A comprehensive analysis of clinical variables for severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia in extremely preterm infants.

Background: Identifying clinical risk factors that may forecast the development of severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) in very and extremely premature infants can assist clinicians in implementing early interventions to reduce long-term morbidity and mortality rates.

Methods: A cohort study of enrolled preterm neonates born before the gestational age (GA) of 32 weeks was performed between May 2018 and January 2022. Clinical parameters and comorbidities were gathered retrospectively from medical records and compared among different BPD severity levels based on the diagnostic definition of the 2019 National Institute of Child Health and Human Development criteria.

The Association Between Perinatal Pharmacologic Treatments and Spontaneous Intestinal Perforation in Extremely Preterm Infants: A Propensity Score Matching Study.

: The impact of perinatal pharmacologic agents on spontaneous intestinal perforation (SIP) in extremely low-birthweight (ELBW, <1000 g) preterm infants remains inconclusive based on findings from retrospective cohort or case-control studies. This study aims to address this uncertainty by using propensity score matching (PSM) to reduce bias. : We retrospectively reviewed ELBW infants in our unit between 2014 and 2023 to identify SIP cases.

Clinical Characteristics of Infants with Symptomatic Congenital and Postnatal Cytomegalovirus Infection-An 11-Year Multicenter Cohort Study in Taiwan.

(1) Background: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is a prevalent viral disease among infants. The prevalence typically ranges from 0.2% to 2.

Respiratory outcomes in preterm infants following intravitreal bevacizumab for retinopathy of prematurity-a 10-year matched case study.

Objectives: To evaluate respiratory outcomes in preterm infants with retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) following intravitreal bevacizumab injection (IVB).

Methods: This single-centre study enroled preterm infants with a gestational age (GA) < 34 weeks or a birth weight (BW) < 1500 g with bilateral type 1 ROP who received a single IVB, and a treatment-free control group matched by GA, postmenstrual age, and respiratory status at the time of the IVB. The primary outcome was serial respiratory changes in mean airway pressure (MAP), fraction of inspired oxygen (FiO), and respiratory severity score (RSS, MAP x FiO) during the 28-day post-IVB/matching period and overall respiratory improvement at day 28 and at discharge.

Electrospun Fibrous Nanocomposite Sensing Materials for Monitoring Biomarkers in Exhaled Breath.

Human-exhaled breath mainly contains water, oxygen, carbon dioxide, and endogenous gases closely related to human metabolism. The linear relationship between breath acetone and blood glucose concentration has been revealed when monitoring diabetes patients. Considerable attention has been directed toward developing a highly sensitive volatile organic compounds (VOCs) sensing material that can detect breath acetone.

Craniofacial Growth and Asymmetry in Newborns: A Longitudinal 3D Assessment.

Objective: To evaluate the development of the craniofacial region in healthy infants and analyze the asymmetry pattern in the first year of life.

Methods: The participants were grouped by sex and age (1, 2, 4, 6, 9, and 12 months) to receive three-dimensional (3D) photographs. Stereoscopic craniofacial photos were captured and transformed into a series of craniofacial meshes in each group.

Platelet parameters and the association with morbidity and mortality in Preterm Infants.

Background: There is growing recognition of the role of platelets in inflammation and immune responses, and platelets have been associated with various cardiovascular diseases. It is also known that neonatal morbidities are related to overall platelet activity, and platelet parameters may have the potential to predict morbidities and mortality in preterm infants. This study aimed to assess the initial platelet parameters and the association with major morbidities and mortality in preterm neonates.

Cerebral Hemodynamics and Regional Oxygen Metabolism during Ductus Arteriosus Ligation in Preterm Infants.

Introduction: Neurodevelopmental impairment is a growing concern for preterm infants who received surgical ligation of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA). We aimed to explore the cerebral hemodynamics during the critical period of PDA ligation.

Methods: Very-low-birth-weight (VLBW) preterm infants who underwent PDA ligation were prospectively enrolled.

Protective factors against preterm infants to develop significant patent ductus arteriosus.

Background: Identifying preterm infants with a higher likelihood of spontaneous patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) closure would be desirable. This study aimed to examine daily PDA status during the first week of life for very low birthweight (VLBW, <1500 g) preterm infants and to develop a scoring system to predict spontaneous PDA closure.

Methods: We enrolled VLBW infants admitted between January 2016 and January 2017 and performed daily echocardiographic screening for PDA existence.

Safety and clinical application of nonbronchoscopic bronchoalveolar lavage in preterm neonates with clinical ventilator-associated pneumonia.

Background: The safety and clinical application of nonbronchoscopic bronchoalveolar lavage (NB-BAL) in preterm neonates with ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) have not been fully investigated, and limited data on the feasibility of this method are available.

Methods: Premature infants with clinically suspected VAP between October 2017 and June 2019 were enrolled, and NB-BAL was performed. The tolerance and safety of NB-BAL were prospectively recorded during the procedure, and the clinical applications of NB-BAL were observed.

Prospective investigation of serial ultrasound for transient tachypnea of the newborn.

Background: Transient tachypnea of the newborn (TTN), which is diagnosed using typical clinical course and radiographic findings, is the most common cause of respiratory distress in late-preterm and term neonates. Lung ultrasound (LUS) is increasingly used to identify TTN according to the distinct characteristics of the disease. However, few studies have reported the application of LUS to monitor the clinical evolution of TTN.

