Umbilical Venous Catheter Malposition Is Associated with Necrotizing Enterocolitis in Premature Infants.

Objective: The etiology of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) remains elusive despite known associations with several factors, including intestinal ischemia related to the effects of umbilical arterial catheterization on the mesenteric circulation. However, the role of the mesenteric venous circulation has yet to be studied as a potential cause of NEC. We examined the association between umbilical venous catheter (UVC) position and the development of NEC in premature infants.

Effects of regional brain injury on the newborn autonomic nervous system.

Objective: Cerebral mapping of central autonomic nervous system (ANS)(1) function in mature animals and humans lateralizes sympathetic and parasympathetic influence predominantly to the right and left cerebral hemispheres, respectively. Spectral analysis of heart rate variability (HRV)(2) is an established measure of ANS function. We examined whether such lateralization is present in the term newborn.

Neonatal renal physiology.

The renal system plays a tremendous role in growth and development of infants and children. The kidney itself also undergoes a maturation process as it transitions from the fetal to the extrauterine environment. Renal function continues to undergo further adaptive changes in the neonatal period.

Ductus venosus closure results in transient portal hypertension--is this the silent trigger for necrotizing enterocolitis?

Introduction: The etiology of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) remains elusive and no definite trigger has been identified. There are no studies to date examining the potential role of closure of the ductus venosus (DV), its effect on increasing portal venous pressure (PVP) and its association to mesenteric venous ischemia in the development of NEC. Our aim was to develop an animal model to examine this physiology.

Continuous quantitative monitoring of cerebral oxygen metabolism in neonates by ventilator-gated analysis of NIRS recordings.

Oxidative stress during fetal development, delivery, or early postnatal life is a major cause of neuropathology, as both hypoxic and hyperoxic insults can significantly damage the developing brain. Despite the obvious need for reliable cerebral oxygenation monitoring, no technology currently exists to monitor cerebral oxygen metabolism continuously and noninvasively in infants at high risk for developing brain injury. Consequently, a rational approach to titrating oxygen supply to cerebral oxygen demand - and thus avoiding hyperoxic or hypoxic insults - is currently lacking.

Intractable sneezing: is it always psychogenic?

Intractable sneezing is not a commonly encountered disorder. The clinical presentation of such patients may cause the physician to undertake several tests before making a diagnosis. Are the performed analytic tests a waste of the health service funds or are they really sufficient? In this case, after undergoing several tests to rule out potential causes of the prevailing symptoms, psychiatric evaluation revealed a triggering event that contributed to the diagnosis of psychogenic sneezing.