Cochrane reviews in neonatology: a critical appraisal.

Background: There is a lack of up-to-date, systematic reviews that critically assess the role and potential limitations of evidence-based medicine (EBM) and systematic reviews in neonatology.

Methods: We performed a systematic literature review of all Cochrane reviews published between 1996 and 2010 by the Cochrane Neonatal Review Group (CNRG). Main outcome parameter: assessment of the percentage of reviews that concluded that a certain intervention provides a benefit, the percentage of reviews that concluded that no benefit was seen, and the percentage of studies that concluded that the current level of evidence is inconclusive.

Health information needs of families attending the paediatric emergency department.

Background: The National Health Service Plan (July 2000) aimed to empower patients with more influence upon their own treatment. Provision of additional educational health information (AEHI) serves to inform families about health conditions and to allow them to manage their own health after discharge. However, to date, it is unknown how parents or carers perceive this information.