Social distancing and extremely preterm births in the initial COVID-19 pandemic period.

Hypothesis: Increased social distancing was associated with a lower incidence of extremely preterm live births (EPLB) during the initial COVID-19 pandemic period.

Study Design: Prospective study at the NICHD Neonatal Research Network sites comparing EPLB (22-28 weeks) and extremely preterm intrapartum stillbirths (EPIS) rates during the pandemic period (March-July, weeks 9-30 of 2020) with the reference period (same weeks in 2018 and 2019), correlating with state-specific social distancing index (SDI).

Results: EPLB and EPIS percentages did not significantly decrease (1.

Exposure to umbilical cord management approaches and death or neurodevelopmental impairment at 22-26 months' corrected age after extremely preterm birth.

Objective: To compare death or severe neurodevelopmental impairment (NDI) at 22-26 months' corrected age (CA) among extremely preterm infants following exposure to different forms of umbilical cord management.

Design: Retrospective study.

Setting: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Neonatal Research Network registry.

Umbilical Cord Milking vs Delayed Cord Clamping and Associations with In-Hospital Outcomes among Extremely Premature Infants.

Objective: To compare in-hospital outcomes after umbilical cord milking vs delayed cord clamping among infants <29 weeks of gestation.

Study Design: Multicenter retrospective study of infants born <29 weeks of gestation from 2016 to 2018 without congenital anomalies who received active treatment at delivery and were exposed to umbilical cord milking or delayed cord clamping. The primary outcome was mortality or severe (grade III or IV) intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) by 36 weeks of postmenstrual age (PMA).

Placental transfusion and short-term outcomes among extremely preterm infants.

Objective: To compare short-term outcomes after placental transfusion (delayed cord clamping (DCC) or umbilical cord milking (UCM)) versus immediate cord clamping among extremely preterm infants.

Design: Retrospective study.

Setting: The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Neonatal Research Network registry.

Corticosteroids for Neonatal Hypotension.

Several limitations and controversies surround the definition of hypotension; however, it remains one of the most common problems faced by neonates. Approximately 15% to 30% of neonates with hypotension fail to respond to volume and/or vasopressor or inotropes. They are considered to have refractory hypotension.