Effectiveness of corticosteroids and epinephrine use in neonates for the first extubation attempt: A retrospective study.

Background: This study aimed to analyze the use of corticosteroids and epinephrine in neonates for the first extubation attempt and compared clinical characteristics of infants with successful and failed extubation events.

Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study conducted at a single level III neonatal intensive care unit in Taiwan. The study included 215 infants born between 2020 and 2021 who had been intubated for more than 48 h before their first extubation attempt.

Neurodevelopment Outcomes in Very-Low-Birth-Weight Infants with Metabolic Bone Disease at 2 Years of Age.

Metabolic bone disease (MBD) predominantly affects preterm infants, particularly very-low-birth-weight (VLBW) infants weighing <1500 g. However, there are limited reports on MBD and neurodevelopmental outcomes. This study aimed to analyze the risk factors for MBD and understand its impact on neurodevelopmental outcomes at 2 years of corrected age.

Maternal diabetes mellitus and birth defects in Taiwan: A 5-year nationwide population-based cohort study.

Background: Birth defects (BDs) are the main causes of mortality and disability in infants and children. Associations between maternal diabetes mellitus (DM), including gestational DM (GDM) and pregestational DM (type 1 or type 2), and the risk of BDs have been reported. This study aims to determine the relationship between maternal DM and BDs and to investigate whether reducing the incidence of DM can decrease the incidence of BDs.

Reducing Medication Errors in Children's Hospitals.

Objectives: Knowledge of the prevalence and characteristics of medication errors in pediatric and neonatal patients is limited. This study aimed to evaluate the incidence and medication error characteristics in a pediatric hospital over 5 years and to determine whether serial error prevention programs to optimize a computerized physician order entry (CPOE) system reduce error incidence.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed medication errors documented between January 2015 and December 2019.

Reducing Birth Defects by Decreasing the Prevalence of Maternal Chronic Diseases-Evaluated by Linked National Registration Dataset.

Birth defects (BDs) are an important cause of abortion, stillbirth, and infant mortality that may cause lifelong disability. The defects can be caused by genetics, environmental exposure, or maternal chronic diseases. We conducted a study to analyze the association between maternal chronic diseases and BDs and to evaluate the effect of decreasing the prevalence of maternal chronic diseases on reducing BDs.

Relationship between Maternal Fever and Neonatal Sepsis: A Retrospective Study at a Medical Center.

Various risk factors are associated with neonatal sepsis; however, its relationship to maternal postpartum fever is unknown. This study aimed to determine the relationship between maternal postpartum fever and neonatal sepsis. Full-term and late preterm stable infants born from January 2019 to June 2021 and whose mothers developed intra- or post-partum fever were included in the study.

Survival of Hydrops Fetalis with and without Fetal Intervention.

Objectives: To investigate the survival rate of hydrops fetalis after fetal interventions and neonatal intensive care.

Methods: We reviewed the medical records of patients diagnosed with hydrops fetalis from January 2009 to December 2019 at Changhua Christian Children's Hospital. All cases had abnormal fluid accumulation in at least two body compartments during pre- and postnatal examination.

Causative organisms and antimicrobial susceptibility in jaundiced infants with significant bacteriuria.

Background: Jaundice may be one of the first signs of urinary tract infection (UTI) in infants. The most common pathogen is Escherichia coli. Currently recommended antibiotic treatment for neonatal UTI is ampicillin and an aminoglycoside.

Parenteral nutrition with fish oil-based lipid emulsion reduces the risk of cholestasis in preterm infants.

Objective: Preterm infants receive long-term parenteral nutrition (PN) for gastrointestinal immaturity. This study aimed to determine if mixed lipid emulsions containing fish oil decrease the incidence of PN-associated cholestasis by reducing oxidative stress and providing an anti-inflammatory effect.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study enrolled 399 very low birth weight premature infants (gestational age ≤32 weeks) between January 2009 and November 2017 at a single neonatal intensive care unit.

Minimally invasive surfactant therapy versus intubation for surfactant administration in very low birth weight infants with respiratory distress syndrome.

Background: Minimally invasive surfactant therapy (MIST) is a new mode of surfactant administration without intubation to spontaneously breathing preterm infants with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS). The aims of this study were to assess the feasibility, efficacy and safety of using MIST to give surfactant for very low birth weight (VLBW) infants with RDS.

Methods: In total, 53 VLBW infants who were born before 32 gestational weeks with spontaneous breathing, respiratory distress, and requiring surfactant therapy were divided into two groups.

Effect of high-frequency oscillatory ventilation combined with volume guarantee on preterm infants with hypoxic respiratory failure.

Background: The aim of this study was to assess the effect of volume guarantee (VG) on high-frequency oscillatory ventilation (HFOV) compared with HFOV alone in preterm infants with hypoxic respiratory failure (HRF).

Methods: Fifty-two preterm infants with HRF refractory to conventional mechanical ventilation (CMV) were enrolled in this study. Between June 2012 and February 2016, HFOV alone was used as rescue therapy when CMV failed for 34 infants, whereas HFOV combined with VG was used as rescue therapy for the other 18 infants between March 2016 and December 2017.

Birth defects in Taiwan: A 10-year nationwide population-based, cohort study.

Background/purpose: Birth defects (BDs) are main causes of mortality and disability in infants and children. The aims of this study were to analyze the prevalence, types and risk factors of BDs in Taiwan.

Methods: Data of all births (including live and stillbirths), types, characteristics, and associated risk factors of BDs were obtained from the National Birth Registry and National Health Insurance Research Data base in Taiwan between 2005 and 2014.

Volume-targeted versus pressure-limited ventilation for preterm infants.

Background: To compare the effects of volume-targeted ventilation (VTV) with pressure-limited ventilation (PLV) in preterm infants.

Methods: A total of 100 preterm infants who required mechanical ventilation during the two study periods were investigated. PLV was used for 50 preterm infants during period 1 and VTV was used for 50 preterm infants during period 2.