The role of birthweight discordance in the intellectual and motor outcome for triplets at early school age.

Aim: We assessed motor and intellectual outcome in triplets at school age and investigated the predictive value of perinatal and demographic factors.

Methods: Seventy-one live-born newborn infants (24 triplet pregnancies) were prospectively enrolled at birth. At the age of 6 years, 58 children (31 males, 27 females; mean gestational age 31.

Impact of central, obstructive and mixed apnea on cerebral hemodynamics in preterm infants.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of central, obstructive and mixed apnea on cerebral total hemoglobin concentration (tHb), which is analogous to cerebral blood volume, and to investigate whether tHb alterations correlate with bradycardia and arterial desaturation. Measurements were carried out on 17 preterm infants (gestational age 26-30 weeks) with frequent apneic events. Near infrared spectrophotometry (NIRS) was used to quantify changes in tHb.