Regulatory competence and social communication in term and preterm infants at 12 months corrected age. Results from a randomized controlled trial.

Temperamental regulatory competence and social communication in term and preterm infants at 12 months corrected age was studied in a randomized controlled intervention trial aimed at enhancing maternal sensitive responsiveness. Surviving infants <2000 g from a geographically defined area were randomized to an intervention (71) or a control group (69), and compared with term infants (74). The intervention was a modified version of the "Mother-Infant Transaction Program".

Maternal ratings of infant regulatory competence from 6 to 12 months: influence of perceived stress, birth-weight, and intervention: a randomized controlled trial.

Mothers' reports of preterm and term infants' temperament from 6 to 12 months of age were studied, with intervention and stress as predictors. Preterm infants with a birth weight <2000g were randomized to an intervention (71) or a control (69) group. A control group of healthy term infants (74) was also established.

Infant responsiveness and maternal confidence in the neonatal period.

Responsiveness in prematurely and term-born infants was studied cross-sectionally in relation to maternal confidence. Orientation and arousal were measured in 140 prematurely (mean BW 1,398 g, GA 30.1 weeks) and 75 term-born infants (mean BW 3,613 g, GA 39.

Joint attention in term and preterm infants at 12 months corrected age: the significance of gender and intervention based on a randomized controlled trial.

This study tested the effects of optimized neonatal mother-infant transactions on joint attention performance at 12 months. Surviving infants <2000g from a geographically defined area were randomly assigned to a preterm intervention (n=71) or preterm control group (n=69). Comparisons were made between preterm groups, secondary with a term group (n=75).

Emotional, behavioral, social, and academic outcomes in adolescents born with very low birth weight.

Background: Very low birth weight survivors are at increased risk of developing emotional and behavioral problems and low social and academic competencies. Information on such problems in very low birth weight adolescents is still sparse.

Objectives: Our purpose for this work was to study gender-specific emotional and behavioral problems and social and academic competencies in a cohort of very low birth weight adolescents in north Norway.

Electronic patient-provider communication: will it offset office visits and telephone consultations in primary care?

Background And Aim: Electronic patient-provider communication promises to improve efficiency and effectiveness of clinical care. This study aims to explore whether a secure web-based messaging system is an effective way of providing patient care in general practices.

Method: We conducted a randomised controlled trail and recruited 200 patients from the waiting area in one primary clinic in Norway.

Major congenital heart disease in Northern Norway: shortcomings of pre- and postnatal diagnosis.

Background: Congenital heart disease (CHD) is a significant cause of perinatal mortality and morbidity worldwide. Prenatal detection rate of CHD remains low in most European countries and a substantial proportion of infants with serious heart disease are diagnosed only after discharge from hospital after birth. Earlier recognition of treatable abnormalities may improve the perinatal outcome.

[Is transmission of heart murmurs via e-mail cost saving?].

Background: The use of pre-recorded heart murmur in an electronic referral for a remote consultation can save children and their parents from having to travel to the nearest out-patient clinic. The heart sound can be recorded by the GP at the local health clinic and sent by e-mail to the specialist. 41 clinics in the North Norway healt region have invested in equipment that makes pre-recorded sound referrals possible.

[May heart murmurs be assessed by telemedicine?].

Background: Children often have heart murmurs; referral to a specialist is common. A service for remote auscultation of heart murmurs was established in which heart sounds and short texts were sent as attachment to e-mails. Our aim was to assess the quality of this method.

[Neonatal medicine at the appropriate level of care?].

Background: To explore the utilisation of neonatal care resources in the region.

Method: Place of birth, unit of admission, ventilator treatment, total and "unnecessary" length of stay in a tertiary unit, and to which location the children were discharged, were recorded from medical records of sick newborns from Finnmark transferred to the University Hospital of North Norway during 1992-99.

Results: 255 newborns from Finnmark County were admitted to the University Hospital, of which 175 (69%) were delivered at the University Hospital.