Long QT and Hearing Loss in High-Risk Infants Prospective Study Registry.

The objective of this study is to determine the prevalence of an abnormal electrocardiogram showing a prolonged QTc greater than 450 ms in infants with unilateral or bilateral sensorineural hearing loss. We conducted a prospective study of healthy term infants (≥37 weeks gestational age) who failed their newborn auditory brainstem response hearing screen, were seen by an audiologist and diagnosed as having sensorineural hearing loss during follow-up to 1 year of age. In infants with a diagnosis of hearing loss, we collected a detailed family history and performed an ECG between 2 and 6 months of age.

Prolonged maternal postpartum fever and neonatal herpes infection.

Maternal postpartum fever that is suggestive of endometritis often triggers evaluation of the mother and newborn infant for bacterial infection. Two neonates whose mothers had persistent postpartum fever despite broad-spectrum antimicrobial therapy developed disseminated herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection. Obstetric and pediatric healthcare providers should be mindful of possible HSV infection if there is postpartum fever unresponsive to antibiotics, and both mother and neonate should be evaluated appropriately and treated promptly.

Common causes of neonatal bacteraemia in Accra, Ghana.

This study is a retrospective review of admissions, discharge records and blood culture results of neonates admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra, from the first of January 1991 to the 31st of December 1992. During this two year period there were 443 positive blood cultures. Ninety percent of the blood cultures were from babies born in Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, thus making the incidence of neonatal bacteraemia 22.

Neural tube defects at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Accra, Ghana.

This study involved a retrospective analysis of 19094 delivery records of all infants born at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra, Ghana, between January 1991 to December 1992. During this two year period, the prevalence of neural tube defects (NTDs) was 1.15/1000 births.