Comparison of Orthognathic Surgery Outcomes Between Patients With and Without Underlying High-Risk Conditions: A Multidisciplinary Team-Based Approach and Practical Guidelines.

Orthognathic surgery (OGS) has been successfully adopted for managing a wide spectrum of skeletofacial deformities, but patients with underlying conditions have not been treated using OGS because of the relatively high risk of surgical anesthetic procedure-related complications. This study compared the OGS outcomes of patients with and without underlying high-risk conditions, which were managed using a comprehensive, multidisciplinary team-based OGS approach with condition-specific practical perioperative care guidelines. Data of surgical anesthetic outcomes (intraoperative blood loss, operative duration, need for prolonged intubation, reintubation, admission to an intensive care unit, length of hospital stay, and complications), facial esthetic outcomes (professional panel assessment), and patient-reported outcomes (FACE-Q social function, psychological well-being, and satisfaction with decision scales) of consecutive patients with underlying high-risk conditions ( 30) treated between 2004 and 2017 were retrospectively collected.

Effects of Patent Ductus Arteriosus on Organ Blood Flow in Infants Born Very Preterm: A Prospective Study with Serial Echocardiography.

Objective: To characterize the effects of a patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) on different organ blood flows in infants born preterm.

Study Design: Infants born preterm at ≤30 weeks of gestational age had daily echocardiography and Doppler assessments of middle cerebral artery, celiac artery, superior mesenteric (SMA), and renal arteries (RA) during the first postnatal week. Abnormal organ blood flow was defined as either reverse or absent diastolic flow, abnormally low mean or systolic velocities, or abnormally high pulsatility or resistance index.

Baseline cardiac output and its alterations during ibuprofen treatment for patent ductus arteriosus in preterm infants.

Background: Infants with hemodynamically significant patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) may physiologically compensate with a supranormal cardiac output (CO). As such, a supranormal CO may be a surrogate marker for a significant PDA or indicate a failed response to PDA closure by ibuprofen. Electrical cardiometry (EC) is an impedance-based monitor that can continuously and non-invasively assess CO (CO).

Predictors of Respiratory Improvement 1 Week after Ligation of Patent Ductus Arteriosus in Preterm Infants.

Objective: To characterize preterm infants that demonstrates respiratory improvement 7 days after ligation of a patent ductus arteriosus (PDA).

Study Design: We performed a 2-phase study of preterm infants (birthweight <1500 g between 2010 and 2016). We first did a retrospective analysis using regression modeling of ligation population.

Variable role of patent ductus arteriosus.

Although patent ductus arteriosus is essential in fetal life, interventions to close or minimize the adverse hemodynamic effects associated with the left-to-right shunt are often needed after birth, especially in extremely premature infants. However, there are clinical conditions where maintaining patency of the ductus is essential for survival. In this article we discuss use of prostaglandin E in the management of congenital heart defects, pulmonary hypertension and left ventricular failure in early neonatal period.

Cerebral Lactate Concentration in Neonatal Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy: In Relation to Time, Characteristic of Injury, and Serum Lactate Concentration.

Background: Cerebral lactate concentration can remain detectable in neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) after hemodynamic stability. The temporal resolution of regional cerebral lactate concentration in relation to the severity or area of injury is unclear. Furthermore, the interplay between serum and cerebral lactate in neonatal HIE has not been well defined.

Incidence and outcomes of acute kidney injury in extremely-low-birth-weight infants.

Background: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common event in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), especially in extremely-low-birth-weight (ELBW) infants. This cohort study investigated the incidence of and risk factors for AKI in ELBW infants and their overall survival at the postmenstrual age (PMA) of 36 weeks.

Methods: All ELBW infants admitted to our NICU between January 2010 and December 2013 were enrolled.

Electrical Cardiometry to Monitor Cardiac Output in Preterm Infants with Patent Ductus Arteriosus: A Comparison with Echocardiography.

Background: Electrical cardiometry (EC) is an impedance-based monitoring that provides noninvasive cardiac output (CO) assessment. Through comparison to transthoracic echocardiography (Echo), the accuracy of EC has been verified. However, left-to-right patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) shunting is a concern because PDA shunts aortic flow to the pulmonary artery and may interfere with EC in measuring CO.

Improved Solar-Driven Photocatalytic Performance of Highly Crystalline Hydrogenated TiO Nanofibers with Core-Shell Structure.

Hydrogenated titanium dioxide has attracted intensive research interests in pollutant removal applications due to its high photocatalytic activity. Herein, we demonstrate hydrogenated TiO nanofibers (H:TiO NFs) with a core-shell structure prepared by the hydrothermal synthesis and subsequent heat treatment in hydrogen flow. H:TiO NFs has excellent solar light absorption and photogenerated charge formation behavior as confirmed by optical absorbance, photo-Kelvin force probe microscopy and photoinduced charge carrier dynamics analyses.

Clinical Manifestations, Outcomes, and Etiologies of Perinatal Stroke in Taiwan: Comparisons between Ischemic, and Hemorrhagic Stroke Based on 10-year Experience in A Single Institute.

Background: Perinatal stroke is a common cause of established neurological sequelae. Although several risk factors have been identified, many questions regarding causes and clinical outcomes remain unanswered. This study investigated the clinical manifestations and outcomes of perinatal stroke and identified its etiologies in Taiwan.